The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-09-15

Pharoah was his right name but old
Margaret, the cook, christened him
Satan because of his impsh tricks
and the glossy satin coat, black from
tip to tail save for the blazing jewels
OF two topaz eyes that held reserves
of world old wisdom; and by the title
of Satan he was known to the entire
neighborhood, much to the disgust of
his mistress, Miss Anne Wright, who
Invested him with tenderness or
feeling not usually attributed to the
cat family.
Miss Anne was built according to
the old adge. Fair. fat and forty
with an avowed hatred for dogs and
men, the former ranking as least OBJ
jectionable, and the very perverseness
Of human affairs had made her the
guardian of her niece, Bess Alleyne.
whose bonny dimpled face could
never be brought to the proper de-
gree of primness, and whose tastes
were sadly at variance from those
of her aunt.
Matters were fast reaching a revo-
lutionary crisis in the Wright menase
when new element was added to
Miss Anne's perplexities. in the per-
son of Colonel Donnell, who pur-
chased the old Gosnell mansion next
door. The colonel was friendly and
genial soul and his attempts to be
neighborly rendered Miss Anne half
frantic Not only was he guilty OF
belonging to the abhorred sex, but he
harbored most vicious looking bull
dog, whose bark, however, like his
masters, was worse than his bite.
When first the colonel came to live
in the old red brick, he could not un-
derstand that he was being rebuffed.
He had promised himself on the first
day of his residence there that it
would not be a week before he would
be on friendly terms with the occu-
pants of the cottage. He could look
down from his library window upon
a rose arbor where the dainty equip
age of afternoon tea was daily set
out, and a glimpse of Miss Anne in
her housewifely black silk and white
apron wrought upon his mood as
water in the sight of a thirsty trav-
eler He longed to the very depths
of his honest old heart to cross the
strip of lawn that separated them,
but
AS for Bess He chuckled genially
as he surmised what the Boy" would
have to say of his new neighbor. and
fell to building endless castles in
Spain through which floated be-
wildering vision of blue eyes and
dimples over another tea table
AS a step towards their realization
he decided to open the engagement.
From the wealth of fruit that hung
over the sunny South wall he Sc
lected some choice nectarines, having
spied out the land far enough to as
certain that not a tree graced his
neighbors garden. He stood behind
the library blinds and saw Roberts,
his man. hand them in. Two min
utes later the basket was returned
"The ladies thanked Colonel Donnell
but begged to decline"
And at that exact moment Satan
discovered Jinks. A scream of def
ance, thunder of growls, and the
feud was on, and thereafter, from
dawn TO dark, the battle ragged be-
tween them.
At first the colonel maintained an
attitude of puzzled reserve, but he
was lonely, and the tea table in the
rose arbor beckoned him as will-o-
the-wisp. Again and again he made
overtures only to be met with digni-
fed hostility on the part of Miss
Anne, but Bess grew indignant, and
wept many secret tears of mortifica-
ton over Aunt Anne's rudeness."
Their acquaintance began at the
village library, where Bess answered
q question that the colonel was ask
ing himself aloud, and then they fell
to talking of books and the men who
make them. AS she turned to leave
him, the girl held out friendly hand
Il wish | could find words to ex-
press my regret, Colonel Donnell for
my aunt's attitude toward you-you
will pardon me for speaking at all
but feel that some little explanation
should be given you. and yet there is
nothing to be said except that she
has peculiar ideas in regard to gentle
men: she"
Here she broke down lamely and
the colonel came to the rescue.
Il understand how it is. Yes, yes
my dear. we old folks all have our
little notions. but when my nephew
her prejudices, and live as neighbors
should"
when his nephew comes.' More