Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-02-24
crust, shaking her head disapprovingly at

crust, shaking her head disapprovingly at
this levity.
"'Every dog has his day. suppose -
continued Wallace, s'but perhaps, Mrs.
Pancrust, you may succeed in overcoming
my skeptlcism, if you can convince me tina,
this spiritual interference is really benef-
cial You have visited the tFappers, Of
oourse-what did they tell you?''
"Why,' said Mrs. Pancrust, frightened
up, "they told me that had lived here for
twenty years. am sure that was true"
every true indeed" replied Wallace,
"but were you not aware of it before
Was this the extent Of their communica.
tions P"
"No," said Mrs. Pancrust, half suspects
ing that she was being played upon, sthey
told me that was widow, and without
children
"Also very true,' said Wallace, scarcely
able to contain himself at these revelations,
s'but certainly, not very neD."
SWELL" "rejoined Mrs. Pancrust, somewhat
reused by his contempt, s'Iam not the only
one in the house who has heard spiritual
knockIngs. The very day that you came
home, l found Miss Marion standing by the
curtains, listening to 'em!'
ooh, Mrs. Panerust - exclaimed Marion,
in the direst confusion lest Wallace might
possibly understand, Show could youn'
"Why, la, Miss Msrion,' replied the sim
ple.minded housekeeper, sem sure ou told
me so, yourself! And remember just how
you stood when you said it-you had your
hand on your heart, and think you were
looking at Mr.. Wallace in the conservatory,
and-'
Wallace was startled by the abrupt de-
parture of Marion Field, with checks of a
crimson hue, and yet a disposition to laugh
seemed strangely struggling with a sense of
embarrassment.
"She did, continued Mrs. Pancrust, who
felt extremely puzzled, ''she told me, when
| asked her what was the matter, that she
had heen listening to mysterious knocsings.
| expected something to happen to her, that
afternoon acted so like; and
when you came, she ran away, and had to
go and find her."
"What did the knockers say?" inquired
Wallace, who, to Mrs. Pancrust's great de-
light, appeared quite interested.
"Why," said she, 'Aliss Marion told me
that she coaldn't count 'em, and thought
it must mean thot she was to be an old maid !;
but when told her so--la, he's off--how
queer people do act nova a-days--it must
be the knockings, though
So thought the old housekeeper as her
auditor departed in the midst of her reply ;
and the next moment she was quietly at
work upon her stocking, toeing it off with
the greatest precision.
Wallace was not quite fool; and this
account Of mysterious stockings gave him
some insight into matters and things. He
felt quite as much interested as Mrs. Pam
crust could be that the mysterious knockirgs
should not turn cut no knockings at all
and then the mischievous face Of the young
heyden, as she sat feigning sleep on tina,
summer afternoon, seemed to rise up before
him and laugh at him for his pains. He
roamed about in a state of indecisiop.--
What ehould Marion care for Mm9 1t was
only some of her mischievous nonsense
besides, she was now an heiress, and he a
poor minister.
So he thought, and reasoned, and wake
into the conservatory and there stood
Marion. She blushed violently when he
came in, and, anxious to break what she
feared would prove an awkward silence, she
said the very thing that she should not
have said, and gayly exclaimed.
"A penny for your thoughts!''
! was thinking," said Wallace, Quite
innocently, "of mysterious Knockings.'"
Down went the rose that she was pulling
to pieces, and away rushed Marion but
Wallace caught the hand that she had
extended to open the door, and, quite in
the old schoolmaster tone, he continued,
81 want these Mysterious X nockings' OK /.
plainedr
''Did you never hear any knocks, Mr..
Wallace ?" said Marion. mischievously, as
SIZE mimieed the old housekeeper.
"It cannot be-" said Wallace, half sadly,
"that young lady should take fancy to
throw away youth, beauty, and wealth on a
poor minister, who has nothing to give in
return but ioue--the spirits must have made
mistake this time : is it no so, Marion ?''
She did not withdraw her hand; but
bending her head until he could scarcely
see her face, she said, "if you mean me, !
have no heart to give-I lost it when was
only fifteon.''
els it is possible" exclaimed Wallace.
"that you could think of fancJing pale.
grave student like ms!''
81 didn't say that it was you,o returned
Marion, looking absolutely saucy, 81 wa,
only beginning to tell you, in imitation of q
hereine whom once admired, that could
only offer you heart that had loved onc,
before. ] thought it best to be off with tn.
old love before was on with the new,
| Wallace only looked as he did of old.wher
rsproving MS Pupil 8 mischievous propen.
sities and Marion, BY way of relieving bel
confusion. exclaimed,
Show ridiculous you are Ms bad as the
old dominic you used 20 complain of VOL,
began with Mysterious knockings, and YOU