An Old Maid's Story

I am au old maid, gvay, sallow, and wrinkled. Doesn't it surprise you 'í Yet can look back through tbe dim mists of twenty years and ste myself as I was then - plump and fair, with blue and ehestnut curls. I was an only child, having always known a mother'e and a iiitlui's luve, and until my twentieth I never knew what sorrow was. Ai period I went to visit my auut, who lived in a distant city, and it was there I first met Ilugh Chamberlain - a young luw student, and au intímate r'ricnd of my cousin Joe's. He was one who seetned born to be loved, tor ho w.-is handsome, and then his high sense of honor, oppu heart, and winning manners soon made him a, favorito with all. Nor wasítto be it tbat I, who had lived in the country all my life, and had geen but few polished men, should fall inlove with Uugh Chamberlain. At üvt he searcely noHced n:e, bnt after a time my quaint ideas began to attro1 his attention, and then he studied nd as unuierciiully criticised me as he did one of hia law books ; but ho was i rous in it all. There was not a knotty question that c;ii!io across his mind buttliat he brought it to me foi my opinión, and Lisown productions were luid before me tbr comment, and if he thoulit he liad be:'i too severe in his criticism on my music or drawing, I would tind on my table, as a peace offering, a rare picture, or flowers, or somothing he kuc-w that I should value. 1 TCOuld have been blind comi I not ïave setn as the days drifted on that his 'eelingB had strengthened iuto moro than rdinary friendship. I sometimes wonlered what Hugh oould have seen in my 'ace or manner to love ; for, although I as pretty hiu! educated, I laoked that poliüu that lite in a city is sure to give. Would he not be aghamed oi' me sometimes 't I spoke to liim about it once, mil he pulled my ourls, and laughing merrily, exclaimed : " Just listón to Kittio, Jog; she saya I will be ashamed of lier sume day, as if I :.ould, the little apple-blossora. You get such notiona out of her head " " I shall not try," said Joe, " for you bave. negleeted me shatuefully for her;" nid yet he patted me on the cheek and oiigratulated me apon having won the [ove of such a prime fellow as Hugh - adding that thenext time he had a friend he hoped no curly-headed cousin would jome in th 3 v:iy. We liad been engaged about two month?, when Hugh received a letter statng that his moilii.r w:is sick, and asking bina tocóme home immediately. He did so, and while ha wís gone my aunt receiyed a letter froin the husband of uu old friend of hers, who had shortly baforo died, leaving one child. Ha yas going to Europe, he wrote. Would she take his little Irene and be a mother to her until he returned p My aunt consonted, and the next week the f'ather and daughter came ; but judgn of my surprise when we found the "little girl " a stylish young lady of eighteen. Froni the voi'y first time that 1 looked apon her face a vague, nameless fear seeined to take possession of me, and why, I hardly knew. It may liave been that I was jealous and exacting, and feared her influence over my lover,but I was sure there was somothing sinister in thosa beautiful eyes, and social though she was I could not trust her', She waa a born flirt. You could detect it in every movement, and in spito of every caution, Joo fluttered around her like a inoth around a candle ; and for his pains had his wings 6Ínged, for .Toe was her firat conquest. I shall never forget how brokon-hearted he looked tho next morning after he had rejeoted him. All of the sunshine seemed suddenly to have died out of' hislifo; but there she sat, as cool and composed as if nothing had oceurred. It made me angrj', and ] told her slie was the most heartless gir that I had ever seen. She shrugged her rjretty shoulders and said petualntly, " ] could not keep him í'roiu loving me." " Yon (lid not try. " How do you know ? " " I understand you." " Roally," said she sarcastically, then turnod up her nose to lnt idg know shc tliought me very presuming. " I have 'ome curiosity to seo wha Tlugli, you and your auut are alway talking about. Wbere is he 'i " "ín Pliiladclpbia with bis inother." " Will he be here sooa ? " " Yes, lltxt weck." " You won't allow me to have anytliin, to síi y to liim, will you f " "You wouM even if I did not. Bu you won't find him as eaey to win a Cousin Joe was,'' " Won't I f" said she, going up to the mirror and smoothing lier hair with as uiuch ' as though she thought her fuce beauliful enough to win any one. And bo it woiild havo boen had her ruind harmonizad with her face, for her hair wu3 a purplish black, long uud waving, her eyes a dark blue, heavily ghaded with long, dark loshes, the eyebrows daintüy arobed, the nose small, the lips thin and beautifully curved, and t)i complexion oí a oreaiuy tint that wü but rii. ]■ see in persona with dark hair. Iu i'act, her face mighthave beencalled perfeat, Imi she epoiled it all by her vanity. If tb are was a mirror in the room, she was sure to put hersolf in a position so that she could fí;i,u apon herself; or, in oonversation with any one, sha would always bring up a convers;ttion that wonld tend to have a fluttering effect upoti hersolf. I was somewhat amnsed as I watched her the first night after Hugh's arrival. She sat down to the piano uninvited, and dashed off a gay waltz. Then findiug she had not gained his attention, she sat down at his side and began to ask him questions. " She is the vainest creaiure I ever knew," said he, later in the evening, "and I am diugusted with her." I think sb.e read hia feelings pretty vvell, but sho was not to be vanquished, you could teil tliat by the gleam of her eye. And then he was wealthy and haudsome, and she ambitious, with no fortune of her own, and sho knew Ilugh Ohamberlsin was not to be sooffcd at. 80 she ehanged her eourse and nssumod all the womanly virtues possiblc. She studiedhis nature, and actedaccordingly. Wat hesad, sho wastearful, dumb. Was ho gay, no laugh would ring mprrier tlian her own. Was thero a book he liked, she was sure to read it; a study he preferred, she hastily acquired some knowledge of it. Ah, she was a thorough flirt; and, young as she was, perfeot in all the requisites. I do not think Hugh loved me any the less, but he was greatly interested in this Btranger, in spite of her follies ; and it was with manv íorebodine'S that I bade Hugh good-by and prepared to return home. "You will not forget me Hugh?" I asked, as he kissed me. ■' Of conrse not, my apple-blossom." " Wel], wear this, then, to romind you of me," said I, unfastening a small enh me led cross from my watch-chain, and faetening on liis own. " As i' I needed anything to make me think of you," said he kissing me again. "You must take good care of her, Joe, and not lcave her initil she is at home. I wiah that I could go with you myself, Kittie, but Chattertou's trial comes off tomorrpw, and I could not possibly leave." " Aren't you going to say good-by to me?" said Irene, sweeping out of the door in a dainty white dress with white trimmings. "Of course I must, after you have tnk'ii the pains to malse Buch an elabórate toilet tor the occasion." " You are always saying something hatefnl." '■ Bat il is the truth, my dear." "C-'Tij", husfa quarreling," said Joe, and he ordered the driver to start. " What makes you look so down-heartod. coz 't " said Joe, after he had entered ■ in. A-fimil Xvane wiH 'ikemisohief?" "Yes, I know her so well." " ril watch lier." But I knew he was so thoroughly disiisted with her, now that his eyes were pened, that I. donbted if he would give ler a thought, no matter what elie did. The sumvner wore on, but in spite of 112 i tters from Hugh I could ot feel as light-heurted as formerly A 'aint sbadow sooiced hanging over me, nd i knew not why. It was a dfiy early in aütunin, a slight ain was fnlling, and everytbing looked ismal, and it oontributed nothing pleaa at t,o my feelings that it had beeu two weeks siuce I had heard from Hugh, and ike most girls who have lovers, I was rotting about it. I had beo.n sitting at ie window nearly an hour, thinking of tl e causes that uiigbt prevent him from 'riting, whon I heard the door bell ring. went down to the door, and there stood uy enemy - Irene. " I am on my way to visit an old schoolïate of mine," said Irene, " and found ,hat I would have to stay here three ïourg, and so 1 thought I would run up nd seo you." For once in my life I was glad to see ir, for I knew I would hear of Hugh. " How did you loave auut?" " Oii, she is well. So are Joe and Hugh." " JLhü tie sena any wora 10 me r "No - why should be? The dear felow has his mind so entirely taken up with something olse tbat I do not supposp he ever thought oí' it." "He is unusually busy then." " Xo, I did not mean that," said she, looking at me shyly, and then putting up her hands as ii' to hide her blushing face. "1 don't vmdorstand," said I. "Don't youV How stupid!" And then she carne up and wfiispered in my ear, " Hugh and I are eng iged." "Are you?" said I, dryly for I did not believe her. "Yes," said she, playhig with her wfttch-chain. At thrtt moment niy eye caught eight of a small cross among tlíe charms on her chain. " What a beautiful xin you have on," suid I goiug up close and pretendiug to examine, so 1 could see if it was my cross. Yos, the same. I did not ask her how she got it. It was enough to know she had it, and I was too angry to iiimiirpir.tnit.nr toweiarh the truth of her worde, but was satiefled I knewthe oause of Hujrh's silenco; and I was very proud, and resolved I would not give hiin a chunco to teil me of what had happened. io, after she loft, I went up to my room, jacked up bis letters, and the pictures md ring he had giveu to me then wrote a note saying that I had been deceived n regard to his character, and had concluded, as I could have no moro faith ín ïim, to break the engagement. Would ie be kind enough to return my letters 'i Then I directed the pitckage to Hugh Chamberlain. Oh, how I dreaded to send it ; but I determiued to do it if it killed me. In a few days an answer came. He was perfeotly ignorant of my insinuations but he would uot forco me to an explanation. My cross had disappeared ; he must have lost it. Would I not let hiin repbtce it? It is only an excuse to keep from telling me tho truth, I thought. He is ashamed to have tho truth known ; anc yet Hugh was always so candid, so honorable, I can not believe it. I will write once more ; but what if it were true tijought i, the waves oí aistrusi oncu more sweeping over me. Should I give Irene a chance of knowins: how much harm she had done me? No. Oh, in the days that followed, what a relief it would have been oould I have but toM eousin Joe ; but I knew he was busty, and was ai'raid he would want to avenge my wrongs. But I think Juu had aspicione; tor shortly at'ter, I reil a letter froui him saying : " Sonietbiug it) wrong. Hugh is ftbout to eui1 bark tur India. Write, or come aad vent him from going." I believed it a made up plot to work on my feelings, so I wrote back : " Mr. Chamberlain is nothing to me, neithcr aro his actions." But Hugh went, !ind for five years we heard nothing from tbem. Thun ho wrote to Joe that ho was married, and in the yeara that liad intervened, 1 had lost both father and luother. I had also found that h'; had nover been engoged to Irene, and had lived in hoyes that he would return; but when I heard he was married, I feit that 1 had nothing to live for. Earth seemed hut r. barren waste of burningsand, andlike the weary traveler, I longed tor rest. Oh, hard it was to live on, year after ypur, without any aim or purpose, to soe all others so soeniingly happy around me, and to know that my own heart was orushed - dcad ! The death of my parents had let't nio wealthj', so I gratiiied my love of traveling, wandered over Europe and the Holy Land, and oh, longed to go to India, but why should I? Ho was iaurried, and dead to me. So I carne home, and settled down in the oTd homestead, and devoted my time and money to the wants of the poor, and it served in a measure to make me forget my sorrow. The years seemed to roll on at a snail's pace, yet time left its mark ; the brown locks began to be plentifully aprinkled with gray, and my cheeks had lost their rosy hue, for I was no longer young. But the knowledge did not pain me. I' eemed so sweet to know that by and by Í shonld lay down this weary burden, cross the murky river, and be at rost. I was content tostruggle on in the 'life that had remained, and í resolved it should not bo au ïdle one. 80 i beoame moro devoted to thoso around me, sought more earnestly to do my duty, and had thanlts from tho grateful poer, and tho smiles from the children, who had learned to cali me Auntie. One day I returned from the deathbed of oiiü of my poor - wet, weary, and saddened with the sceno I had just left, and, like " Ione," I feit like eaying, " Why pass me by ?" The day deepened into twilight, but still I sat with my face in my hands. Thero carne a gentle tap at my door. I went to it, and the servant handed me a letter. I rang for lights. and it wos with sonie curiosity I looki at it, for letters wero raro things to me since I had grown oid, and still more curions was I when I saw the postmark was India. I tore it open with a girlish tremor. It was from Hugh ; his wife was dead, and on the next steamer he wuld return, and once more would see me. Oh, you who have never had your dearest " hopes deferred " can rievcr know what thatpromise was to me. I was too oíd to be sentimental, you think. Yes, so I was; but iny life had been one long blank, and now that it was to be crowned by the sight of Hugh once more, could I be blamed p And thero I set, gray-headed woman thau ' I was, and cried like a child. Once more I heard frem Hugh in a brief note, saying he would como some time the following day. I wandered about the house in a state of feverish excitement, first going to the door to see if he was eoining, tlien flushing painfülly when I thought how he would flud me changed, furgetting that time had left its mark ou him as well as 'i neára a step on tlie gravel walk. I vent to the door and saw a tal!, portly man, with a military air, and gray hair and board. I had planned a number of ways to meet him ; but at the sight of ,hn.t dear face that looked so familiar in pite of the changes, the tensión of my ía1 1 n fr cm.xrt nrn.ir ü ml T nnl r lnor t ï ft f J j & X ft b LT jp i W 1 f T f HU _fc _ft_ V J 1 i V HVL& V IT 1 il ■ ie had hold of iny hands and was looking down in my face. He spoke uo words, jut d'rew tuy arm within bis own and walleed into the house. That evening he told me of his vvife. 3he was the daughter of an old friend of lis father's. A frail, delicate girl, and ïer father a consumptive. " We all knew his time was short here, and as I was stationed near liim, I was often with him. ' foor' child ! what will jeooiue of her when I am gone 'i ' he would say. 'Ihave not a relative to send her to,' and the night ho died he placed her in my care. tëhe was a very lovable girl, and though I did not love hor, I thought we could makn eaoh other happy. So I proposed and was accepted. For some years we lived very happily, then the cholera began to make its ravages in India, and Adelia was one of its victirus. After her death my thought.s wandered back to you, in spite oi' your cruelty. Kittie, why did you write me that letter V ïïow had 1 deceived you 'i " "I was hasty, Hügh, andconsequently unjust. But you had not written to me tor two weeks, and Irene said you were engaged to her, and she had the cross I had given you. I was too proud to ask you for the truth, so I wrote as I thought best." " Have you faith in me uow Kittio?" "Yes, Hugh." Why f" " Becau8e I know now that you were nevar ( i'guged to her." "Wuuld you be willing to trust me, even if I never exp!ained ? " " I would." " üut an explanation is due to you, Kittio, and I will givo it. I did nut write because I knew I was coming to see you the week Ireno did, and would not write so I could mrprise you. As you know how falso the story ot' the engagement with her was, I need say no more about it. But it. But the cross I never gave her. It disappoared very suddenly, and I thought I had lost it, and put an advertiseruent in the paper tor its recovery. But we both know Irene well enough to know now that she took it, and i'or what purpose ? Aro you satisfii ■, Ilugh will you forgive me ?" adly, Kittie, aud now, have I rnado this journey in vain 'i Aro you willing to put yoursolf in my care, believing and trusting me foï timo and eternity ? " There was a moment's süence, and Uien I laid iny hands in his, and in the deepeniug twilight I was gathered once more in his arms, and knew that hencoforth, no matter how hard the battlc of lifo was, I should not figbt it alone. I commencod this story by saying " I am an old niaid ; " I should havo said " was an old niaid," for in an hour I shall have lost that name forever, and be Hugh Chamberlain's wit'a.