The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-10-26

| l should like to say, in case mother
should be misjudged, that there was
| nothing rcercenary in her mind, for
| Aunt Jemimas money was all sunk.
| don't say l might have been more
| willing to so if had thought it would
| have led to my being an heiress some
day. There was, however, no consol-
alton of that or any other kind, ex-
| cept that last year the dulness of my
| visit had been a little tempered by
| what | considered an exceedingly mild
| Irritation: at least, | thought of it in
that light at the time, and concluded
| that the young doctor with whom it
was carried on had been sent by
kind Providence for the special pur-
pose Of alternating my terrible ennu
Aunt Jemima was to be thanked,
too, as we'll as Providence, for she was
the unconscious cause Of our meeting
1t was the result of a bad burn re-
ceived while baking cakes. Aunt dis
approved Of girls being idle, and was
determined to make me learn to cook
Now, can make as pretty q blouse
as any one, and trim a hat that will
compare favorably with a West-end
product; but these are only frivolous
amusements in the eyes of Aunt Jemi-
ma. So she set me to cake making,
an occupation that | detest, 1t ruins
my complexion and spoils my temper;
and at home my brothers say they
will not have me tampering with their
dgestions. so what is the good of
trying? Nevertheless, l was made to
try, and, consequently, l got a per-
fectly horrid burn.
Aunt Jemima sent for the doctor,
who is an old fogey, and said to be
very brutal in his manners-or lack
OF manners. He was away, greatly
TO my JOY, and the assistant came, who
IS not at all an old fogey, and not
bit brutal in his way Of treating one
IN TACT, he was very nice and polite
to the aunt, and awfully nice to me.
was rather glad Of that burn, pour
passer lie temps. l don't deny, how
ever, that the remembrance of it all
made the time pass more slowly dur
Ing the winter months, when l often
thought OF my nice doctor, and won
dered whether l should ever see him
again. l pondered over the question,
would he be married? and l wondered
now l should feel If he were, and |
whether | should mind if he had for
gotten all about me.
Aunt would have been shocked had |
sne known l ever thought of him. l |
dared not even ask if he were still
IN the town, but l wanted, dreadfully, |
10 Know; and as two days went by
without my getting glimpse of him,
began to think he had gone away. I
On the third morning, however, | saw
MIN pass the house, and felt pleased:
but 1t was not till he looked up, and
saw the glad look in his eyes that
was trying to keep out of mine, that l
was really cheered. Aunt Jemima saw
MIN. too. and made the ill-advised re-
mark that he was to be married soon.
! did not want the information, even
II 1t were true but l did not believe
It was. Aunt Jemima seems very
inherent lately; she never used to take
any interest in marriages and such
silly local gossip. l can't quite make
her out
Mr.. Baynes will be home sooner
than he expected" she remarked to
me little later. Il hear from his old
nousekeeper that business has recalled
him."
Il wish he would keep away."
but aunt did not hear me.
Il hope you will like each other"
she continued in a somewhat anxious
tone. which struck me as exceedingly
silly.
well, as he is old enough to be
my father" replied, in a provoking
II shall be pleased to accept
all the chocolates and other nice
things he likes to give me. Perhaps
he won't be gallant enough to oefer
me any, for though you call him a
gentleman farmer, l expect he is a bit
Of boor."
mot at all" was the reply, che is
not at all boor, and he is certainly
a gentleman. Besides, he is quite
ma middle-aged man, at
any rate, upright and strong. oh!
there is no doubt he would make a
good husband for any girl"
Il thought you disapproved of dis
parity of age in marriage"
II do; that is to say, l object to a
Toman marrying a man who is her
lnior."
"Well, l do not see why a young
RI should be bothered with an old
sband any more than the other way