The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-03-02

4 he was satisfied he should faint ava,
r right on the spot.
: As good fortune would have it, ht
found Mrs. Hooper alone, in her bes
, grown and best humor. She was charm
ed to see him, and treated him to nuts anC
cider, and seat on the sofa so near her.
self that poor Will was at his wits end
to frame the first word of his errand
They talked of the weather and the
crops till the clock struck ten. The wild
oW tried to make him think it was only
nine, but he was not so far gone but that
he could still count He felt that the
terrible moment could be no longer de-
layed i; he must make beginning:
"Mrs. Hooper" said he, 81 came over
this evening"" he hesitated.
eyes, VIII, said she encouragingly.
"I come over"
eyes, know now you did," still more
encouragingly.
81 came over to ask a great favor of
YOU
''Well, you couldn't have come to any
body that would be reader to do you q
Kindness, William"
"Thank you" The sweat stood on his
forehead in great drops ''But this is
very delicate business, very. l come to
ask you to-to-to-"
"Go on-don't be afraid 1 am listen
ing"
"The fact of it is, I'm in love-dcsper
ately There, Eve done it |"
"Mercy on me Why, William and
l never mistrusted it-never Well, of
all things !" and the widow edged little
closer and put her fat hand in Williams.
eyes, I'm in love, and l come to ask
you if you would"
"Will /? To be sure will How
could you think otherwise have al
ways thought so much Of you But it is
SO sudden! What would folks say?"
"Deuced if | care" cried VIII, elated
at the prospect before him. ''It's no.
body's business--Am to be wretched On
account Of what people will say? Don't
hug me SO, Mrs. Hooper, [ beg-T amt
used to it; and-and-what was that
noisew
''The mice, [ guess. Dear William,
how glad am you told me p'
"And you'll ask Adelaide, make it all
right with her ?''
Adelaide? Oh! she'll have no earth
ly objections-of course not p
care you sure ? If l was only certain
of it Oh Mrs. Hooper, l loved her the
moment set eyes on her p
"Her? Who?
"Why, your niece, Adelaide Browne.
She is the only woman on earth that [
could ever be happy with. L shall die if
[ don't get her p
Mrs. Hooper turned purple. She
caught up the poker and few at our hero
like maniac. He made for the door, (
she following close.
"Tll show you how to insult respec- /
table woman !" she cried; "pll teach you
how to steal the affections of guileless
heart, and then prove false !" each 'show-
ing" accompanied by thump from the
poker.
VIII at last succeeded in putting The
door between him and his antagonist, and
in frantic haste he dived down over the .
steps, and at the bottom reeled full into
the arms of Adelaide Browne herself, who
was just returning from friends.
"Don't let her get at mel p he cried
I'D rather die than she should hug me
again It's you [ love, not her, and she's
madder than a panther"
1t was not very elegant proposal, but
Miss Brownies self-posscssion insured !
Wits everlasting veal. She accepted
him on the spot, for she had liked him
all along, and nothing had stood between
them but his abominable bashfulness.
Will is a happy husband and father
now but even to this day the sight of
widow will make him tremble, they are
SO intimately associated in his mind with
pokers.