Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-21

| tWashington Irving. 1893 1889, was an
American esSayiSt and historian HIS best
known work is The Sketch Book" tull of
essays and tales, and perhaps next rs ms
| Tales OF Traveller,
NV aunt was IA lady of large frame,
strong mind, and great resolution. Sile
was what might be termed a very
manly woman. My uncle was thin,
puny, little man. very meek and acqui~
escent. and no match for my aunt. Ii
was observed that he dwndlcd and
dwndled gradually away, from the day
of his marriage His wiies powerful
mind was too much for him; 1t wore
him out
My aunt. however. took all possible
care of him: had half the doctors IN
town to prescribe for him. made nm
take all their prescriptions, and doSed
him with medicine enough to cure a
whole hospital All was in VAN. MY
uncle grew worse and worse the more
dosing and nursing he underwent, unt't
in the end he added another to the long
list of matrimonial victims VINO nave
been killed with kindness.
MY aunt took on nightly Tor the
death of her poor. dear husband Per-
haps she felt some conjunction at
having given him so much medicine.
and nursed him into the grave. AT
any rate, she did all that widow
could do to honor his memory. she
spared no expense in either the guam
tity or quality of her mourning cIotneS'
wore a miniature of him about her
neck as large as a little sundial, ana
had ull-length portrait OF him al
ways hanging in her chamber. All the
world praised her conduct to the skies
and it was determined that woman
who behaved so we'll TO the memory OF
one husband deserved soon To get an
other.
Not long after this she moved to her
residence in an old country seal. winch
had long been IN the care OF merely "
steward and housekeeper, she TOOK
most of her servants with her me
house stood in q lonely, wild part OF
the country, among some hills, WIN Il
murderer hanging in chains from
2allows OH q bleak height In full view.
MY aunt was struck with the lonely
appearance of the house Before going
to bed, therefore, she examined we'll the
fastenings of the doors and Windows
locked up the silver plate with her own
hands. and carried the keys, togethe"
with little box of money and Jewels.
to her own room. Having put the KEYS
under her pillow. and dismissed hcr
maid, she sat arranging her hair.
For, in spite of her grief for my
uncle. my aunt was somewhat paricu~
lar about her person. being buNom
widow. She sat for little while look -
ing at her face in the glass as ladies
are apt to do when they wish to sec
whether they look well-~for a country
squire of the neighborhood, with whom
she had flirted when girl, had called
that day to welcome her to the country
All of sudden she thought she
heard something move behind her She
looked hastily round, but there was
nothing to be seen. Nothing but the
grimly painted portrait of her poor oeas
man, hanging against the wall.
She gave heavy sigh to ms memory
as she was accustomed to do whenever
she spoke Of him in company. and then
went on adjusting her night dress and
thinking of the squire. Her sigh was
echoed, or answered. by a long drawn
breath. She looked round again, out
no one was to be seen. She ascribed
the sounds to the wind oozing through
the rat holes OF the old mansion, and
proceeded leisurely to put her hair IN
papers. when, all at once, she thought
she perceived one OF the eyes OF the
portrait moye-~in its reflection In ncr
looking glass.
So strange a thing gave her SUD
den shock. To assure herself OF tht
fact. she put one hand to her forehead
as If rubbing it: peeped through hei
fingers, and moved the candle with the
other hand The light cleaned on the
eve and was reflected from 1t. She
was sure 1T moved. Nay. more. u
seemed to give her 4 wink, as she had
sometimes known her husband TO do
when livingl II struck chill to her
heart: tor she was a lone woman, and
felt herself fearfully situated.
The chill was but transient. MY aunt
became instantly calm and collected. she
went on adjusting her dress. She even
himmed a tune, and did not miss q
note. She casually overturned a box
took candle and picked up The articles
one BY one from the floor, pursued q
rolling pincushion that was making iof
under the bed-then opened the door
looked into the corridors as 1t In doubt
whether to go, and then walked out
quietly,
She FASTENED downstairs, ordered The
servants 10 arm themselves with weap-
ons first at hand. placed herself at
their head, and returned almost I'M"
mediatelys
The steward had a rusty blunderbuss,