Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-08-14

eyes I'LL my neartseeMcO 70 60 out from my
bosom and drown in them. Yes, she may
have guessed something. But come; IL
soon be dreaming againl Well, then; il
the Squire's parlor was seated, with rogu
ish, eyes dancing all about me, saying every
moment, in palmer language than any word.
could have spoken, Well, come now, don,
keep us in suspense; let us know at once
which Of us it is-be quick = It's always
so when there is but one man to dozcu
ripe, gushing girls. How they watch your
every look-eyery move of your chair
And what pains Mary-the dcmure Mary
takes to show that she does not think it,
herself, but Louisa that you are partial to
Louisa shifts it to Clara, Clara to Alice, and
Alice back to Mary again. What sly CLAN
ccs and mods, shaking Of heads and poutine
OF lips Boys, never leave the girls in sns
pense; you can't get on together naturally
till they know for which Of them it is tha
you have weakness that known, you get
along swimmingly enough. Well. as said
before, the girls all seemed to ask through
their eyes, Come. now, let us know which
OF US it isY' Such looks always did confuse
me-makc me nervous, and awkward, and
stammery and stuttery. Ikncw the prope,
state Of affairs, and tried to pluck up sutfi
cicnt courage to get round next to Betty
to tell her she was the crttcr,' but curse
my bashfulness, l felt sure should be una.
bic to walk across the room in any decent
gait. l should go ono side at time, o,
walk as though stitch in the side were
linking me-strike my toes into the carpe,
and fall down, or at best take long strides
with one foot and short ones with the other
as though my legs belonged to two different
persons. | wonder that Betty didn't take
the hint that it was her that was after. and
make some excuse to come round near me
and say something encouraging; but she
seemed about as shy as myself and appeared
rather inclined to give way to the other girls,
The old lady-blast her stayed in the same
room ali tho time, and she was another
choker on me. Had she been away, 1t was
plain to see that the girls would very shortly
have brought the question to focus. No,
a sign did the old lady make that she under
stood, or guessed my business in her house ;
and so long as she stayed could only talk
to her, not daring to converse with the girls.
Fifty stories did the old woman tell Inc Of
their farm, of their stock, and Of the neigh.
bors; all with such attention to minute mar.
tieu'ars and SO long drawn out that more
than once suspected her Of taking this plan
to torture me, and believed she knew she
was almost taking my life. Aud all this
time there were the sly looks and mods and
mouth,pursings Of the girls, acting as sort
OF cross torture. / don't suppose / aver.
aged word an hour all the evening. but NV
thinking apparatus made at least five hun.
dred revolutions per minute. At last the old
lady spoke Of bed-not of retiring herself.
but OF bed for me. She said she knew |
must be sleepy anyhow said she, you
look rery sleepy At this there WAS such
titteripg among the girls that vas glad OF
tbs chance to follow the old lady up stairs
and hide my confusion in bed. | was tween.
ty miles from home. or nothing could have
Kept me longer under tho Squire's roof.
The old woman showed me to fine large
room and left me, when quickly undressed
and tumbled into great squshy feather bed.
Here tossed and tanlblcd for two hours
utterly unable to compose myself to sleep.
1t was hot July night, my room was close
and the feathers almost snothered me. I
thought if ! could get out into the air for a
few minutes to cool of l might ti,en sc& TO
sleep. l listened attentivcly and hearing no
noise about the house concluded all were
sound asleep. So leaving all my clothes,
except my shirt, behind, crcpt down stairs,
stole softly along the hall and out at the
front door, making no more noise than cat
There was no moon, but the light of tho
stars made everything dimly visible | slip
ped out on the lawn, TO get the benefit of
the slight western breeze then stirring. and
had got half way to the gate, when | heard
terrible, "bow-bow-wow I" between
bay and growi. Until that moment not
thought Of the Squjrs's two savage bulldoxs
had entered my head. During daylight they
were always kept chained up in the hack
yard, on account Of their fcrocity and dispo.
sition to attack every stranger that came up.
ON the premises. Nota moment was to be
lost ), they came bounding from toward the
house, roaring like enragcd tigers. At q
glance saw that running toward the house
was putting myself into their jaws. Ny SAL
yatlon lay in reaching the high posts Of the
front gate. and think my toes most have
sent merry hail Of gravel into the eyes of
the two CANNES as stampeded down the
walk. A frantic bound and strong swing
placed lne out Of the reach Of the teeth of
the savage brutes, though am certain I felt
the breath Of one Of them on my thigh, and
thanked Heaven that his leap was not stron.
ger. An arched piece of timber rested on the
top Of the two posts and upon the center of
this took up my position. On the top Of
this archsd timber, and in its center, was an