Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-30


~ rule size was fond
rOo of mild fun, alert
to hear Hillcrest
xo-si, and given TO sudden little trills OF
almost girlish laughter, which for the
time being dispelled the atmosphere Oh
gentle old maid.shnesG which seemed to
hang about her as a garment Al such
moments we did not find it hard to be-
nevc-as we did at other times-that Aunt
Olivia had once been a girl herself
This day she picked the roses absentlE
and shook the crisp petals INTO hcT little
sweet-grass basket with the ar OF Il
woman whose thoughts were far away
We said nothing. knowing that Aunt
Olivia's secrets always came our way IN
time. When the rose leaves were picked
we carried them in and upstairs III single
file. Aunt Olivia bringing up the rear TO
pick up any stray rose leaf we might
drop In the southeast chamber, where
there were no carpets to fade, We spread
II EN- on newspapers on the floor and put
our sweet-grass baskets back in the
proper place for them. Then, when we
went downstairs again. Aunt DIVA
asked us to go into the parlor- She had
something to tell us. she sale, and as
she opened the door a delicate pink fush
spread over her face. 1 noted 1t with
surprise although no inkling OF the truth
came to me-for nobody ever connected
the idea of possible lovers or marriage
with this prim little old maid, Olivia
Sterling
Aunt OI.vias parlor was much like
herself-painfully neat: every article or
furniture stood in exactly the same place
It had always stood in our remembrance
Nothing was ever suffered to be disturb
ed: the tassels of the crazy cushion lay
jCst so over the arm of the sofa, and the
crocheted antimacassar, with the lion
rampant in the center, was always spread
at precisely the same angle over the arm
chair No speck of dust was ever visible:
no fly ever invaded that sacred apart
ment.
Aunt Olivia pulled up a blind to let IN
what light could sift finely through the
vine leaves and sat down in high
backed old chair that ha5 appertained
to her great-grandmother. She folded
her hands in her lap and looked at us
with shy appeal IN her bluish-gray eyes
Plainly she found II hard to tell US her
secret, yet all the time there was an air
of pride and exultation about her; some
what. also. of a new dignity. Aunt
Olivia could never be self-assertive, but
Ar II had been possible that would have
been her time for it.
.Haye YOU ever heard me speak OF Mr..
Norman Nicholson" asked Aunt Olivia.
We had never heard her speak OF Mr.
Norman Nicholson; but volumes of ex-
planation could not have told us more
about him than did Aunt Olivia's voice
when she pronounced his name We
knew as If IT had been proclaimed 10 us
I'm trumpet tones that Mr.. Norman Mich
olson must be Aunt Olivia's beau, and
the knowledge took away our breath We
even forgot TO be curious. so astonishei
we're We And there sat Aunt Olivia,
proud and shy and exulting and shame
fcced all at once.
He is a brother of Mrs John Seamans
across the bridge" explained Aunt Olivia.
with little shipper. 'Of course you
don't remember him. He went away to
British Columbia before you were born.
But he is coming home now and-tell
your father, won't you? I-I-don't like
,o-he and / are going to be married.
Married. gasped Peggy. And, Mar
rledr' ! echoed stupidity. Aunt Olivia
married
Aunt Olivia bridled little
There is nothing unsuitable in that, IS
there?" she asked little crisply.
oh no, no." I FASTENED to assure her,
giving Peggy a surreptitious kick 20
divert her thoughts from laughter. only
you must confess. Aunt Olivia, that 1t is
o very great surprise"
II thought it would be sc" said Aunt
Olivia, complacently. But your father
will know-he will remember. 1 do hope
he won't think me foolish. He did not
think Mr. Norman Nicholson fit per-
son for me to marry once. But that was
long ago when Mr.. Norman Nicholson