Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-11-13

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METEOROLOGIST

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Miss Sophia Nichols was a lady
of great motesty and of very re-
firing disposition, and as she had
passed the age of ''fair, fat and
forty" wasted few glances ON men.
She had lately established herself
in suit of rooms on the south
east corner of Laurel street, fac
ing the lovely little Beech park. 1t
was Just the place for a quiet spin
ster who loved nature and retire
nent, and she enjoyed i With unal-
loyed quiet for Q Few days.
Opposite her new abode was q
quiet old house with four immense
windows wherein were set tiny
panes of glass to each room. The
inhabitants seemed very quiet per-
sons, and she seldom saw them ex-
cept in the evening.
After she had been domiciled
about a week in her new place her
attention was attracted by the very
queer action of an old gentleman
who lived in the quaint house.
After finishing her ] o'clock din
ner she always established herself
cozily with work or book at her
front window, and the old gentle
man would as regularly appear in
his yard and, drawing out of his
pocket a red bandanna, raise it SOL
emnly high in air. He did not
seem to wave it, but let it go at its
own sweet will, or the winds will.
On moonlight nights, always
about 10 o'clock, he repeated this
mysterious rite, or whatever it was.
His eyes were nearly always turned
toward her window, and stared fix
edly. Sometimes he did not use the
handkerchief at all, but gazed
steadfastly at her window.
This performance he kept up
every day until Miss Sophia began
to be fearfully nervous. She was
really afraid it would draw down
the gossip of the neighborhood on
her, so she tried in many mild, well
bred ways to let the old gentleman
understand that she did not like his
very open attentions.
She pulled down her blind, and
on popping out to see what effect
it had found it had none; he still
waved Or she would retreat to the
farthest corner of the room out of
his range of vision, and her mirror
told her he still gazed.
Finally her nephew came to make
her a weeks visit Every spinster
has favorite niece or nephew, and
Jack Brown was Miss Sophia's. She
admired his youth Che was only
twenty-four), his courage, his well
shaped body, and even his impetu-
Gus Ito put it mildly temper. He
was rather good looking, too, al
though his hair was auburn and his
mustache, such as it was, undeni-
ably red.
The first day of his visit Miss
Sophia kept him engaged by show
ing him her photograph albums,
of which she lad half a dozen. But
she couldn't keep this up a whole
week, so the second day Jack re.
marked as the bandanna and its
owner appeared:
"What queer old chapl What's
he doing?"
To which Miss Sophia tremulous-
ly replied, 81 don't know" which
was literally true, for she had her
back carefully turned to the win.
dow.
The next day Jack observed the
same performance and said:
"Confound the old scoundrel
Aunt Sophia, / really believe he's
trying to flirt with you or else he's
a lunatic." Jack was a senior at col.
lege and had taken his degree in
the art of flirting.
The following day Jacks ire
reached climax as the old gentle.
man appeared as usual and not only
waved the offending red rag (Jacl
was a fiery Republican,, but actu-
ally gazed fixedly at Miss Sophia's
window for fully FIVE minutes.
He grabbed up his hat and said
to his aunt, 'I'll know the mean.
ing of his confounded impudence
Or my names not Jack Brownw
He dashed downstairs, paving nc
attention to his aunt's pleadings
"Don't, Jack, don'tl You will only
make matters worsel" She pulled
down her curtain and peeped from
behind it to see what Jack would
do.
He was striding angrily across
the street, and in a few moments
was at the old gentlemap's side
With a wrathful face and sternly
determined manner he said:
"Sir, what is the meaning of
your internal impudence? Il is Q