Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1917-12-15
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AUNT'S WISTARIA /
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BY HiLDA MORRIS.

NIOpyrlSnl, 1871, ny lle MC,IuIe NeNspd-
per Syndicate)
Aunt James house was not impress |
sive in itself. II was very old house,
square and brown, topped with a
square brown cupola that gave 1t de-
ceptive appearance of size. 1t was not
a large house. and it stood on corner
lot opposite an enormous new apart !
ment building which quite dwarfed 1t
by comparison. The apartment was so
new and glittering, so proudly dis
claimant of anything that was not up
to-date that IL would have made Aunt
James house look almost shabby had
1t not been for one thing. This one
thing was the glory and the splendor
of the old brown house-a huge wis
taria vine that covered one whole side.
Kitty Carow. the young niece who
had come to be Aunt James compan-
ion. did not like the old house. 1t
made her homcsick for the tight little
New York apartment she had left.
"Aunt Jane" she ventured to say
one day, "why don't you build apart.
ments here? You could put a large
building on this lot"
Aunt Jane lifted Mortified hands.
departments !" she exclaimed in q
tone of whitening scorn. ''Do you think
I would dig up the wistaria for apart
ments?"
And very soon Kitty found that the
wistaria was the very soul of the
house, almost its reason for being.
Aunt Jane fairly worshiped the wis.
taria. The fact that IL darkened some
of the rooms did not matter, the huge
vine was too sacred to be trimmed.
Kitty used to sit behind its shade and
long, inwardly, to use the pruning
shears on 1t.
But very soon Kitty found that the
wistaria had it's uses. There was a
young man In the apartment build
ing across the way, u very handsome
young man. He came and went In u
huge gray motor, apparently always In
hurry, always looking very impor.
tant. Kitty learned that he was q
| physician. BY using the wistaria as a
screen she could watch his comings
and golngs quite closely and without
being seen.
When 1t came time for the wistaria
| to bloom Aunt Jane put on sort Of
holiday manner. She donned her best
gown every afternoon and sat on the
vernnda where she could be seen, rock.
Ing gently, by the people who passed
by or stopped to admire the wonderful
Towering vine. She made Kitty put on
a white frilled frock and sit there too.
One afternoon Kitty came In from
the vernnda to find Aunt Jane lying
on the floor In the sitting room, grOnn
ing.
~ was trying to strnighten a pic
ture and fell" she exclaimed. 81
think my legs broken! Get a doctor
quick"
Kitty helped Aunt Jane to the couci
and ran across the street. As lucl
would have 1t young Doctor Avery wal
just getting out Of his cur.
"Aunt Jane!" she said. "Pleas,
come mt Once!" "a
Doctor Avery found that the leg wa
not broken. after all, but he lost NJ
time In getting Aunt Jane to bed ant
ordering nurse from the hospital
The fall had given the old lady dc
cided shock. but was nothing serious.
However, as the days went by an'
| Aunt james accident became thin
OF the past young Doctor Avery still
found It necessary to continue hi
daily visits. Only one might hnv
thought that Kitty and not Aun
Jane was the patient. One Afternoon
he and Kitty sat on the veranda She
tered by the huge wlstarla vine.
"Its wonderful vine!" DOctO
Avery remarked during sudden paus
In their conversation.
, Kitty nodded without enthusiasm.
"And Il wonderful old house." h
went on. land you Nre wOnderft
, girl, Kitty. DO you know II was tn
wistaria that first attracted me to you
! used to look over here and see TIL
quaint old place, with its mantel G
green leaves, and think that Ii locke
like Il stage already set for beaut
full maiden with smooth, dark hal
. like 'Evangeline's.' And then one da
; I looked over and saw the maiden, Jul
. ms had pictured her, only far sweett
l. and more beautiful. And then when
came to know her--Oh, Kitty, ! hay
4 no right to ask IT, but could you mari
h me?"
+ I-could," whispered Kitty, and HI
{ answer brought his arm around her.
!. After he had gone she sat alone
s the leaf.shadOws, dreaming.
4 "The wistnrin," she unused; che n
!; ticed me first because of the wistarl
/ used to hate 1t, but now-why, 10y
the wistnria !"
a After they We're settled In the HIT
g apnrtment-whichw was not so snug M
. ugly after all under Kltty's mag
housewifely touch-Kitty used to loo
over ut the old brown house, with |
, huge Towering vine, and sigh softl
= But II was not II sigh of regret, qui
a. the opposite.
a ~ love to look at the wistaria,' 81
~ would say. ~ can see how you IL
a. about it-but oh, John, It's aWiui
~ lonesome being picturesque! I'm
i. much happier here with YOU