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I TROY HERALD. WEDNESDAY, JAN'Y 10, 1877. MI Came to Ask-" From Harper's lliianr. Two pretty, old-fashioned cottagca ttatiUlng near each other on icclu tied tree-shaded country road, sepa rated by a tittle moudow, which from tho birth of Spring to tho death of Atilutmi rejoiced In waving greon glasses and white daisies and yellow dandelions, and after thai wore a rnbo woven of snow-flake a fair and pure a when they (ell Irotii the skies, until old Winter, to whom the robo belong, d, hearing tho returning bird auk for the violets, gathered it about hlin and vanished ngalu. hi ono of Ihom, tho larger, In front of which was a Dually kept lawn, and at the back a small hot-house and minlaturo vegetable garden, lived Mile Guernsey and hit man Mike, I Ho ono an old bachelor, tho other, as be described himself", "a wtddy man, lhaiiki to the Lord that tint hor real." In Hie other Rose Cottage, they called it, for In rose-time it wan com pletely surrounded bv roses; they li.led tho apace in trout and clam- luted over tho porch and up the sides of the house had lived a quiet el derly couple for many year?, until iiboul a month heforo my story (if it way be digiiitlcd by that title) begins, when thoy went to heaven on I lie very same day, as they liud often pioyed to, loving old souls, and left Itoso Cottage waiting for new ten u:.ts. "Just as I'd got comfortably ret Hod," grumbled Miles Guernsey, 'Mo bo all upset again ! Oilier old men null women live till they're a hun dred. Why couldn't these havo done mi, Instuad of dying at the early age ol eighty ? Add there's no know ing who'll toko the cottage. Some body with cats, dugs and babies, I've no doubt three kinds of animals 1 detest." "Thruo fur ye, boss," said Mike, w'.ih uu ominous shako of tho head. Thero was something clso Mr. Guernsey insisted ho detested, and that was an old maid. "A man,'' he ucd to say, "don't need smiles and l.'itsea and pot names and children hanging around him to keep him sweet, but a wum&ii docs. Ol course Kinno ut the poor things can't help t.'elr forlorn state: the men don't ptopoiiu, or they do and run away, or their parents cut up rough, or they Inive invalid rotations to tuko caro of, Tin very sorry lor them; they have my heartiest sympathy, but, all the t-uuie, I don't like 'em." And so when Mike camo one lovely .June morning to tell his master the t ullage was rented, adding, with a h.y grin, "An' shuns it's a owld maid nn her mother,'' Mr. Guernsey said something of which lie ought to have I oen ashamed, and which, for that luasou, I sha'ut not down, and then went on sarcastically, "And iiow we'll have all sorts of 'sweet, eunulng petti,' 1 suppose; but if onv or them i .unu near my premises," furiously, "I'll poison Vtu, drown 'em, wring their necks. Do you hear, Mike ?" "Faith I do," said Miko, grimly. "I'vo lived hero leu yeais," re sumed: tho master, "In pcaea and iuiet, driven hero by uu old maid in i lie tl rt place, in id it will bo hard in deed If I am driven uway by another. Willi a piano or guitar, no doubt Sf" "Allher that last or a fiddle, Stir," said Mike. "I sor tho gurrii a car ryin' it lu lbtctdoy lu Us own uate little coffin." ' "She'll play and sing from morning till night, out of lime and tune, and shall be obliged to close all the doort aud suflocate." "Anyhow," auggestod Mike, "thero can't be no babies." "Thank Heaven for that!" said Mr. Guornsey, fervently; "though I don't know but what the guitar's worse. You can scare young chil dren by making faces at 'em. When do. they move In, Mike?" "To-morrow, Stir," said Mike. "Ocli, bum's dreadful I" "Wo'll go a-lishlrg, Mike. Da ready to-morrow at daybreak, and we'll stay away a week. I never could bear (be uolso women uuko when THE TROY HEpAJjD, WEflNUAY, they're putting a house lo rights) as they ealt- Itfamt-H Ican'taland il alter we come back, why. I'll pull up lakes and go for good, that's all." "Yli.SuiV'ssldMlko. ' , When Miles Guernsey and Ida man returned from the fishing excursion Miss Osborne and Mlis Osborne's mother and Mist Osboruo'a maid of all work wcro Installed lu ltose Cot tagc, fthd, suro enough, tho first sounds that greeted tho cars of the llshcrmcn wcro tho pleasant tinkling of the guitar and an equally pleasant volco singing an old-fashioned love song, not out of time, however, and decidedly in tune. And the very noxtday a small dog, after snllllng curiously about on the outside for uwliilo, squeezed himself nearly flat, and, crawling under the front gale, frisked gayly over the tiny lawn, and from lliciiue up to tho porch, whero sat the lawn's owner reading tho newspaper. The i n t ruder wo a brlght-cycd lit tlo terrier, slightly lame in one of hi liiud Icuh, and ho proceeded lo caper about tho old bachelor us though in him ho recognized an early but long lost friend. "Miko!" bhoutod Mr. Guernsey. "Sur!" f honied Mike, running out with a potato in one hand and a knife in I ho other. "Honiovo this dog." "itumovo it Is, sur," said Mike, dropping both knife and potato. Dm "this dog" clearly objected to being removed, llo skipped nimbly around, barking all the tlino in a what larks!" manner; darted nuder the garden chairs; got entangled in a woodbine that wus climbing to the porch, and toro it down ; seized the kuifcMikchad dropped, in his mouth, and made oil with it ; and lho"vlddy man," making after hint, sllmied on tho treacherous potato and camo down Willi a whack. "Tliis thing must' be stopped at once!" exclaimed Mr. Guernsey, set ting his broad-brimmed hat tlrmly upon his head and grasping his cano. Out of his own galu be marched in tho, most dlgulllcd style along the path, through tho rose-crowded gar den, to tho door ot ltoao Cottage. "1 want to ico your mistress" he said lo tho black-eyed maid sei vmt who answered his ring. "Which V" answered the girl. "What?" retorted Mr. Guernsey. "Oh! I thought p'r'nps you didn't know tho old lady's laid up with tho rhumatiz; got cold moving. Will Miss OHhorno do?" "Anybody," said Miles, walking Into llio parlor, as sho threw open the door. Evidently Miss Osborne was extremely fond of roses. Tho white muslin curtains woio looiied back with spiays of half-opened ones; a vaso tilled witli thnm stood on the center table; on (lie hearth lay shells from which they peeped, mid a vino that ran up tho window outside- had been coaxed through a broken pane, and hung, heavy with sweet white buds, over tho picture of a hundsomo young man in the dress of a clargy- man. Tho guitar leaned against the arm of a cozy old-fashioned crimson sola; a hanging shelf of books occu pied one corner of tho room ; a mir ror, whoso tarnished framo was al most hidden by a pretty arrangement of autumn leaves, hung in tho other. "Humph ! she's got some taste," said the old bachelor In himself, aud be gan, without knowing why, to wish he wcro at homo; lu laet, was medi tating an inglorious retreat, when tho old maid entered tho room. Tall, graceful, with chestnut-brown hair parted simply over a frank' uu wrinkled brow, and gathered into a silken net at tho back of her head ; honest gray.bluo eyes that looked Tull At you; arched eye-brows two shades darker than tho hair; small, straight uoao; checks a little faded, hut still throwing out pluk roses on occasion ; lovely mouth, with the faintest sin picioH of a shadow at tho corners, which was Instantly lost In a sun shiny smile. "Our neighbor, Mr. Gtiernsoy, I bolieve?" sho said lu a remarkably pleasant voice. "Yes," replied Mr. Uuornsey, blush lug violently (tho Idea or it ! an old bachelor, forty-flvo hi last birthday, blushing because an old maid looked oud having utioredihls ile, ho dropped lift hat ami onosvlable put Ids cano through tho crown of It as ho stooped to pick It up again. Tli.qhatjti hit hand onco wore,' be, went on, "I'vo called to seo If you that Is, vour mother I mean both of . ... . ... ... . you, or courso in iaci," wiiii sum den Inspiration,"! camo to nk If you would liko soma trout ; lust out of tho water yesterday," "Oh! thank you; you're very kind,' said Miss Osborne, a little surp'riso in her voice, and a puzzled expression in her eyes; and at that moment Mike's rough tones broke lu from outside : "I've got him, boss, an' the dlvll's own time i'vo had to ketch him. llo- dad, he's the liveliest lame dog I Ivor mil in me lolfe, an' ho's putt down tho other vino on'' "Good day," hurriedly said "the boss," fl)lng boforo tho old maid's questioning looks, and spuming oft the stoop with such impotus as to al most knock down his faithful re tainer. Shut up, you idiot !" he said in n coarse whisper. "Drop that dog and go home and fasten tho vines up again." "Howly Moses!" ejaculated Miko, us he disappeared In a hurry ; "is it mad he Is?" "Oh, dear," exclaimed tho old maid, raising her pretty hands and eye brows as sho caught sight of the lino little fellow's" dirty paws and drooping tall, "he's been in some inUcliiul, I'm sure ho has ; I saw your man. What has ho been doing, Mr. Guernsey ? In tho kindness ut your lica'rt you're screening 1dm, I know you arc. Oh, Wall ! Waif! it" you wci'nl lamo I'd whip you. I picked him up lit tho street ono day, Mr. Guernsey," (tho pink roses wcro in full bloom now)"wberi! somo wickod boys had let t him nftcr breaking his leg, anil took him homo aud uuried him well again, and tho poor thing became so attached to mo I couldn't hear to leave him behind when we lelt the city." "Of course not," said Mr. Guern sey, adding, and rather irrele vantly, "I don't wonder at it. Good morning," And so the acquaintance began. What a foot I'vo bnon!" said Mile, as once moro on Ills own porch, lie picked up his newspaper again ; hut, bless me, who'd want to hurt a huno dog?" i week passed away, during which Mr. Guernsey only caught occasional glances of his fair neighbor, as sho came out Into the garden among tho rose, with a plain straw hat shading her lace and tied with a bit of blue ribbon under herchin. 1 always liked bluo ribbon," tho old bachelor sighed. "She used to wear It.'' "Shu" was the young girl ho had loved sumo twenty jours ugo, and from whom ho had been separa ted by tho tiiachiuutious of his father and her old maiden auut." All was culm and serene, when ono morning Mike burst Into tho library where hit master sat and gasped nut, u'l'litln lantti'. Hftllo all llin .lillnnln tludtft ''onet Infant for your dinner. theyre gone, and the burrid's iiiobi frightened to death, sur, an' no liss or may I nivur shpako another wur- rid than fourteen kittens In tho wood shed, au' all on account of Miss Osborne's cat, tho tbafo tiv tho wur rlld." "This certainly must bo stopped at once," said Mr. Guernsey. "Give mo my hat, Mike:" and awav lie went, growing angrier and angrier ut every step. Ills lamb chops ! and no moro to bo had until lo-iiiorrow.goud gracious ! Aud fourteen kittens, gra cious goodness ! to say nothing of tho canary in a lit, perhaps Its powor of song seared away forevor ! He actually banged the gate of tho garden of rotes; but Ills auger, which was up to "butter melts" at loast, fell to "zero" when he entered tho pretty parlor. Thero sat the old maid In a low rocking-chair, idly swaying to and fro, dressed in a loose flowing vvhl to wrapper without a rufllo or puff, with a golden-hearted daisy In her hair and iinothor at her throat, aud by her side stood tho lean, lank cat with ft squalling kitten hanging from Us mouth. "Poor Mary Ann!" sho was laying; "but where, oh. whero ore tho other" when sho lilin !) JANUARY 10, 187?. raised heriklud eyes and mat (he riot .'ll I M-kl .1.- V -I ni niru mic gnr.u or hid uiii i cuciiir. "Glad to see you again, Mr. Gucrn soy," she said, In herlrauk voice, rh lujf anil holding out. her hand. "Mother Is much belter, thank you," In answer to somo rather Indistinct query on tho subject. '"Hun away wrtli your kittle." lo tho cat. Not a very handsome cat, is she, Mr. Guern sey? Poor tiling sho camo to our door ono cruel cold night last winter, half starved, and with the tips of her poor curs frozen off. I took her lu, warmed and fed her, and sho would not go aivny ogam. To loll the truth, I didn't try very hard to tiuiko her, and I couldn't bear to desert her, when wu came here, any more than I could Waif. He and she, odd as 1 1 may teem, aro very fond of each other. Hut one bad hnbit, I am sorry to say, I can't break her or, or liav'ut as yet, a result of her early vagabond II fu lu tho streets : shosteals." Then suddenly notlclrg n queer expression on tho face of her listener, she contin ued, eagerly, "I hope site hnsn'l been annoying you In any way?" Straight Into those stilt rhlld-iiko eyes did Miles Guernsey look aud say deliberately, "Oh no, not at all. I came to ask if you that is (growing a little Incoherent), your mother, ot conic I mean both ol you, would llku a fresh cucumber or two and some green peas (with a Hush of pride) 1 am ulicad ol all tho neighbors." lie meant tho peas were. "A thousand thanks," said Miss Osborne. "Nino hundred and nlncty-nliio too' many,7' said Miles, actually smiling at Iter. "Good day." And when he reappeared lu the study, ho had it daisy in his button-hole. Miko camo out of tho dining room, where ho had been soothing tho ca nary with u crisp lettuce leaf. "Well, sur?" said ho. "Hang tho bird's cago where tin1 cat can't reach it, lock up the chops after this, and drown thirteen of the kittens," quietly said Mr. Guernsey. "Mad, is it?" Mike soliloquized. "He's madder nor tlfty hatters." "Good heavens! what man in bin sober senses," Miles Guernsey nsked himself, "would hurl a Irozcn-eared cat ?" Slimmer passed away, carrying with hor tho Irogrant roses and thou sands of other beautiful 11 iwers ; au tumn in richly tinted rustling gar ments, gathered the gold and brown and crimson leaves lo her bosom, and bade the earth farewell ; winter eanie and Hung down snow-flakes upon and hung glittering icicles from Un root of tho cottages and the naked branches of the trees, aud I lie neigh bors had only met n dozen times. Hut In that drzeu times Miles Guern sey had managed to learn (principally from tho old lady, a delicate, sweet faced woman, from whom the daugh ter hud inherited her pleasant eyes) that iho plcturo of the handsome young man in tho pallor was thi: portrait or Kosu's lover, who had died flltccn years boforo In a foreign laud, whero bo had gone for Ills health. "Uosa was well-nigh broken hearted at first," said tho old lady "but I lino has sofioncd her grief, and now sho can speak of him as calmly as sho can or the darling littlo sister who died When sho was a child." From the same sourcoho Icaruod that Rosa's father had been a speculator, unlucky in all his speculations, ami that when, his last great disappoint. mcnt breaking his heart, ho departed this life, there was very iitilo left for his widow and children. "Hubert, my only Hon,"said the old lady,"helps tin all he can, but lately ho has mar ried ii sweet girl, who has patiently waited for him five long years, and now Rosa aud I will have to live moro economically than over, if that bo possible. Out, dear me, how 1 do run on, and how Uosa would scold meir she knew It ! but you aro so kind and sympathetic, Mr. Guernsey, that, short at our acquaintance has been, I nlmnst regard you as ono of tho family. Rosa, I should liko Mr. Guernsey lo hoar that now song" "And would Mr. Gutrusoy liko to hear It?" Roiaaikt. "How can you ask me?" says the old bachelor. "I am always pleated to hear yon ting." By which remark you will pcrcolye be had become en tirely reconciled to the guitar, ult was tho ovenlng of Christmas day. Allies Guernsey sat alono lu hi parlor, thought on his brow and n pipe In hit muiitli, when Mike entered with n dainty rote-perfumed three cornered nolo ''From' the owld maid, tur.'l said he. "Mist Osborne, you mean,'' said hit master,' sternly. "Don't vail her an old innld ugHln," "Would Mr. Guernsey' so the nolo ran "glvo Mrs, and Miss ( homo tho pleiisiiro or Ida company this Christmas evening llroiher Hoboit and Ids wile huvu come down Iroui tho clly, and tkeru would be it llltlu music, a little supper, uml whist." "Walt, and I'll wrlto nn answer,' said Mr. Guernsey. And while Miko waited, ho began to talk ngalu. "Suro yo heard the news, sur? the vtllugu Is full uv it. They say bins oughtn't 'udoue it ; thai It's Incotir ugiu' wickedncst) an'" "Who tho dickens are you talking about?'' asked his muster, tinning impatiently mound, pen lu hand. "Thoowld I mean Miss Osborne, sur," answered Mike. "And pray what shouldn't she have done?" "Tukcn Ilessle Wost's baby?' Gi on this moment, Mike, or I'll bruin you with iho poker." "Well, you sec, sur," Mike, thus admonished, wont on glibly enough, "yo know that unfortunate story about Ueislo West, the purty sewin'- gurrii?" "Yes, yes Heaven knows 1 do. Not a . woman's tonguo wlihiu ten miles, except one, but has wagged about it." "Well, sur, last night sho died, an' she slut lor the owld I mane Miss Osborne. For she was Irluhtencd uv I he oilier women, they'd been so hard to her bad 'cess to 'cm ! an' hull uv 'cm wid ehildlier uv thelrown, an' kuowin' whui they're cumin' lo ; an' tho owld 1 iiiiiiio Miss Osborne, wlnt-" "Of courso she did," interrupted Ids master. "Go on." "An' she prayed wid the poor thing air closed her eyes; un' whin shu camo away sho telehed tho soiiuir wun wid hor, uu' thuy do say she' a.golu' to 'dopl it, nn' they'll uiver shpnke to her agin." "Which would be a very great pity!" -aid Iho old bachelor, with emphasis, and rather a diabolical grin. 'VI-. sur. An' now 1 suppose wu'H be after moviii', sure, fur ll only muled Iho buby lo make it complete: owld I iiiauu Miss Osborne, cats, dogs, uu' babies," "Got me my great-coal" was tie only reply lie received. "I'll answer Iho note personally." And Iho great coal on, away started Mile Guernsey for ltose Cottagu ouen more, "Uedad," said Miko, with un intox icated wink, "it's mesiir knew ho wouldn't shtarul the l.itby." Miss Osborne's parlor wus that uighl, if pox.iblo, brighter and cheer ier lln.li it was on the summer day tho old bachelor llit colored it. In stead of roses, Christinas greens dot ted with brilliant red bei rlcs looped back tho curtain, eiiwieulhed llio pictures, and drooped from vases and shells, and right over the iiill wn candle burning on the centre tablo hung a bunch of mistletoe (-cut with kindly greetings and u real Kuglish pliim-piiddiug from somo kinsfolk across iho sea), its waxen berries gleaming liko clouded pearls among ila slender green leaves. Miss Os homo had evidently not expected her guest so soon, for she sat linforo tho glowing grate fire with Uetsle West's baby on her knees, its small pink toes held out toward tho welcotnu.warmth, and itself cooing and gMMte uftcr the fashion peculiar jHftrcmo vouth. 'SPr How lovely the looked, witli u spray of holly in her hair, a tender light In hereyet.ond the loose sleeves or her dark ailk drcst fulling back from her shapely white arms, at tho held the child with motherly grace, and softly sang a dreamy nursery rhyme ! Miles Guernsey thought of a beautiful Madonna lie had aceu lu Homo at he looked earnestly at her, a moment before tho became awaro of hit preteiico. (The .black -eyed inald-iorvant going out lu a hurry as