Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-11-13


airy days. They say it is the fad OF
the time to buy it up or have lmlta-
| tons Of it. The brass andirons, the
shovel and tongs. the carved chairs,
the escritoire-I remember them all.
| This is a Turkey carpet-there are
hardly any of them to be found now.
Yes, Mrs. Free sat here, and Nancy
played the guitar. and | sung-you
would not think that l sung-Or, l re-
member she worked at her tambour-
frame while | read aloud from the
poets"
He moved his head slowly about,
noting every detail-the pea cock -feath-
err fans, the cut-glass decanters and
glasses, the painted china in the cor
ner cupboard the foot-stool like mel
on, the lamp-mat like a rose. Nothing
had worn out o. grown shabby in the
spinsters little home.
"Once," he said. Miss Nancy sat
for IA miniature to a painter then well
known. 1t was a speaking likeness.
Does it by chance remain in the
house,"
Il think it does" | said "The heir,
nephew, a rich man. who lives in
New Orleans, wrote orders that the
house should be sold with all it's be-
longings. and | think the miniature
you mean is here
went to the escritoire. and drew
from one of the drawers the likeness
of lady painted on ivory and set in
narrow gold frame. | doubt If it
really resembled any living being.
1t was beautiful doll, all pink and
white with blue eyes, little brown
cllrls penciled on the forehead, and a
white frill about the neck; but as |
put it into the hand of Bachelor Bar
ton he gazed upon it with rapture.
Miss Nancys very self" he said.
"as she appeared at twenty-five. There
are no such women now" He paused,
and, with a low bow, added, with
the exception of the fair lady in whose
presence l now stand"
| courtesied. l hope l did it proper
ly. 1t seemed the only thing to do
under the circumstances. q
After this l begged the old gentle
man to visit any portion of the house
and grounds he pleased. and when he
went away presented him with Miss
Nancy's miniature, for which he
kissed my hand, standing at long
distance and touching my fingers as
though they were sacred relics.
We talked him over at teatime. Jack
and l, and made up our minds that he
had once been a sutton Of Miss Nam
cy's. 1t was not a very difficult mat
ter to guess that, and from that day
he called frequently. He made he his
contidante Mt last.
He had adored Miss Nancy, he told
me. and she had returned his affection.
and they had become engaged to each
other, with the consent Of the mother,
and all went merry as marriage bell
until, in some manner he offended the
object of his alteration.
judge he made her jealous. having
been in his day beau Of the first
water. and much admired by the la
dies: but he was too modest to say so
outright. But. at all events. she would
hot forgive him. She refused him the
miniature which had been painted for
him: she took back her lock of hair
and sent him back his letters. and in
all sorts of ways wreaked vengeance
upon him for his evil doing. Yet be-
leve she intended to relent and for
give; and he also thought so, | am
sure. He made every possible apollo
gy and overture, but she yielded not
one inch.
At last her mother died. That great
sorrow. it seemed to him, must bow
her pride. and she must more than
ever need a comforter, CONSIDER, a
protector.
Allowing time for the first burst of
grief, he wrote to her, asking her to
reply. whatever her fiat might be, beg
ging her to forgive him, and once more
promise to be his wife.
"She never answered me-" he said.
"She never gave me one word in re-
ply"
1t was on my tongue to say she had
been very vindictive, but l saw that
| tlldI W Oulu hOt wv. -hlSS ANdutN was
sainted in his memory, and could be
suspected of no wrong whatever.
Il erred beyond forgiveness, sweet
angel" he said-"I erred beyond for
giveness;" and Bachelor Barton could
not have been moved from this opin-
ion by the whisper of an angel.
"Aunte," cried my little nephew,
there's something in the crows nest"
| was sitting in my garden, and the
voice sounded above my head.
looked up with a start. In
the road outside arose a tall pole,
and from time immemorial, a
great crows nest had crowned it.
How little Billy had managed to reach
its apex | can not say, but there he
was. and, speeches. with horror,
could only implore him, in dumb-show,
to descend.
He answered with laugh, flung
something to the ground, and come
sliding down after 1t.
avon pauuhty hayr 7 criaI