The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-05

piouSh ~ 10y hh5CI Ou elLlor or them"
but do not see the HARM" shifted Jenny.
"Don't suppose you did. nv dear else YOU
woulo not have done it. But II does seem az
you should understand without being told
snst respectable and agreeable people never
ueea 70 take trouble of this sort to enlarge
sneir circle OF acquaintances,"
Dot am snte am respectable and agree
able" answered jenny, slyly; "and / have
taken trouble of this sort"
Because you are little fool" said seiz-
ing my hat to go out before should say any
Inlng SUI longer. was in rage with myself.
10 tell young lady that she Is a TOOL ID not
to convince her Of the fact. and the only ar
gument that had advanced this unreason-
ing creature had knocked in the head. More
than this, bad established for myself the
reputation OF an ogre. At supper my wife
waited upon me with a sort of scared attep-
ton, and pressed upon me fine Sally Lunn.
which wrathtully felt had been prepared to
appease me, while the girls appeared with red
eyes and hair tucked behind their ears. and
said Yes, Sir" and "no, Sir" and ate about
nan an men OF supper, and dropped visibly
before me, as it l had been Nero or CaIign.
la. And OF all feminine articles VOW this is
the West which treats peace loving man,
anu an humble servant of the whole sex like
my sell, as ferocious despot till he is hall con-
Vincced OF his own brutiShness. And all be-
cause had dared to insist that the moon is
not made of green cheese.
L came home intending to make peace but
finding myself regarded IN the light of mon
ster resolved to be at least consistent mon
ster, ard retired behind my newspaper with a
face worthy OF blunderbore himself. NV
wife slipped away to visit a neiohbor. The
girls had vanished long before. | read nv
paper as brutally as possible, and then as rain
was patterlng against the window, began to
mink oil bed when the door bell-rang.
Tom Wilkins" said to myself. and Tom
WILKINS II was; come of course, on the night
OF all others on which could not introduce
MIN to the girls; and, as l knew that they
would not be visible, and The sitting-room
was down at the heel, in looks l mean, and
the drawing room given over, as it always is
to the dumps and blackness of darkness. |
took him straight to my Dep.
My Den, or Fen, as it is variously termed
by womankind, is really coy little room,
where keep writing-table, lounge, my
BOOKS, and fire; and ON either corner OF
tbs lounge was cured up Jenny and Clara.
mar down about their shoulders, and in Slip
pers, sacques and skirts. They were sure of
no company, because of the rain, and sure of
me, because L never entered the Den after |
had once commenced my paper. Also, they
lelt much more wretched in disheyeled hair
and sacques than they could possibly have
done in braIds and tight fitting waists; and
SO curled up, as have rehearsed before, were
startled by the tramp of boots and my voice
saying.
'fnis way, Tom. Here is the Den!o
Both spraDg to their feet in utter horror
There was but one door to the Den: that on
which l had my hand even now. There was
no deep window; no curtains as in a conspir-
acy with the doctors. No possible place for
hiding, in short, except shallow closet, and
NO time for hesitation. As they huddIed into
the closet the PhiliStines, Tom and mysell
were upon them.
Mice Den, this,' said Tom, looking about
him. "Havo you any writing things here ?
The fact is dropped in to write letter that
mad forgotten, and that must post at sta
tioh d tonight"
"Station DIP l echoed, involuntarily.
YES" scribbling his note as he talked. 81
have fair correspondent there: at least
suppose she is fair. How does this read:
'"DEAR Miss NJ have heard NOTHING
from you, though have called twice at the OF.
nce This suspense is too painful l am sure
you will not willingly prolong it.
Yours, KY
Should you think that was sufficiently dis
tracted to bring an answer?"
Here, then, was Jenny's correspondent,
Tom Wilkins, fine friend for such piece of
simplicity!
"What do you think qn insisted Tom.
Hum! said ], very much afraid lest
should say what did think Il really can
not say, Tom; but in my day we were more
careful OF correspondence with a lady
friend"
"Friend!' echoed Tom, with an indescriba-
BILE ntonation. "Why, this Miss N. is no
friend of mine. I hardly know more about
her than you do. In the stage the other day
l saw couple of pretty girls. You can see
such girls anywhere. 1t is the ribbons and
the back hair and the little hats that does it,
you know; makes them pretty mean. There
is no particular expression in such faces
However, the shorter of the Girls caught me
looking at her, and then she looked again,
and then looked again. You know how
that is; and the other fellows chaffed me
Jim Morris offered to bet that she would not
write to me; and so of coulse put in per-
sonal. Got shade for this gasp"
yes, in the closet" and turning in nv
chair pulled the door, but it stuck last.
Never mind" said Tom, carelessly; but
was curious to know why the door should
stick that never stuck before, and l got up
and pulled the handle. The door gave but
ana not open. A third pull, and I heard a
faint sol eak; the door opened partially, and
L saw Jennie and Clara, holding on by their
nails, poor souls and quite white with ter
ror. l shut the door, mutterlng something
about tie shade, and sat down.
'Never mind" said Tom again. -As 7
was telling you, Jim bet that could not Get
her to write, and put in a personal TO see if
she would write; and by George, Sir, she did
write sure enoughw
"AhP' said l. In fact could say nothing
more. There are shower bath laughs when
somebody pulls the string by joke, and you
laugh instantly and cannot help yourself.
and there are foundations OF laugh; coming
steadily, rising higher and higher, and on
which you can speculate with perfectly
grave face, even while you feel its first thrills
and ripples, and know that it will surely over
take you. This was my case. Thus far
when | thought of the girls holding the door
with their nails, had given a convulsiye
gursle which could be turned off in a cough.
For the future | could only pray that Tom
would say something funny or go quickly.
"She wrote in neat, little, schoolgirl
hand" continued Tom, sand there suppose
the matter would have dropped, but Jim was
not satisfied, and offered another bet that |
could not get her to meet me. So l am
bringing her up to the point, and she is
coming ON nicely. Says she could not think
OF such a thing; but they all say that. 1 am
as sure OF the money as if Jim had paid it
over"
"Yes," said ], somewhat irritated by these
cool calculations about my little Jenny "but
have you ever thought of the other side,
Tom? Suppose it was your sister on whom
Jim Norris was betting"
IAN impossible supposition," answered
Tom, coolly, closinghis letter. 'My sister, in
fact, any one that could like, could not be
found IL such an unwomanly position. Miss
N, may be very nice little girl; butt can
not put in words-never could sermonize but
my ideal is sort of girl that you would know
when you looked at her could not accept a
Station d. admiration. That is all. Good
night. Much obliged. Goodnight"
The door closed! l went back to the Den
and there were the girls dancing about on
the rug in such rage that they forgot their
hair and their dressing-sacques. l threw my
sell on the lounge and laughed till cried.
The villainT cried Jenny. s.The wretch
ed cheat! do not think it is gentlemanlv
do you, Mr.. LumpRin? The matter would
have dropped but Jim Morris was not salts
fed! oh! it is outrageous"
l thought so to: but her looks and gestures
were so inimitable that 1 could do nothing
but laugh on.
And we are all alikew Did you hear
that Clara? 1t is our back hair and ribbons
that makes us pre- .ty. suppose his ideal
looks like rail and knows a dozen Ian
guages."
81 hope when he marries her that she will
scold him in every one of them," said Clara
viciously; land at least he will lose his bet"
81 wish it would ruin him." chimed in
Jenny; "and declare, Mr.. Lumpkin' you are
too bad. You do nothing but laugh"
Which was true. But could mortal man
do less?