Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-03-04
KISSED BY MISTAKE.

- w III you De at nome 10 ti1nI, LleUy
and the speaker q tail, muscular, well look
ing young farmer Redeemed Ia the roots of
his hair. as though he had committed some
verv wicked act. instead of asking a SIM
l. question. lie was bashiul, extremely
80 was JOSIAH ilawley; at least in the
presence Of the girl he loved. No young
farmer in Mi the country possessed bet
ter kept farm, or talked with more conf
dence among his ctmpeers of stock and
crows and on kindred subjects. But the
glimpse Of some pretty face, or foot Coming
in his direction, affected him like flash Of
lightning Ga such occasions he never
knew what to do with his hands and eyes,
and always fell like screwing himself intn
a mouse hole. How he ever ctn'rived to
approach Hester Thomas on the subject Of
his preference for her, probably remains to
this day as much u mystery to himself as
it is to others.
But that young lady had quite an
amount Of tact ard shIewdness slowed
away somewhere in her pretty tile head,
albeit, it was set on the dimpled, inexpe
fenced shoulders Of seventeen. josiah was
worth in O WORLDLY way, much more than
any of her other suffers, good locking, and
int liieent enough to satisfy any but an
over fastidious person-unexcoptiunab in
short, barring his excessive bashIulness
which was Il fruitful source of merriment
among the young pc pie in their little cir
Gle Aud SO, " hon Josiah, in his awkard
laundering way, Legan to exhibit lis pref
| trence T her in various little ways, such
| as waiting on her to and from singing
/ schu,l, constituting himself her escort when
! she rode on rise back to the solitary
! church in the W. DDS, and singing her out
! at quilting varties. lletty tOck it all in
/ the cas- est Ileasantcst manner possible -
! The girls laughed, and tie young men
cracked ,ly jkes at the expense OF her
/ .imid suitor; Tut iietty stned up for him
very indepcndent!y-en him ut
/ Of his shyncss--ueyer noticed any untOr-
turate blunder, aud helped him along cons
,iderably. when his feelings reached the
eliminating print,' one mt onlight autumn
| evening, as they were walking home to-
gether from prayer meeting.
That was week ago. Hetty had said
Yes and agreed to bring father and moth
err around On the subject. josiah hal not
been to the house since-prubatlY feeling
very much like dog venturing uron the
PREMISES of q ue-sGn whose sneep III he
had lust pluldered As yet neither had
had the courage to speak to the 'reign!ng
movers on the subject, and Hetty feeling
as if she wished 10 put the ordeal 9it a
long as possible, at any rate to have one
more confidential talk with him on the
subject, said:
Mother is gpiug over to Aunt Ruth's
TO spend the evening, AMI wants me to go
But guess won't. Pve been working
! on fathers shirt all day, besides doing tbs
J dairy work, and Pm as tired as can be-
So | guess they'll have to go without me
Don't come until eight O'clock. l shall be
through putting things to rights then, and
will let you IL.
OF course. Josiah was not TOO obtuse &c
understand that, and forgot his bashful-
ness So far as to petition for good bye
kiss, which was pelemEt r.iy refused, oil
course.
"No, shan't, do take yourself Off
Think didn't see you fdgeting around
Sarah Jones at Deacon Badgers yesterday
evening? I've not forgotten that, sir %
al W Hetty-"
But the appeal was broken off by tant-
aliziug little laugh as be sprang forward
TO take a leasant revenge On his torment
ress, she slipped away and ran up the path
to the house, where he saw her wave her
hand as she disappeared within the kitten
en- porch and then he turned from the gate
and took the road hOmeward.
The things had been carried out, the
table set back against the WALL the crumbs
| brushed from the clean homemade carpet
ard Hetty's work stand drawn up in iroat
of the blazing fire. A beautifully piled
waiter OF great red apr les, and q plate Of
cracked walnuts were on it, in close prox-
unity to Heity'S work basket.
On one side of the FIRE sat Mrs. Thomas,
! fat and fair, and at peace with all the
world rocking and knitting, and refresh
| ing herself at sundry intervals with bite
frUm half eaten apple that lay on t lie ta>
! BILE, and touching every now and then IN a
| careless manner with her foot, sleek, lazy
! looking cat that purred and winked on the
rug before her Hetty sat on the other
side, sewing and thinking how she should
! tell her mother that she expected a visitor.
| She would have given the world to say in
| an off hand manner, that she expected Mr..
| HGwley to drop in about 8 O'clock But
| she recollected with twinge Of concience
| how hard she had tried to get the old lady
/ to accompany her husband to Aunt Ruth
spite of her forwarding of spell OF neu-
ralgia how she had also to plead head
ache as an excuse for not going herself
! And she knew her mother was quite sharp
enough to draw her own differences from
these facts, and from her being dressed
with unusual care to spend an evening at
home.
81 shall not dare to tell her now. She'll
be sure TO think l wanted to get her out Of
the yay so | might have Josiah all to my
self and / should never hear the last of il !"