The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-03
ARAMINTA .MONTMORENCY
BY MAURICE SMILEY.

y.JA
 It was the silliest dream-so silly that I told it with gusto to the folks in the morning. I don't know what in the world ever made me dream it. They say that you always dream about that which occupies your thoughts. But I never believed 1t, for had tried often to dream about getting money, but l never even borrowed any from one of those friends that are "of the stun dreams are made of"
 To tell the truth, l had thought great deal about the new girl next door-the girl in the big picture hat. who looked so lonely and forsaken as she walked around the big place all by herself. Somehow she looked, like a prisoner behind the big fence that shut the house in off the street and l could only see her from my room on the second floor.
 But I didn't know what her name was and I never dreamed. when l dreamed this ridiculous dream, that she was the girA named Araminta, who came to me as I lay asleep-or rather. came to my window and held out her hands to me as if in entreaty and whispered right through the glass of the window: "Araminta! Come to Aramintav
 She didn't whisper where she want ed me to come to; neither did she book at all like the girl next door. But somehow the name took possession of me. It sounded so romantic, like that of some fair lady in wimple and crino- lines from out the pages of beautiful book all about the ancient knights. who rescued damsels in distress and all that sort of thing, you know.
 Tn the train that morning going to the office my thoughts ran on that langushing name. The rumble of the ears seemed to be saying: "Araminta! .t..A- Ir t4S<wu, <af, seem to, talk sometimes; or at least how cars seem to talk when they have wheels.
 All that day during the round of my arduous duties of floor walker the name seemed to be lowering in the air around me. Once when I had intended to call "Cashr called ."Araminta!" in- stead and then I got the horse laugh for making donkey of myself.
 It was the same going home in the cars. I don't know whether they had kept up that rigamarole all day long or not. or whether they just began again when I got on At any rate, they kept repeating "Araminta! Ara minta!" all the way home. They probably kept on repeating 1t after left them, for they were saying some thing.
 When got to my room looked out Into the yard of the establishment next door, but culd see nothing of the sad young lady. I started to pull down tho curtain, when some small hard ob- ject rattle against the window pane. I poked my head out to see If some mischievous boys were throwing rocks at the house when 1 heard a subdued call which seemed to come from next door.
 Yes, there was the sad young lady. In a room on the second hoer. had AN.- T. t--- before. but it had probably escaped my attention. The young lady seemed try Ing to attract my notice and finally. in a suppressed, sort of graveyard, voice she spoke my name.
 MT. Wilson!" she called softly. Please catch this note and read 1t carefully. am afraid to let my fa- ther know about it. Please read it very carefully and help me. know you will not refuse"
 The next moment small stone was tossed into the room. Around 1t was a piece of paper and inside the paper was a note. opened 1t and read with amaxement:
 Dear Mir. Wilson" 1t ran. |" have tried to summon you to me in my dis tress many times I am a prisoner in this house, where I am kept by my father, who is trying to keep me from the man love. He has given 1t out that I am insane, but I am not. though this torture will drive me mad. There Is no one in all the world whom I can get to help me If you refuse. You are good and kind. I know, and you will not turn a deaf ear to woman in un- happiness. Will you bring a ladder tonight at 10 o'clock and climb up to my window? Bring also file and any other instruments that will be needed to release me from this prison. Once AI.l- 1ra tha train and be with the man l love in an hour. Do this for me and will bless you all the rest of my life. Araminta Montmorency"
 AraminTl Good heavens! Was I still dreaming?
 Would I help a fair lady in distress, Well. just watch me, I challenged the l whole world under my breath, and es- | pecially any old ogre of a father who | shut his daughter up in a prison cell {! and made out she was crazy. Would | I help her fly to the arms of her lover? | Well, I guess yes! I felt like a man | who lived when knlghthood was in | flower and two minutes after had read | the note I had called softly through l the window:
 I'll be on hand. Be of good cheer. | for I will not fail you!"
 I thought I heard her give a sob of | gratitude as she closed her own win dow and then I began to make my preparations. No one in the house | should witness this knightly deed. My | stfcng arm and mine alone should res enc this fair damsel from her unhappy plight. If had been the one who was to elope with her, I could not have | taken a Iivelier interest in the pro- | ceedings That made me feel all the more heroic. What an unselfish chap I was, anyway, to help another fellow get such a charming bride!
 At the appointed hour I was on the | ground with a ladder that reached to S~R window. A stout tile and some