The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-01-01

ulved into his law books with that
"composure of settled distress" which
lovers have known in every age and
cline. He did not dream that the slant
eyed mandarin would be guilty of the
ungentlemanly trick of intercepting a
love letter.
But the fun loving mandarin knew
what he was about. He was not with
out experience in these matters. and
be wanted to punish Clementine n
triAe and bring her to the proper con-
ditiOn Of seriousness.
And Clementnc was feeling the stu
alton with all the sobriety that was de
sirable She had suspected all sum
mer that Randall had tender feeling
for her which she felt qualified to re-
cipro"ate but she was a proud girl and
fould not by Il feathers weight inhu-
ence the balance of his attentions.
Therefore behind her smiles she had
Jeen not a little wounded that ne had
allowed her TO come home without hav-
ing given expression to his sentiments.
So she, too. now took on a sober
countenance and banished thought and
regret by joining several new clubs
and taking membership in two or three
more charitable organizations.
Just before Christmas Randall one
day experienced in his breast q sort Of
imperative intimation-perhaps direct
from the slant eyed mandarin. who
knows?-that he might hear of some
thing to his advantage if he should 60
down to the city and call upon Clemen-
tine; so after some futile resistance to
the message he betook himself thither.
He was graciously received by Glenn
entine-that is, graciously enough for
a young man who had played the
trifer with her invisible affections
and he seated himself in cozy chair
near the pretty table which held his
old friend-the blue jar.
AS he talked with Clementine, lit
tie constraint being apparent on both
sides, he toyed with the lid Of the jar,
and the slant eyed mandarin appeared
to wink at him three times very know
ingly.
Under some occult but imperative
pressure Randall removed the lid and
touched with his finger the silken tex
ture of some mysterious contents.
Curiosity further constrained him,
and he pulled from the bosom of the
now jubilant mandarin pale blue ar
| ticle Of singular description for parlor
ornament, and, following it, he extri-
Gated pale pink strip Of similar shape
and structure.
Turning to Clementine for explana
ton of these unforeseen apparitions, he
I found her speeches. with wild eyed as
constituent, and without a word OF
| gesture she seized the old blue jar ant
hurried from the room.
Randall smiled the first real, soul felt
refreshing smile that he had INDUCED
in for several months and vowed b.
the pigtail of the old slant eyed that HI
would stay rooted to the spot unit
Clementine returned.
What she said to the genius of tn
Jar as she flew up stairs with 1t onl.
the mandarin can reveal.
AS Randall paced the parlor, pulling
his mustache and wondering If Clemer
tines keen sense of humor would carr
her safely through the trying hour, sh
came sh&mefacedly into the room, beai
ing in one hand the blinking old mar
DARN and in the other the pleading le
ter he had borne so long hid in hi
clever old bosom.
Randall met the dear girl more tina
half way, and as she whimpered gent
on his shoulder he promised neve
uever, never to tell.
And when they were married, II yo
believe me, that ridiculous old ging'
Jar accompanied them on their weddir
J trip, and Randall packed the bosom
, the grotesQue mandarin full Of Cleme
tines bridal roses, there to fade M
there forever to remain.
Now, as Randall never told al
Clementine never told, the enti
, responsibility Of this revelation lies b
1 tween yon and me and the ginger jar.