Red Wing sentinel., 1861-01-02
gate, and took the road hbmeward.

home made carpet and Hetty's xorl
stand drawn up in front Of the blazing
fire. A bountifully piled waiter Q:
great red apples, and a plate Of cracked
walnuts were on it, in close proximity
to Hetty's work basket.
| On one side of the FIRE sat Mrs
Thomas, fat ana fair, at peace with
/ all the. world, rocking and knitting
and refreshing herself st divers andsun.
dry intervals with bite from halt
eaten apple that lay on the corner Of
the table, and touching every now and
then in a caressing manner, with her
foot sleek, lazy looking cat that pur.
red and winked on the rug before her.
IIctty sat OH the other side, sewing,
and busy, III thinking how she should
tell her mother that she expected a
visitor. She would have given the
world to be able to say in an off hand
manner that she expected Mr.. Hawley
to drop in about eight. But she rccol-
lected with a twinge of conscience
how hard she led to get the lady to
|acnompany her husband to Aunt Ruths
spite Of her forcwarnings of a spell of
neuralgia; how she had also plead
headache as an excuse for not going
herself And she knew her mother
was quite sharp enough to draw her
own inferences from these facts, and
from her being dressed with unusual
care to spend an evening at home.
Il shall not dare to tell her now
She'll be sure to think I wanted to get
her out Of the way so I might have
Josiah all to myself, and l should
never hear the last of it, And like a
wise little girl she was silent.
I'll venture my word Oh it, you wo'd
not have wondered at our young farm
er's desperate enthrallmcnt if you
could have seen Hetty Thomas as she
sat sewing by the hreside that cold
November evening.
Under a pretence Of fbeing ready to
go to her uucle's "a thing she had no
idea Of doing) she had, just before tea
indulgcd i'll All indiscriminate fixing
up 4 neatly fitted dark calico, with
the store look still on it, a fresh linen
collar and tasteful black silk apron
these were the chiefitems of Hetty's
toilet; but she looked sweet and dainty
in her plain dress as if hours had been
spent in donning lace and jewels
Her rich lair of the darkest auburn
tinge, fell in shining folds to her warm
red cheek, and was caught up in a
running knot behind.
Eight o'clock and past Mrs. Thom-
az was doing in her chair--her shad-
ow on the opposite wall bobbing about
in grotesquc mimicry as she nodded to
and fro-now almost falling forward,
and her fat hand lay listlessly in her
lap, and her ball Of yarn had rolled
out upon the hearth, and puss was
busy converting it into Gordian knots.
| And just then came double rap at
the door--so loud, sudden and selfas-
|surcd that Hetty started up with q
little shrek and set her foot on puss'
tail, who in turn gave voice TO her
amazc,nent and displeasnre.
(! The combined noise aroused Mrs.
Thomas, and, starting into an erect
position, she rubbed her eyes, settled
her cap border and exclaimed
"Bless my soul, Hetty, what was
that? Somebody at the door? Who
canbe coming at this time ofnight?
''lt's not late, mother-only a little
|past eight. III go and see who it is,'
says Hetty, demurely, taking the can
die from the table.
no. Here you wind mp my bal
and sweep up the hearth, while I &C
to the door says the old lady, whose
feet were struggling in the perplexine
meshes of the yarn. .Drat that cat!
All this time Josiah was standing O.,
one foot on the cold porch: with hi.
! hands in his overcoat pockets, wonder
ling if Hetty had fallen asleep, and
every now and the giving the door ,
} smart rap by way Of variety.
: In the hurry, Mrs. Thompson forgot
to take the candle, and'as she stepped
) ont into the front entry, the setting
; room door slammed after her. Sh,
had her hand on the handle Of th,
hall door at the moment, and, openin.
j. lit, she suddenly found herself in til,
. embrace ola stout pair of arms;
!, whiskered face in close proximit,
to her own; and before she coult
, think about the strangeness of he
situation, she received prolonged kis
, a hearty smack--full upon her virtuou
matron lips.
\ 20. murder and it aint Obediah.
She had by this time dives.ed herscl
: of the impression that j, was her usual,
sober spouse, who must have com,
J home in an unusually exalted condi
ton thus to indulge in such unwonsee
Expressions OF affection.
Get out! Get ont. / say! Who ar,
you, anyhow? Murder! thieves! Hetty
come here! Here's a man kissing m
, like mad!.
But the intruder had by this tim
discovered his mistake-it did no
need the indignant pummeling an,
scratching Of the old lady's yigorou
: fists to cause MIN to rclinquish hi
hold and fly as ii pnrsued by some il
, dignant ghost.
s He,ty, nearly choking with smo,t
fered laughter, in spite her trepidatiol