Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-04-12

naive ana unconscious that this lit
| tie episode would have passed from his
memory if it hadn't been for one circulm
stance.
He accidentally (?) overheard conver.
| sation between her cousin and another
gentleman. Kitty was the theme of the
discourse.
"She's dear little girl, but a regular
| viraGo," said Joe. tEverybodys afraid of
her when she gets into one of her tantrums.
She just raves and goes ON in way that's
perfectly frightful. There's a taint Of in
sanity i'll the blood, you know; her aunt
and grandmother died in an insane asy-
ium.''
Young Gilbert listened, shuddering.-
These words explained the scene that had
puzzled him before and awakened forebo-
dings for the future. g Y OH saw her father
come down town last week with his head
| all bandaged up, and heard him tell, per-
haps, how terribly he's afflicted with neu-
ralgia, continued Joe. {" Poor old gentle
man twas Kitty did the mischief. for in
one of her angry fits she threw the flat-iron
| across the table, and it hit him in the tenn
| pie. He's anxious to marry her off, and
hear Gilbert's to be the happy man."
That individual turned pale. He re-
membered Mr.. Days eagerness in forward
ing his suit, and the wish he had expressed
that his daughters marriage should take
| place at an eaIly date. Though his love
for Kitty was as strong as his shallow ma
| ture was capable of feeling, a vixenish wife
would be uncomfortable. But wasn't it pcs
| sible that her cousin was mistaken, or had
cOlored the picture little too highly He
resolved to wait for further developments.
They came speedily. A week later he
called on Kitty-,just at Oakland was
ushered by mistake (?) into the library
The door between that and the dining
room stood slightly ajar; wOman's shrill
voice reached him from thence. Was it
| Kitty's? Yes, he recognized it; he had
heard it once before pitched in the same
high key.
"Don't tell ne you didn't mean to-" she
screcched, more like mad woman than
anything else. . You did, you did, you
sound of heavy blow and the shrek of
child.
| "Oh! don't, don't, Miss Kitty!' walled
pitful voice. "'Twas so dark L couldn't
see when you run up against Inc, and then
[ stumbled and fell and the pitcher got
broken, and L tried to keep the milk off
your pretty dress, but couldn't"
"YOu stumbled and fell, minicked Kit
! ty. "Well, I'll teach you not to another
| time. Take that, and that, and that" Civ
ing the child blow after blow that resound-
ed through the room: E' Stop your snivel-
ing, too. "DO you hear. III make you
| if you DON'T
''Kitty, let that child alone,' said new
voice; and Gilbert recognized it as her
| cousins.
81 shall do no such thing! Get out of
the way, and mind your own business -
| she shrieked, and there was something that
sounded like a bottle whizzing through the
room and crashing up against the wall.
! Then mans groan was heard distinctly.
ooh. Kitty, how could you ?' said her
cousin, reproathfuIy. you've cut my
cheek terribly; see how the blood runs ?"
Gilbert didn't wait to hear any more,
but fled from the house, resolved that he
wouldn't marry such vixen, though she
had the face and form of a IIebe.
The front door had no sooner closed on
him, than the actors in the above drama
went off into spasms of merriment. Kitty
stood revealed in the gasllight with dress
uninjured, there was not cut to be seen
on JOe's face; the child was nowhere
visible.
ooh, oh! twas too funnyr' gasped
Kitty; "that whine would have deceived
anybody, twas SO natural. | half started
myself, thinking twas really child's voice
instead Of yours. You deserve a reward
of merit for such splendid acting"
| "'GlEc me one, LnoD, ana let HE choose
it myself" whispered Joe.
''Well, what will you have?" and she
| looked up archly.
"YOurself'
s'What modest demand" There was
a mocking smile on his lips, but her eyes
fell beneath his.
ssDo you think SO? ?'' and taking the mis-
chievous little face between his hands, he
scanned it closely. What he saw there was
| evidently satisfactory, for lie kisse1 it over
and over, and Kitty, though she resisted a
little at first, finally submitted with very
| good grace.
| fore you are on with the nCW," whispered
he, slyly. "GiIbers done for, and I've
stepped into his place."
"But he didn't treat me in this way
pouted she.
81 hope not. 'Twould be worse for him
if lie had. Td shoot him in a minute - and
zoe tiled to look belligerent, but failed wo-
fully.
! Mr.. Day was surprised the next NOM
ing by call from kitty's late slIitOr. The
young man seemed i'll at ease, and stam-
mered a good deal in making his crrand
known.
IL understand, sir, that insanity is he
reditary in your family" he began awk-
| wardly, ''and-and-"h he paused and tried
to collect his ideas-sthat Kitty's aunt and
grandmother died in lunatic asylum"
"All mistake" responded Mr.. Day
pompOuSly. "Ihcre never was case OF
insanity, either among my own kindred OF
that of my late wife"
''But your daughter, sir, has a peculiar
disposition, and find it isn't suited to mine
at all. We should be miserable together
desire, therefore, to withdraw from the
engagement"
''And have you told her this ?" thundered
his listener, white with rage. Mr.. Day
really had a violent temper, and didn't neeC
to feign its possession, like Kitty.
"Dear me the father is worse than the
daughter" thought the young man. ALOUD
he answered, "Oh, no; came to you first
(The fact was, he didn't dare face Kitty
with any such proposition.)
Well, sir, all have to say is, that you're
a mean, contemplate villain, and if yol
don't get out of my office this minute, II
kick you down stairs" and before the
words were fairly ont of Mr.. Days mouth
he started to make his threat good
Young Gilbert made hasty retreat, con
vinced that not only Kitty, but Mr.. Day
also, were partially insane.
; Kitty listened demurely to her father
version of the affa T, and the anathemas h
hurled against her recent lover. Once
though, during that narration she shook 81
with laughter that he locked at her suspi
ciously. But she put on at once such al
air of Wretchedness he ascribed it to wound
ed pride. 1t was not till two years after
ward that he learned the truth, and Kit,
was married to Joe, who, | forgot to say
was not her own cousin, though she calleo
him so, but sort OF distant relation. Mr
; Day received his rex elation good humOr
edly (Joe had always been his special ia
. .,FoN av1 xUoc aIloJrub IN l1uOI