Middletown transcript., 1868-06-06

kept perpetually attaching itself to stumps,
briers and underbrush, and Hugh madly
pursuing him with blessed unconscious
ness that he was watched from the window
by the amused girls AT length the feath-
cred biped made a sudden dive into the
woods, which ehectually ended the skir-
mish. Tracy returned to the house, wip-
ing his brows.
&c It's no go, Morris-he's off,"
"Off! well, we shall have to fall back
on corn cake and coffee. And after all
your talk of pate de Jfoie gras and West
My talk !'' echoed the injured Tracy.
" Didn't you invent no end of lies about
venison steaks and champagne? never
thought of it, until you began"
Bergen became suddenly absorbed in the
turning of his cake. ....
81 say, Tracy, what makes the coffee
so muddy and thick p'
Pm sure don't know. What are
we to do for table p
Turn the pine box upside down"
Hugh, you're the very fellow for an
emergency--now if you could only sug-
gest an appropriate table-cloth. The bed
quilt won't do, for its patchwork and"
&C Pin four handkerchiefs together, and
set the coffee pot on the middle scam.
Let me see-what are we to drink out of.
There's cocoanut shell and tin dipper,
and bowl and two cracked cups-we'll
have to take turn and turn about with the
knife and fork-and the butter is strong
- 1,ft 4ba &c L. Il. m
Oh, dear"
For, Mr.. Tracy, stepping delightedly
backward, to view the effect of the four
pocket -handkerchiefs, spread in festal ar
ray, (only two of them had colored bor-
ders had unwittingly retired upon the
corn-cake just set off to cool; planting his,
by no means fairy foot, in the very centre
of it. e-
One moment he stared hopelessly at the
ruined fragments of the centre-dish of the
feast--then, throwing himself on the
ground, he burst into peal after peal of
irrepressible laughter. rH
q" Taught yes, laugh if you can," cried
Morris Bergen in a piteous howl; "but
I'd like to know what is to become of our
dinner'Y
At this eventful moment the saucepan of
coffee boiled over with a Kissing sound,
and an odor not like the spices of Araby
the blest Tracy rose to his feet, still
shaken with merriment, and flung the
door wide open.
" Miss Inez- Barbara Basil come
and sympathise with our misfortunes
The rooster has run away-the coffee is
boiling overland I've stepped on the corn
cake" - u..a.
{" But where is the venison steak and
champagne!" wickedly pressed Inez.
"a" Well, you-you see this isn't market
day, and we weren't expecting company.
I say, boys-we'll have just time for the
three o'clock train-let'' s all GO down to
New York and have lunch together. ue'.
g And we are not to taste your bach
elor hospitality" asked Barbara, with
dancing eyes. .-at Haa 9tl .5 ~
81 don't see how you can very well
taste it, after my boot has been in it, Miss
Barbara-and as for that rooster, 1 don't
believe the racehorse eKentucky is any cir
cumstance at all to him. Come, ladies'
allow me to help you down this steep hill.
Never, mind looking up, Glenn-the but
Ter will see to the plate and Sevres china"
" Now confess" said Barbara, suddenly
turning round, on the slope of the side
hill, and confronting the three discomftted
bachelors, "confess that your stories
about rose-twined cottages and delicious
banquets were only invented to impress
us with an altogether false idea. Own
| that 81
The three bachelors looked sheepishly
on one another and capitulated, without
reserve.
They took the three o'clock train to
New York, landed in royal style in a
''marble palace" of restaurant, and
went home to spend the evening with their
vanquishers. -.
II say, boys" said Glenn, as they
walked together to the st. Marie Hotel,
in the mellow beamy moonlight of that
July night. :" I'm not going back to that
shanty. Inez Clifford has promised to
keep house for me next year-as my wife. J"
" You don't say So" cried Tracy. $50
that's what you were. so busy about behind
the curtains on the balcony. And how
were you entertaining little Barbara, Nor
ris Bergen :" %
g l was asking her to be Mrs. Morris
Bergen" coolly answered that young man,
" And what did she sayf"
'She said yes"
So this is the end of bachelor life on
the mountains, or anywhere else," replied
Tracy. Well, can't say that I blame
you boys"
And the owls and the whip-poor-wills
have large cottages all to themselves, now.
For the trio of hunters frankly confess
they have had quite enough of camping out.
RoMANrIc.-A youno fellow in M;cb;oon