Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1918-01-10
'AE7a1FNzSVzk7S1EVN11S1sV1SNsE@k7
AUNT'S WISTARIA
G~@@%@@S
BY HILDA MORRIS.


slve, In Itself. 1t was very old house,
square and brown, topped with a
square brown cupola that gave II de-
ceptive appearance Of size. 1t was not
q large house, and II stood on n corner
lot opposite an enormous new apart
ment building which quite dwarfed It
by comparison. The apartment was so
new and giittering, so proudly dis
claimant of anything that was not up
to-date that 1t would have made Aunt
James house look almost shabby Ind
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-
lon, did not like the old house. 1t
made her homesick 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 herel You could put large
building on this lot"
Aunt Jane lifted Mortified hands.
Apartments !" she exclaimed In q
tone of whitening scorn. "Do you think
/ would dig up the wistaria for apart
ments"
And very soon Kitty found that the
wistarla was the very soul of the
house, almost its reason for being.
Aunt jane fairly worshiped the wis.,
taria. The fact that 1t darkened some
of the rooms did not matter, the huge
vine was too sacred to be trimmed.
Kitty used to sit behind It's shade and
long, inwardly. to use the pruning
shears on 1t.
But very soon Kitty found that the
wistaria had Its uses. There was n
young man in the apartment build
Ing across the way, a very handsome
young man. He came and went In n
huge gray motor, apparently always In
n 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 goings 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
veranda 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 veranda to find Aunt Jane lying
on the floor in the sitting room, groan-
Ing.
81 was trying to straighten n pic
ture and / fell" she exclaimed. 81
think my legs brokenl Get q doctor,
quickw
Kitty helped Aunt Jane to the couch
and ran across the street. AS luck
would have it young Doctor Avery was
just getting out Of his car.
"Aunt Janet" she said. "Please
come at oncew
Doctor Avery found that the leg was
not broken, after all, but he lost no
time in getting Aunt Jane to bed and
ordering nurse from the hospital.
The fall had given the old lady de-
cided shock, but was nothing serious.
However as the days went by and
Aunt james accident became a thing
Of the past young Doctor Avery still
found 1t necessary to continue his
daily visits. Only one might have
thought that Kitty and not Aunt
Jane was the patient. One afternoon
he and Kitty sat on the veranda shell
tered by the huge wistaria vine.
"It's wonderful vinew Doctor
Avery remarked during sudden pause
in their conversation.
Kitty nodded without enthusiasm.
"And wonderful old house." he
went on, "and you are a wonderful
girl, Kitty. Do you know 1t was the
wistaria that first attracted me to you?
used to look over here and see this
quaint old place, with its mantel Of
green leaves, and think that 1t looked
like stage already set for beauti-
full maiden with smooth, dark hair
like Evangeline's.' And then one day
l looked over and saw the maiden, just
MS had pictured her, only far sweeter
and more beautiful. And then when !
came to know her-Oh, Kitty, I have
no right to ask 1t, but could you marry
me"
"T-could," whispered Kitty, and her
answer brought his arm around her.
After he had gone she sat alone In
the leaf-shadows, dreaming.
"The wistarla," she unused; 'he no
ticed me first because of the wistaria.
/ used to hate it, but now--why, love
the wistaria! !"
After they were settled in the little
apartment-which was not so snug and
ugly after all under Kitty's magic
housewifely touch-Kitty used to look
over at the old brown house, with its
huge Towering vine, and sigh softly.
But it was not sigh Of regret, quite
the opposite.
81 love to look Mt the wistaria," she
would say. II can see how you felt
about it--but oh, John, it's awfully
lonesome being picturesque! I'm sc
much happier here with your
Proof of Innocence,