The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1864-12-17
The Price Of n kiss.


q farmer, and owned that piece of ground
yonder. 1t Was Q fine farm then, though b.
they've cuta railway through it and spoiled il
1t with their improvements. In those days b
We were content to travel by the stage or t,
on horseback and must confess don't G
think we've gained much by the change ex- f
cept explosions, though you may'nt agree a
with me there-youngsters never do. Just y
here stood old Wilber Trabb's tavern-the a
jolly Farmer. Tavern was no disgrace a
then, though you'd insult hotel keeper to i
call it one now. They hadn't much steady o
company there; but the folk stopped I
On the way up by the stage, and droyers
and farmers on the way to market took {
their meals there. OF winter evenings the I
Squire, and the Doctor, and even the Par |
son, used to come over and taste old Trabb's .
ale and have a chat with him. He was a
wcll-educated, light-hearted old man, who
had fought when young in the Revolution
ary war; and though past seventy could
drink and laugh with fellows young enough
to be his grandsons. Such stories as he
used to tell Of his own bravery and hair
breadth escapes would make your hair
stand on end with horror. We youngsters
| never doubted a word of them then, what
ever we may do now at times. With his
large bulky figure and red face, and load
voice, he was the strangest contrast to his
daag ghter Mehitable-Hetty every one called
he,. She was like some slender white lily |
in those days, and her voice like some sill |
YER bell and just rs musical--a shy little
soul lust come home from school, and ready
to cry with fright at having to take her
place 90 mistress for you see her mother
had been dead years and years. The tomb
stone in the church yard was just as old as
Hetty, and she was the only woman about
the house.
!, In little while she grew used to it, and
less timid and then from looking at her
at distance came to speaking to her
The first time was at the great gate that
opened upon the road at the back OF the
house. It was heavy and hard to open, and
seeing her little hands busy with it went
across and set it back for her; and she
said, "Thank you-you're very kind to
take so much trouble" .
Ono trouble Mt all, Miss Hetty," said ::
"its pleasure" And then she blushed,
and | felt the blood rush into my face,
/. though don't suppose she noticed 1t; Tor
what with work /, the open air, and the
sun, and shespishness, ! sas about as req
as we'll could be all the time in nose Gays;
After that we bowed, and smiled, anu
= spoke when we met; and at last one sun
day evening mustered up resolution, ard
dressed myself in my best, and put rose
= in my button-hole, and took boquet tor
her, and went across the fields to WILDER
Trabb's. Two or three times felt like 60.
ing back, or running away somewhere ou'
screwed my courage to the sticking point
y and got to the door. Pm not sure, though
that I'd have made up my mind to 90 In, !,
she hadn't been sitting there on tho porcf
reading her prayer-book. She putt IN he'
- pocket, and looked up and smiled. =,
"How do you do, Mr.. Mablt?" she saia
6" Pm glad to see you. Walk in. AM
she took me into the little parlor, and hano
ed me chair. 80.
s can remember that room just as if
was Yesterday. There was homo-maa
carpet, red and yellow stripes, on the hoo'
and mahogany tea-tabie you eoulo se
your face in between the windows anu a.
saboat the room was wainscoted and palnte
blue about as high as your waist. AooS
- that was vhitewashed. The mantle piec
wa. b;cher than your head, and had plate
candlssticks and tea-caddy on it and o
rs ths walls were two paper profles: on
old Wilb.~. and the other of his wife, CT
chairs had rush bottoms and were paints
black. and there were green window.pape
tod nm with tassels at the windows. Het
- wore a white dress and check aporn, az
had a string of coral beads about her lItt
en- throat. remember it all like picture
all most of all her pretty eyes, looking oo'
10" at the strips in the carpet.
"It's nice evening, Miss Hssty," sal
| oupht.
"Very. she answered. "Pm alwa
r. clad Of a bright Sunday. Rain keeps q
10 neopIe from church, and 1t makes II ~
nest besides"
|. x 81 saw you in church this morning.
said. ~
al saw YOU too, replied Hetty, and tn
,F there was silence. She plated her apo
string, and stared at her. ~,
'ir. 81 see you've plenty OF flowers, NJ
Hetty,"I said but mother has such 60
m luck with her carnations, thou ght ia brl
Il YOU Q few, if you'd accept them ; ant
Mo- handed her my nossgay. She smiled
RLY t" They're beautiful" she said. Pll
been them in water;" and she went out Q
.cil- brou eht in a polished beer glass half
dsrs. ,,f water and set them in it and havl
the sor sthine to do with her hands and e
crew less bashful. And we talked ab
bt.in aower, and seeds and gardening for g
roper while. q ar ID
fully When the moon was up We went out
the porch and sat there. And she tod
- about her city school, and teacher
4. D. was very kind to her, and OF her Joy
e. .he could be 90 useful to her father,
~ 8 that he was so fond of her.
n o "For you ses," she said, ia been a
SO long / knew nothing about homs'
not much even about pa"
{" Pm sure" said "ths loss was
.sinm and if YOU were my daughter I'D not
sou TO school away from me one az
! =. And then / was 40 conscious that "a u
a silly speech thai l said "good.nignt,
lor's ouite q short way, and wished the
Tonld open and swallow me.
week. That Was my first visit to Hetty, ou'
sls.a tbs last. Pretty soou went up 10 ses %
srsrv Sunday night, and waited on hs
s;nriur- school, and had got 30 thai