Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-05-11
There was little glow from the fire,

There was little glow from the fire,
Just enough for him to see the shiver
his words caused. She raised her dark
eyes, with shade of displeasure over
coming her fear: but of course he
could not see that, and he continued to
murmur unintelliglble nothings till, in
common politeness, she was bound to
mumur unintelligible nothings back
again But of course the ice had to be
broken. ~ shall arrive at the deep
waters of friendship by-and-by,n said
Mr.. Carleton to himself. He was apt
to be carried away by poetical enthu-
siasm at times.
A few more sentences, and then,
while the rest were passing round the
burning dish, Jack made a bold stroke.
DO you know you owe me kiss,
Miss Barton n
The experience of the last few hours
had already reduced her to state of
mute resignation. Nothing he could
say would much astonish her now, so to
this remarkable question she only an
swercd, DOLE
"Do youl why yes, Maggie Don't
you remember Jack Carleton 2"
Are-you-Jack Carleton came
from lips that were returning to their
natural color
Eyes, indeed :" he replied Am l
so much altered ~ Perfect astonish-
ment and silence. ''And You owe me a
kiss Jack continued; 'syou remember
that, don't you, Maggie I'm going to
have it now.
Quick as thought, an impromptu
kiss was taken in the dark, while the
rest were burning their fingers, and
then shrieking in the usual senseless
way that people do in these days.
Well, by degrees Miss Barton became
more reconciled to the existing state of
things; so by the time the blue fame
waxed dim, and the raisins We're all
consumed, it seemed the most natural
thing in the world for Mr.. Carleton to
place her hand upon his arm and march
her off to quiet corridor for tete-0-
tete, while the company in the great
hall were flying up and down to the
tune of "The Parson Kissed the Fid-
dler's Wife"
What can't be cured must be endur-
ed. Here was the young gentleman-a
stranger for years-taking the most
complete possession of her, and all the
time his likeness was in her Lara as
that OF her future husband; SO of
course, when after about two golden
hours spent in each others society, he
requested the honor of her hand, what
could she say but eyes for was it
not her fate as told by the stars by q
wonderful astrologer? OF course she
said yes.
Then, in perfectly cool manner, ac-
quired on the continent, Mr.. Carleton
took Miss Barton into supper, and
joined in the festivity just as if moth
ing had happened out of the common.
He was quite satisfied for his part. -
Maggie Barton was the prettiest girl in
the room, an orphan with three hun
dred pounds year in her own right,
and the ward of Mr.. Frances, the hus-
band of the sqllire's second daughter.
She-Miss Barton-was the sort of girl
fast young men call ga sumner" She
was IA pretty dancer, could sing songs
of the "Barney OHea school in
ringing soprano voice, and play all the
waltzes of the season. She was good
skater, could sit square in her saddle,
handle gun, or hit the bulls eye
three times out of four at an archery
meeting.
In fact, / believe, with all his care
lessness, she was hardly the sort of girl
Jack Carleton would have chosen for
wife, had he waited to form an opinion.
But he acted upon impulse; and,
70 ha hn1
to repent, for Maggie was the sweetest
and tenderest of wives. But her secret
was her secret forever
For Dyspepsia.