North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-03-14
MIR. PINK'S NERVES.
BY ANNIE AUBREY.


ness, perhaps the result of it, he was con-
stitutionally suspicious,and would turn pale
with fright at the merest trifes.
One day, just as he was about to COM
mence carving he was seized with horri-
Bile suspicion, and laying down the carv-
g-knife, looked into bis wife's face with
very nervous anxiety.
"What is the matter, Theophilus 2" in
quircd his wife, surprised.
did you observe Bridget's face 2" in
quired her husband, wiping the persrira-
tion from his brow.
mo What is the matter with it /
perceived nothing out of the way, except
her large nose, and that may be said to be
very much in the way
'.Mrs. Pink this is too serious a bject
to jest about" said Theophilus, with as
much sternness as he could command.
"Lor, Theophilus, what's the matter p
What's out of the way with Bridget %
Il will tell you, Mrs Pink. But first,
are you aware that B ridget is Catho-
tic p
"Certsinly."
"WelI, / read to-day paragraph in
which it was stated that priests, for pur-
poses of their own, are prevailing upon the
Irish domestics TO poison their employers
in order to gain possession of the money,
and get the upper hand throughout the
country"
"All nonsense"
"Mrs. Pink, you may think as you
DloasP | think otherwiscn
$50 you think Bridget means to poison
rs all =
'You lave said it. Such is certainly
my opinion" J."
'And you Judge from this paragraph
alone " said Mrs Pink, with little good
natured contempt perceptible in her tone.'
"Not wholly. l watched Bridget's face,
and am certain, from the expression, that
she meant something evil. Her face was
fairly red with confusion.2
"Mor. likely with being over the kitch-
en- stove"
''You may sneer if you please, Mrs. Pink.
It will not move me any"
"What do you propose 10 do about it.
Mr. Pink 2"
II will tell vou."
Mr.. Pink proceeded to cut off slice of
the meat and requested his wondering wife
to put on the plate, in addition, vegetables
from the various dishes. He then rose, and
with as much dignity as tow-headed little
man of four feet eight inches in height
could muster, rang the bell.
Bridget answered the bell.
whats wanting, mum 2" asked the
raaid Erin, looking toward her mistress.
"NIr Pink rang for you. He will tell
you"
Il want you to sit down at the side table
and eat what there is on that plate"
fright here now = asked Bridget her
ewes rolling in her head with amazement
Yes" said Mr.. Pink, in stern triumph
fancying that the indications of surprise
were marks of guilt.
"Oh, it isn't that'll back out" said
Bridget and receiving the plate from the
hands of Mr.. Pink, she fell to, with an ap
petite which seemed to have been accumu.
loting for this special occasion.
OF course even Mr.. Pink could mol
doubt of this He with a slight feeling o.
shame helped his wife and children from
the different dishes, and with feeling o
security partook thereof himself
"a little more, ye Place" said Bird
get, extending her plate, her utterancc by
the way being little thick in consequence
of her mouth being full.
"You can finish your dinner in the kitch
en-, Bridget said Mr.. Pink. "We shan't
need YOU any longer"
Bridget left the room, thinking it q
"mighty quare' family.
| This, however, was a common, every.
day occurrence.
now proceed to narrate thrilling incl
dent which bcfell Mr.. 1heophilus Pink on
journey to the West.
Theophius had been talking of the jour.
nev for several years, but had found it diff
ficult to muster sufficient courage to under,
take it. He was afraid that the cars would
run off the track, or the steamboat would
blow up, or something equally fatal would
happen. He staid in Buffalo two days, be-
inc unable to decide whether it would be
safest to 90 to Detroit by cars or boat. He
decided to 90 by boat, when he chanced to
read of an accident which happened to a
Mississippi river steamboat. This decided
him to take the cars, when unfortunately
tidines came of train running off the track
somewhere in Georgia. Accordingly he,
with many doleful apprehensions, took pas
sage in the boat, and, considerably to his
surprise, was landed in safety at Detroit.
However, l am not going to detail, step
| hv stem all that happened on the iourney.
Suffice it to say, that one evening Mr.. P.
found himself riding in lonely part of Illi-
niois. Night was approaching, and Mr..
Pink would not for all the world have rid
den through the night, exposed to thieves,
wild beasts, and all the terrors that night
naturallyibrings to nervous man.
Fortunately this was not needfnl.-
There loomed up before him a respecta-
BILE looking house which no doubt, were