The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-05-13

IL 20 make TINS piece OF IOliy ana non
r sense with.n
; Miss Whistleton elevated her eyes
2 and hands with pious horror.
Two whole inches I wonder il
Elfrida ever thought what sin it is tc
: steal.
. The inquisitive spinster tip-toed
about the room, peering into boxes,
opening bottles, and looking behind So
fas; but still she found no cOndemning
proof Of a correspondence between Mr..
Castlewynne and her nice Elfrida. She
was just turning to come out, rather dis
|, appointed than otherwise at nOn-suc-
cess Of the scouting expedition, when
Tom Castlewynne sprang up the stairs,
two steps at a time, and strobe along
the hall, followed by his friend Frank
Ermine.
Miss Betsy made rusa fqr theElE
but she was too late. spee4of
OcOmotiOn had been greater than she
had calculated on, and with blind i'm
pulse of eOncealment she darted into
the closet and shut herself in, among
dressing-gOwns, shOoting-coats, and
old looking bifurcated garments that
] filed her spinster soul with horror.
They'll go out again, pretty soon" F"
| thought Miss Betsy, P nting, as she
held on desperately to the inner han
die Of the door, and then I can just
IN into my OwnTOOmp ~
ButnO such adenOuncementap appeared
at hand. Mr.. Castlewynne and his
| friend sat themselves down and delib-
erately lighted their cigars; the blue
vapor stole, spicy and pungent, through
| the key-hOle.
AZ shall choke" thought Miss Betsy.
"NOw look here, TOm," said Mr..
! Ermine, apparently resuming the con-
oh hod E.-r1 sTTs
interrupted, j." ''there's no use in being
faint-hearted fool! Marry the little
Ellie, if she has forty old maid aunts ~
My goodness gracious ~ secretly
aspirated the captive maid.
"I say, though" said Castlewynne, >"
"what an old cat Miss Betsy is. Fifty,
if she's day :"
"Sixty, I should think" remarked
Frank.
gasped the imprisoned subject of criti-
cism.)
"But stin,n pursued Castlewynne,
"Elfie has some tender little notions
about never marrying without her
aunt's consent, and if we could per-
suade her to give it.
Never" said Ermine. tWho could !
expect q shrivelled up old fossil like !
that tO-Hallo! what's that noise 2" (
For Aunt Betsy, half stified in the /
closet, and choked with cigar smoke, !
had given a spasmodic 'sketch-a"s Of a |
Nothing but the cat on the yeran-
dab roof"
''I tell you it is something in that
closet!'1
Errnfne rose and tried the door. Aunt I
Betsy hung resolutcly on to her side of
''If it is the cat" said Castlewynne,
comi G to the rescue, "she is remarka-
bly, strong i'll her muscular develop
ment; give a good pull, Frank. Hall
loa -
For the &oor flew open with a jerk,
revealing Miss Betsey Whistleton,
shrinking back into a corner! One
moment Castlewynne started-the next
o brilliant idea flashed across his mind;
pc shut the door again ind bolteN
in AntaneOusly.
hieves!" he cried, in carefuli
pressed tones. "RObers, burgla
ooh, my good Mr.. Thomas, +" Sc
Miss Betsy, wildly, through til
hole, ''please don't! Please std
ing to, help; it's only me, Miss Be-
it's all mistake, mis-
understanding" 81
GA MISUNDERSTANDING, eh ?''s id Cas-
W I
ious look. I should be sorry to deliver
you into custody, Miss Whistleton, but
D
"Have mercy on me - shrieked Miss
Betsy, rattling at the door-knob. elm
deed indeed, meant no harm--it was
a mistake, upon my Ord Please let
me out, quick, before any one comes i!
and me in mans room, too"
Dreadful ?" groaned Mr.. Ermine.
TOO frightful to think ofn hollow
ly echoed Castlewynne.
"Oh, dear, dear 90 walled Miss Betsy,
as all the horrors of her situation
dawned upon her, "do please let me
0 1t, Mr.. Thomas; and I'll give you
I have in the world ~
Mr.. Castlewynne paused; he APP
peared to deliberate. Miss Betsy took
heart of hope.
"WiIl you give me your niece Elfri-
da ?'
''NIy niece Elfrida? N ever-really,
[ could not
90, very well! just as you elect.
will you have the goodness to
step down stairs and call up the land
lord %
And at the same instant Elfrida's
soft voice was heard calling in the next
room.
"Aunt Betsy! Aunt Betsy Oh, Mr..
Parker, where can aunt be gOne?n
Search, an crpOsG and detection were
looming inevitably over the wretched
victim of circumstances; she ratified
madly against the door.
"YOu needn't go, Mr.. Ermine-yOu
needn't go SOnIy let me out, t.
''You will freely bestOw the hand Of
your niece upon me?n
Yes-yes-anything ?'
Mr.. CastleWynne unbolted the, door,
and threw 1t open with a low bow.
Miss Betsy stayed not to reciprOcate his
pOliteness, and darted from the room
like an arrow fleeing from the bow,
never stopping till she was safe in her
own room.
"Aunty ~ exclaimed the astOnished
Ellie, "where on earth have you been?i
But that was just what "auntie" never
would tell her.
''El:rida,n said Miss Betsy, when she
had calmed ier agitated nerves by /
green tea and a nap, "I've changed my
mind about young Castlewynne. If
you and he are really bent on making |
a match, of it,"--here Aunt Betsy in
voluntarily grimaced, as if she were
taking gmedicine-"why, you must have !
your own way, suppose"
Elfrida's countenance grew radiant. |
Dear Aunt Betsy" she cried, with |
u shy kiss Oh the parchment forehead !
of the old lady, AZ am so glad :"
"There, there, go along" said Miss /
Whistleton ungraciOusly," l want to !
rip up my caps for the wash, and can't /
be bothered with kissing :"
''I do hope" she added mentally, as !
Ellie tripped away, che won't tell that /
child the whole story
But there was q mischievous sparkle !
in Elfie's eye when she came mp TO bed |
that night, which filed Aunt Betsy's |
soul with dread, and convinced her
that Castlewynne had betrayed the Sc
cret Of her siege and surrender.
And thus Aunt Betsy, sorely against