Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-05-03
Gales aud Sketthes.
A KISS IN THE DARK.
[coNcLupEp FROM YESTERDAY ]


I'll venture my word on it, you would
not have wondered at our bashful young
farmers desperate enthrallment if you
could have seen Annie Moore as she sat
sewing by the fire that frosty night in No
vember. She had. Just before supper, in
dulged in what Western girl would call
a fixing up" A neat-fitting dark chintz
dress, looking as fresh as when it had first
came out OF the village store, dainty
white linen collar and cuffs, and coquet-
tish frilled apron of white muslin, and a
blue neckrbbon tied ina cunning bow,
were the chief items of Annie's toilette.
But she looked as sweet and pretty as if
hours had been spent in donning satin,
lace and jewels. Her rich, wavy, golden
brown hair was carried in shining folds
away from her warm red cheek, and
caught up in the meshes OF Il silkcn net at
the back.
Eight o'clock and past. Worthy Mrs.
Moore was dosing over her knitting. Her
shadow on the opposite wall bobbed about
in II grotesque mimicry as she nodded to
and iro-now crushing the yoluminous
white satin bows on the spruce cap against
the back of her chair, now almost falling
forward, while her fat hands at length
dropped listessly in her lap, and her ball
of yarn rolled down upon the hearth
Puss espying it. was soon busy in unwind
ing and converting it into all sorts of Cor
dian knots.
All at once came u double rap at the
door--an audacious double rap-which
said ''Let me in .. so loudly and Impatient
y, and in such a self assured manner, that
Annie. rendered nervous by suspense,
| ortaI III, with 1ittln ccroa, and rat ba,
foot on Madame Puss's tail, who in turn
gave vent still more loudly to her amaze
ment and displeasure.
All these three combined or rather rap
id successive noises, aroused Mrs. Moore,
and she started wildly into an erect pos
ture, rubbing her eyes, setting her cap
border, and exclaiming
"Bless my soul Annie! What was all
that? Somebody at the door? What
time is it and how, and who can it be ?
SO late rs this. too y
"It's is not very late, mother. Only u
little after eight I'll 90 and see who it
is,n said Annie, demurely, at the same
time taking the one candle from the table.
NO. Here. Annie, you wind up my
ball aud brush up the hearth while go to
the door. Drat that cat ~
For the old lady's feet were all the while
struggling in the perpeXing meshes of the
unravelled yarn.
In her hurry Mrs Moore forgot to take
the candle with her; and as she stepped
into the small, unlighted front entry, she
unwitingly closed behind her the door of
the room She had just left. Almost at the
same moment she put her hand on the
handle Of the outer door, and opening it,
she suddenly found herself in the ardent
embrace of Il pair of stout arms. A whis-
kered face was brought into close proXim
ity with her own, and before she could
fully realize her position, she received
prolonged kiss-a hearty smack, given
with significant gusto which indicated
that the unknown was taking his revenge
for some past slight-paying off some old
score; for it said as plainly as words could
have done: There, take that,n And all
this tell upon her unofrending, virtuous
matron lips!'
"Oh, Murder! Murder 'Tant Joshua
neither"
For she had by this time dvested her
self of the impression that it was her US
ually sober spouse returned home in Il
strangely exalted condition, thus to in,
dulge in such unwontcd demonstrations
OF conugal affection ''Git out. Git out
| say! Murder. Fire! Thieves Annie
Do come here. Here's man kissin' Inc
like mad r
But the intruder had by this time dis
covered his mistake, and did not need the
indignant pummelling and pounding ol
the old lady's respectable fists TO make
him reliuquish his hold and race off as il
pursued by some avenging fury.
Annie, nearly choked with smothered
laughter, in spite of her trepidaton. now
| came to the rescue.
| "Oh, | never was so took aback in all
my born days, The mean scamp! Who
could it have been? Annie, have you an
idea ?"
But that dutilul daughter was to all ap-
pearance rs innocent and ignorant as an
iniantile dove. She tried to soothe the in
| dignant matron by representing that it
who, under the potent influence Of wee
and-,he housewife! She searched the
entry for the missing spectacles, arranged
the rumpled cap ribbons. wound up the
yarn, stirred the fre-all in the most ami
able manner possible-and at last had the
satisfaction OF seeing her mother subside
into her rocking chair and her usual tram
guilty of spirit.
But Mrs. Moore was fully awake now.
She had got a new idea into her head, and
instead of settling herself for another nap,
she pursued her train of thought and her
knitting both together, with wonderful
rapidity. At length, stopping and look
ing kernly at Annie, over her spec,acles,
she said
at may be Il queer notion of mine, An
ME, but Eve a fancy that man was David
Winthrop.'
Oh. but if Annie's face didn't catch fire
then, Iou might have lit any number of
candles by it,
The suspicious symptoms did not escape
the eye of the skilliul inquisitive, who
calmly continued;
"'Pears so to me; cause them big
whiskcrs put me in mind of his'n; and
then the awkward way he gripped me
with his big paws!"
No answer. But Annie was wonderful
ly busy. She bent over her work and
drew her needle through SO quickly, that
the thread snapped, and then she didn',