The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-08
How 1t Began


Il5rIgiuaLl
Wendell Lame and Howard Gray
were BOSOM friends. Lane was ten
years older than Gray ana a widower
Cray was q bachelor Lane had one
child. girl Of nineteen.
Howard. be said one day. I'm go
ing away for a few weeks Would you
mind staying at my house during my
absencef The housekeeper viii run It
--she's good old soul--and your bach
eior habits need not be interfered with
Rosie's stu child and associates with
those Of her own age. They won't
trouble you"
Certainly said Gray Anything
to oblige you"
Lane departed and Gray took up bis
quarters in his friends house
The first evening ut dinner, after a
few civil WEEDS to the housekeeper and
some remarks to Rose about her school,
which he was surprised to learn she
had finished, be devoted himself to the
evening paper After dinner he went
out
The second evening Miss Rose asked
him If be would mind playing game
Of doninoes with her. Gray was just
putting ON his hat to 80 ont and looked
at the girl ia establishment. The Idea
OF expecting 8 middle aged man to
play such an uninteresting game with
chit Then 1t occurred to him that
it was only civil for him to sacrifice a
trific Of his time while Ia his friends
house for the welfare Of the occupants
ana he consented. Miss Rose seemed
more intent on looking up at him now
and again with pair Of black eyes
than on the game. She chatted the
while, rambling from one topic to an
other, sometimes indicating that she
had not long left the nursery; at oth-
ers, conversing quite like woman.
The next two evenings Mr.. Gray left
the house Immediately after dinner and
did not return until late,
on the fifth evening Miss Rose in
formed Mr.. Gray that there We're tick
cts III the house for d concert, and la
mented that she had no one to take
her. Mr.. Gray hemmed and hawed;
then, in a tone indicating that he would
be pleased TO sacrifice his evening to
bis friends daughter. be informed her
that he would escort her. She kept
him waiting long while, then came
down, in toilet that made her look
ais pretty as a picture Of springtime.
Mr.. Gray felt delightful RESPONSE
bility. Indeed. when the concert was
over and he went to his room for the
night he was accompanied by charm
ing vision that would not be left out
In the cold. It consisted of very
large hat-a perfect flower garden-with
very small face under it He was ac-
customed to read himself to sleep but
this evening the flowers on the hat
Or the face or a dainty figure, about
which there was suspicion Of the
perfume Of violets, got between his
eyes and the lines. He closed his book
and put out the light.
The sixth evening Mr.. Gray asked
Miss Rose If she would like to play a
game Of dominos. She was sorry to de-
cline since she expected a gentleman
caller Gray went out and played
whist at a quarter a corner and lost
$4 for himself and 81 for his partner.
who abused him soundly for continued
bad play. Gray was thinking of the
gentleman caller When he went home
the gentleman caller was there. He
was a beardless boy of eighteen. Gray
was disguised with himself.
The seventh evening was Sunday.
On Sunday evenings there was no one
OF Gray's bachelor friends available
they all seemed to disappear, Gray
never could tell where's so be stayed at
home. Miss Rose asked him II he liked
to sing hymns on Sunday evenings, and
he said he did not, but would smoke in
the library. Would she come in and
have chat?
That was the first Sunday evening in
years that Gray had not felt bored.
There was something In the girls fresh
young prattle. like song from a bird.
that took the ennui right out Of him.
Suddenly it occurred to him, What If
he were ten or fifteen years younger
and could spend all his Sunday even
ings this way
The next day Gray found himself
specializing as to the proper difference
OF age between man and woman ia the
matrimonial state. He was more than
twice as old rs this girl, but when he
was fifty she would be nearly thirty.
That would not be so bad. And when
he was sixty she would be forty. Bet
ter yet When he was seventy she
would be an old woman Of fifty. Bet
ter yet It did not occur to him that
it would really be worse
During the next week several gentle
men callers monopolized Miss Rose
they were all boys-and Mr.. Gray was
driven out. He wished he could put
them all on huge spit and broil them
for spring chickens Instead of being
bored at staying at home he was bored
when he went out. The salt OF his
former pleasures had lost its SAVIOR.
Lane stayed away three weeks, then
wrote that he would be detained three
weeks longer Gray had maintained
an outward fatherly bearing toward
Rose, but once or twice she had as
tonlshed him BY referring to their com
partnership as something Of moment.