St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-04-11

you fdgcttng around Sarah Jones at
Deacon Dangers yesterday evening &?
I've not forgotten that, sir !"
Now, Hetty-"
But the appeal was broken off by Il
tantalizing little laugh and as he
spranG forward to take a pleasant re-
vcnge on his tOrmcntrcss, she slipped
away and ran up the path to the
house, where he saw her wave her
hand as she disappeared within the
kitchen porch ; and then he turned
from the gate and took the road home
ward.
The tea things had been carried ont,
the table set back against the wall,
the crumbs brushed off from the clean,
homr-madc carpet, and llctty's work
stand drawn up in front Of the blazing
lire. y beautiful piled plate Of great
red apples and a plate of cracked
walnuts were on it, in close proximity
TO lictty's workbaskct.
On one side Of the fire sat Mrs.
Thomas, fat and fair, and at peace
with all the world rocking and knit
ting and refreshing herself at sundry
intervals with bite from a hali:catcn
apple that lay on the corner of the ta-
bic, and touching every now and then,
in caressing manner, with her foot,
sleek, lazy booking cat that purrcd
and worked on the other side. lIctty
was sewing and thinking how she
should tell her mother she expected a
visitor. She would have given the
world to be able to say, in an olt:hand
manner, that She expected Mr.. How
ley to drop III about eight. But she
rccollcctCd, with a twingc of con
science, how hard she had tried to get
the old lady to accompany her hus-
band to Aunt Ruths in spite of her
warnings 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 Inference
from these facts, and from her being
dressed with unusual care to spend an
evening at home.
shall not dare to tell her now.
She'll be sure to think wished to get
her out Of the way, 50 might have
Josiah all to myself, and | should new
or hear the last Of it.' And like a
wise little puss she was silent.
Ill venture my word on it, you
would not wondered at our young far
mcl's cnthralmcnt if YOU could have
seen llctty Thomas as she sat by the
tircsidc that cold November evening.
Under prctcXt Of being ready to go
to her unclc's, "a thing she had no
idea of doing, she had, Just before
tea, indulged in an indiscriminate
fixing up" \ neatly fitting dark
calico, with the store look still on it.
fresh linen collar and tasteful black
silk apron-thcsc were the chief items
of Uctty'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 hair, Of the
darkest tingc, fell in shining folds
close to her warm red check, and was
caught up in a cunning net behind.
Eight o'clock and past Mrs. Thom-
as was doing i'll her chair-hcr shad-
ow ON the opposite wall bobbing abou,
in grotcsquc mimicry as she nodded
to and fro--now crushing the volu-
minOus white satin bows on her spruce
cap against the back Of her chair :;
now almost falling forward, and her
fat hands lay liStlcssly in her lap, and
her ball of yarn had rolled out upon
the hearth, and puSs was busy con-
vcrting it into Gordian knots. And
Just then came double rap at the
door-so loud, so sudden and selt-as-
surcd that lletty started up with a
little shrek, and set her foot on the
cats tail, who, in turn, gave voice to
her amazcment and displeasurc.
The combined noise aroused Mrs.
Thomas, and starting into an erect po-
sition, she rubbed her eyes, settled
her cap-bordcr, and exclaimed
"Blcss my soul, lIetty, what was
that? Somebody at the door? Who
can be coming at this time Of night ? "
" 1t is not late, motLer-only Il lit
tie past eight. I'll go and see who it
is" said Hctty, demurely, taking the
candle from the table.
No. You wind up my ball, and
sweep up the hearth, while go to the
door," said the old lady, whose feet
were struggling in the mcshcs of the
unravcllcd yarn. "Drat that cat !"
And all this time Josiah was stand
ing on one foot on the cold porch, witt
his hands in his ovcrcoat pockets
wondering if lletty had fallen asleep
and every now and then giving the
door a smart rap by way Of variation
In her hurry, Mrs. Thomas forgot tc
take the candle, and rs she stepped
out into the little front entry, the sit
ting room door slammed after her
She had her hand on the handle of the
hall door at the moment, and opening
it, she found herself in the cmbrac,
OF stout pair OF arms, whiskercC
face in close proximity to her own
and before she could think about tn,
strangcness of her situation, she re
ceived a prolonged kiss--a heart.
smack--icli upon her NIrtuouS matroI
lips.
"Oh, murder 'Taint Obadiah nei
ther !"
She had by this time Invested hel
self of the impression that it was he
, usually sober spouse who must hav
: come home in an unusually excite
condition thus to indulge in such III
wontcd expression of affection.
"Gct out! get out, say VIII
, are You, anyhow? Murder, thieves
lIctty, come here ! Here's a ma
kissing me like mad !"
But the intruder had by this tim
discovered his mistakc--it did nC
!, need the indignant pummeling an
scratching of the lady's vigorous fist
: to cause him to rclinqnsh his hold an
fly as if pursued by some indignal
ghost.
+ lIctty, nearly choking with smotl
II cred laughter, in spite Of her trepd;
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