The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-18
ors of old Lobbs' treasures were not exag.

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gerated. $3.50
The only eyesore IN the whole place was
another cousin of Maria Lobbs' and brother OF
Kate, whom Maria Lobbs called "Henry," and
who seemed to keep Maria Lobbs to himself,
up in one corner of the table. After tea, too,
when the wicked little cousin proposed game
of blind mans buff, it somehow or other nap
pe.ed that Nathaniel Pipkin was nearly al
WAYS blind, and whenever he laid his hand
upon the male cousin he was sure to find that
Maria Lobbs was not far Off And though the
wicked little cousin and the other girls pinch
ed him, and pulled his hair, and pushed chairs
in his way, and all sorts ofthings, Maria Lobbs
never seemed to come near him at all; and
ce-once-NatDaniel Pipkin could have
sworn he heard the sound of kiss, followed
by faint remonstrance from Maria Lobbs,
and half suppressed laugh from her female
friends. All this was o0d-very odd-yery
odd-and there is no saying what Nathaniel
Pipkin might or might not have done. in con-
sequence, il his thoughts had not been sud-
denly converted into another channel.
The circumstance that directed his thoughtt
into new channel, wal a loud kn9cKlnS
the street door, and the person VINO maue
TINS very loud knocking at the street uoor, was
no other than old Lobbs himself, VINO mad I'M
expectedly returned, and was Iammerng
away, like coffin maker; for he wanted his
sooner communicated by the bony apprentice
with the thin legs, than the girls tripped up
stairs to Maria Lobb,' bedroom, and the male
cousin and Nathaniel Pipkin were thrust into
a couple of closets in the sitting room, for
want of better places OF concealment. And
when Maria Lobbs and the wicked little cous-
in had slowed them away, they opened. the
street door TO old Lobbs, who had never left
off knocking since he first began.
Now it did unfortunately happen that old
Lobbs being very hungry, was monstxous
cross. Nathaniel Pipkin could hear him
growing away like an old mastiff with a sore
throat; and whenever the unfortunate appren-
tice with the thin legs came into the room, so
surely did old Lobbs commence swearing at
him in most Saracenic and ferocious man.
ner, though apparently with no other end or
object than that of easing his bosom by the
discharge of few superfuous oaths. = At
length some supper, which had been warming
up, was placed on the table, and then old
Lobbs fell to in regular style; and, having
made clear work Of it in no time, kissed his
daughter and demanded his pipe.
Nature had placed Nathaniel Pipkin's knees
in very close juxta- position, but when he heard
old Lobbs demand his pipe, they knocked to-
geIher as If they were going to reduce each
| other to powder; for depending from couple
| of hooks, in the very closet in which he stood,
| was a large, brown. Stoned, silver-bowled
pipe, which pipe he himself had seen in the
mouth of old Lobbs regularly every afternoon
and evening for the last five years. The two
girls went down stairs for the pipe and up
stairs for the pipe, and everywhere but where
they knew the pipe was, and old Lobhs storm
cd away meanwhile, in the most wonderful
manner. At last he thought of the closet,
walked up to it, pulled the door open, disclos-
ing Nathaniel Pipkin standing bolt upright
and shaking with apprehension.
"Why, what the devil do you want here VI
said old Lobbs in fearful voice.
Nathaniel could not reply.
"What do you want here?" roared Lobbs
II suppose you have come after my daughter
now" skfs5en ESzEA
eyes, I did. Mr.. Lobbs,-I did come after
your daughter-I love her, Mr.. Lobbs."
3Why, you sniyelling, wry-faced little vii
lain,' gasped old Lobbs paralyzed at the afro.
cious confession. . "What do you mean by
that? Say this to my face? Damme, I'll
throttle YOU" - -.
1t is by no means improbable that old
Lobbs would have carried his threat into ex-
ecution, if his arm had not been stayed by a
very unexpected apparition, to wit, the male
cousin, who, stepping out of the closet and
walking up to old Lobbs, said
81 cannot allow this harmless person, Sir, to
take upon himself, in very noble manner, the
fault, (if fault it isl which am guilty of and
ready to avow. came here for the purpose
of seeing your daughter, I love her" IS -
"You did," said Lobbs, at last finding breath
to speak.
II did"
Sand l forbade you this house, long ago."
"You did, or should not have been here
clandestinely, tonight"
am sorry to record it of old Lobbs, but
think he would have struck the cousin, had
not bis pretty daughter chung to his arm.
"Don't stop him, Marie," said the young
man, ''if he has the will to strike me, let him
would not hurt hair of his grey head for
the world"
The old man cast down his eyes at this re
proof, and they met those Of his daughter
He turned his head away to avoid being per-
suaded by them, but she drew her arm coax
ingly through the old mans, and whispered
something in his ear, and do what he would
old Lobbs couldn't help breaking out into a
smile, while tear stole down his cheek at the
same time.
Five minutes after this, the girls were
| brought down from the bedroom, and while
the young people made themselves happy, old
Lobbs got down his pipe and smoked it; ant
| it was remarkable circumstance about thai
| particular pipe oftobacco, that it was the most
soothing and delightful one he ever smoked.