Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1867-01-24

! take q pleasant revenge on his torrnentreSs, Sne
slipped away and ran upthc path to the house,
where he saw her wave her hand as she disap-
pearcd within the kitchen porch and then lie
turned from the gate and took the road home
ward. The tea things had been carried out,
Che table set back against the wall, the crumbs
/ brushed from the clean homemade carpet, and
/ Hetty's work-stand drawn up in front of the
blazing fire. bountlully piled waiter of
great red apples and plate of cracked walnuts
were on it, in close proximity to Hetty's work
| basket.
On one side of the fire sat Mrs Thomas, fat
and fair; and at peace with all The world, rock
ing and knitting, and refreshing herself at sun
dry intervals with bite from half-eaten APP
pie that lay on the corner of the table, and
touching every now and then in caressing
manner with her foot, sleek, lazy looking cat
that purred and winked on the rug before her.
IIetty sat on the'other side, sewing, and busy
in thinking how she would tell her mother thai
she expected visitor She would have given
the world to be able to say in an of hand man
ner that she expected Mr.. Hawley to drop in
about eight. But she recolected with twinge
of conscience how hard she had tried to get the
old laly to accompany her husband to Aunt
Ruth's spite of her forewarnings of spell Of
neuralgia; how she had also plead headache as
an excuse for not going herself And she knew
that her mother was quite sharp enough to
draw her own inferences from these facts, and
from her being dressed with unusual care to
spend an evening at home.
Z" I shall not dare to tell her now. She'll be
sure TO think that wanted to get her out of
the way, so might have Josiah all to myself.
and | never should hear the last of it," And
so, like little wise puss, she kept silent.
will venture my word on it, you would not
have wondered at our young farmers desperate
enthrallment if you could have seen Hetty
Thomas as she was sewing by the fire-side on
that cold November evening. Under pretext
of being ready to 90 to her uncle's IA thing she
had no idea of doing she had just before tea,
indulgcd in an indiscriminate " fixing up" A
neatly fitting dark calico with the store look
still on it, fresh linen collar and tasteful
black apron-these were the chiefitems of Het-
ty's toilet but she looked as sweet and dainty
in her plain dress as if hours had been spent in
donning lace and Jewels. Her rich hair of the
darkest auburn tingc fell in shining folds close
to her warm red checks, and was caught up in
cunning net behind
Eight o'clock and past Mrs. Thomas was
doing in her chair-her shadow on the oppo-
site wall bobbing about in grotesque mimcry
as she nodded to and fro-now crushing the
voumnious white satin bows on her spruce cap
against the back Of her chair-now almost
falling forward, and her fat hands lay listlessly
in her lap, and her ball of yarn had rolled out
upon the hearth, and puss was busy converting
It into Gordain knots.
And Just then came double rap at the door,
so loud sudden and self-assured that Hetty
started up with shrek, and set her foot on
puss's tail, whom turn gave voice to her amaze
ment and dispeasure. The combined noise
reused Mrs. Thomas, and starting to an erect
position, she rubbed her eyes, settled her cap
border, and exclaimed "Bless my soul, Hetty,
what was that? Somebody at the door? Who
can be coming here at thisaime of night ~
"Its not late, mother-only little past 8 oclk.
I'll 90 and see who it is, says IIetty, demurey,
taking the candle from the table. "No.-
Here, you wind up my ball and sweep up the
hearth, while 90 to the door," says the old
lady, whose feet were struggling in the meshes
of the unravelied yarn. "Drat that cat"
And all this time Josiah was standing on
one foot ont in the cold porch, with his hands
in his overcoat pockets, wonderngif if Hetty had
fallen asleep, and every now and then giving
the door smart rap by way of variety. In
her hurry Mrs. Thomas forgot to take the can
die, and as she stepped out into the little
front entry the sitting room door slammed af-
ter her. She had her hand on the handle Of
the hall door at the moment, and opening it,
she suddenly found herselfin the embrace Of
stout pair of arms, whiskered face in close
proximity to her own, and before she could
think about the strangeness Of her situation,
she received prolonged kiss-a hearty smack
full upon her virtuous matron lips.
She had by this time diyested herself Of the
impression that it was her usually sober spouse,
who must have come home in an unusually ex-
cited condition. thus to indulge in such an un-
wonted expression of affection. "Get out
Get out! say. Who are you, anyhow
Murder thievesl Hetty, come here. Here's
a man kissing me like mad"
But the intruder had by this time discovered
his smistake-it did not need the indignant pun
melipg and scratching of the old lady's fists to
cause him to release his hold and fly as if pur-
I . H.tfx IL