Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-03-28
A W0MAN,S ADVENTURE.
BY ETTA w. PIERCE.

an unpainted kitchen floor, in an ab- surd imitation of clog dance, away down in Passaquod, backwooas dis trict of Maine. a88ts wg
 The setting sun was shining, level and low, through row of dwarfed ap- pie trees at the back door; e thin, pur- plish haze powdered the distant pine slopes; but had been -berrying that afternoon with Ann Maria Peters, and l still wore calico wrapper of hideous pattern, borrowed for the oc- casion from Ann Maria's wardrobe, with my fluffy yellow tresses gathered up from my forehead, and heaped to4 gether in a manner simple, but totally unbecoming. t as
 "Cousin Belle," said Ann Maria, as che sat picking over berries for tea berries abounded at Passaquod, in- doors and out-'jest show me how the girls dance at your Boston parties. l want to learn. Come now! never saw any real dancing in my life"
 Ann Maria," corrected I, "the Bos- ton girls do not dance. They wear eyeglasses and attend medical lectures beyond that all is vanity.' a ~
 "La, Belle, that's gas" expostulated Ann Maria; ''only last night you were telling Kitty about the German, and the what-you-call- waltz. Come, Belle, dear! do now! I'd be glad to see what them fancy dances be like"
 Thus urged, had betaken myself to the broad, uneven kitchen floor, and, prompted by some wicked spirit, was executing for Ann Maria's benefit the Terpsichorean feat mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. had made ing on a second course, when the inad- vertent dropping of a shoe brought me to stand, and, on looking up, saw that great broad-shouldered fellow standing in the door laughing down upon me with his eyes.
 "La.' said Ann Maria, placidly, there's Captain Rayburn."
 He stopped and picked up the shoe.
 And here is another fairy slipper. Allow me-" he began, advancing, as if to replace it on my unlucky foot.
 snatched it from his nand. Half shod I fled, indignant and ashamed. in- to the back porch, siamming the door behind me. There I sat down with Kitty Peters, another daughter of the house, who was chopping cheese-curd on the weather beaten stoop.
 "kitty, who is that man ?' asked I.
 "From the sound of his voice, Belle. dear, should say it's Captain Ray l burn"
 1 "Go on."
 "Well, he halls from your State, and he's camping out in the woods some where up the river-hunting and fish l ing and sich like. He rows down. now and then, and comes here to Passaquod 1 for supplies--that's what he's after now most likely that or our Ann Maria.
 "You never mean to say" cried I, ''that he's in love with Ann Maria ?'
 "Oh, nothing particular,' said Kitty, "only ma kinder thinks so. Precious good looking, ain't he?'
 had not noticed, and for that night at least I had no further opportunity of judging. I never returned to the kitchen until Captain Rayburn had talk en his departure from it.
 ! Here I may as well mention how if was that 1 came to be at Passaquod last summer. This nest of Peterses, small and great, were cousins of my father, who is Maine man born and bred.-- Papa met with business reverse in the spring, in consequence of which we at home were served with all early notice to retrench the summer expenses. So it was decided that no one but Louise should go with mamma to Newport. l, being younger and far less pretty, was packed off to Passaquod to visit country cousins.
 For three weeks I had now been re- posing in the bosom of the Peters fam ily. On the morrow I was going to | Shutdown, place still further on in the backwoods, to visit for a day my old nurse, Gerty, who lived there, in her dotage. Then papa was to meet me at Bangor and escort mo home. |
 Of this simple programme l sat thinking in the back door that night staring out through those weird crook ed apple-trees, across the green corn fields beyond; but Fate had rod iu pickle for me of which, happily, I then knew nothing.
 "It strikes me-" said the maternal Peters, as we sat at tea in the unpaint- ed kitchen, with all the doors and win dows standing open-.'it strikes me Belle, that it's great undertaking for you to start alone for Shutdown to- morrow
 '.Oh no" said |.
 But it is, though, put in Ann Ma ria; "ten miles by stage and ten more by open wagon. Then Shutdown is the darndest .plaee-worse than Passa- quod You'll be glad to get back, Belle dear" tM
 I ruminated awhile.
 "Nevertheless l shall go. Do yor think I would miss seeing dear olt nurse: and she so fond of me Not fol the world. Papa would approve of it am sure, if he knew
 I'm afraid not, said the materna poters shaking her head at me