North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-05-09
Eelert gtury.
A TWILIGHT WOOING

room occasionally, always with a paper
parcel under his arm suggestive of lace
and ribbons, instead of having him all to
Eyoursrf, day in aud day out. To know
that the blue brrathed evening cigar will
inevitably be abbreviated by'' Oh, my wife
twill be ANXIOUS film not at home by eight
o'clock To tell him about the pratty
girl wlh the pink bonnet that you met in
the Stage yesterday, and be generally con-
fidential, and then fad yoar tongue sudden
ly palsed by the conviction that he viii
tell his wife every word you have been
saying There is no use talking about the
lhin g-its actually indescribable s- ..oy
Do you suppose | didn't feel jealous
when Jack Marclyffe got married ? Do
you suppose the green-eyed mopster did
not INSPIRE me with all sorts OF unamiable
feelings toward the little brown-eyed beau
ty who had cut me out completely? 1t took
some time to reconcile nae to the new state.
ofthlngs. ,Bnt when found ont that she
did not object to my sitting on. the balcony
and speaking with Jack-nay, that she ac-.
tually lighted our Cigars fer us, and then
brought her little footstool and sat down
by the side of us-that she laughed Ike q
peal of merry bells at our bachelor chan
ces and mishaps, and that she liked to have
me come to dinner on Sundays,-then |
thought Jacks wife wasn't SO bad an in=ti-
sutton after all. And one day, when she
brought out her tiny wicker work basket,
and stood on tip-toe to sew the loose but
tons on my coat capitulated in good ear
nest
| "Jack," said |, "your wife is--well. .pot
exactly al angel, for | don't believe in an
gels abont the house-but the sweetest
little woman ever set my eyes upon.-
You won't be jealous, old fellew?" -, ..,,
Jealous-no ~ said Jack, stretching
his neck so as to look after the. e.hght dis
appearing figure. :" III tell you what, Ar
thur, you ought to see Mary's sister
Sure enough, about two weeks afterward
rs came il. at the swect-brier shadowed
gate, and paused to look at the crimson
clover pinks just opening their fringed
petals, the silver tones of another voice
! sounded in the Iow-eaved piazza, and al
most before | knew it Jack Marclvffe $
arm was through mine, and he was intro
ducing me to a duplcate-edition of his
wife-a scarlet Tipped arch-eved girl, in
white muslin, with coral bracelet on her
arm.
From that moment I was gone-I did
: not know whether I sat in Jacks velvet
easy chair, or on top Of the rail fpEce. I
said, no thank you," when Mrs Jack
! asked me how Twas. | stirred my cup Of
chockolate with penknife, and tried to
put the table cloth in my pocket, instead
of handkerchief, and finally dsgraced
myself irrevocably by putting the match
box in the cradle, and depositing the baby
on the mantlepiece.
"Good gracious, Mr.. Arden!" exclaim-
cd Marclyfft, "what's the matter 2" '..
Il believe-I think-Tve got cold in
my head?' fslteled l, looking at the time
straight at Agnes. who. was playing with
her coral bracelet, ard pretending not to
laugh. % .........,;s ....a-- So a..
Jack" said I, that evening as he went
ont to the gate with me, " there's no use
trying to mince matters-if / can't win
Miss Agne>. shall take arsenic" ..a.-
| Jack squeezed nv hand; he had been
through the mill himself. -.
n" Do you thirk she cares for me, Jack p
asked, plaintivelv, about month after
ward. Il declare, honestly, I've the greats
est mind in the world to jump off the pier,
or hang myself peaceaLly. Now what
does she mean by flirting with that red
whskered Carew? Oh, Jack, do be mer-
ciful-telI nae what you really think" 4
Poor Marclvffe twas about the thir-
teth time he had been asked the same
question.
"Whv,ho can tell, Arthur? You might
as well ask me to read the Hindpo alpha
bet as to decipher the mysteries Of wo-.
mans heart. Why don't you ask her
yoursclf?' ...... ....t. t......,, 90
Me ask her!' and the cold c:iiilis ran
through me like ice. Jack, l dare not,
for my lifei" .-..f .e... ..., Cd. ,...s....
Jack burst into laugh. 1sr, ~. .- .,,y-.aa
"Well, Ican,t give any better advice"
said he; only remember, my boy, ~ faint
heart never won fair lady "a-. -t4as. al
He turned away, and left me standing in
the amber fgsh of the twiEgpt,ysmsng, ,thss
CRIMSON cluster of cinnamon roses and the
tall coronal of cleaning lilies. +, Up in the
rosy sky the newemoon hung, a. curved
thread of silver, and ,eneF bright star bore
its lance of pearl against the radiant hori2
zon. looked silently up at the fair at :,
nfospher--down at the blossoming garden
'ofhowers, thinking, in the midst of my
perplexity,' how ike the blue heavens was
Agnes's eyes, and marvel'ng that the pink
roses were so near. akin to the dainty color
that came and went upon her, silk. soft
cheek. xx..rrsatts.x sast..t-7
Beside the low French Window that
opened upon the piazza floor, / saw the
bow of muslin drapery through the fra
grant gloom--it was where Mrs. Mar
clyffe was wont to sit with her baby. I
caught the refrain of the low, delicious
cradle song, warbled in the tiny Isleeperis