Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-14
5elcltr0 nlistcIlanD.
A KISS IN THE DARK.

"Will you be at home tonight, An
ME y The person who asked this ques-
ton. tall. muscular, good-looking young
farmer, was leaning upon Squire Moore's
front gate talking to the Squire's pref
ty daughter, who stood inside of it. As
the simple words passed his lips he red
dcned suddenly to the very roots of his
fair hair, as if he had just been guilty of
some great improperly.
He was bashful-extremely bashful
was David Winthrop--at least in the
presence of young Indies, most of all in
the presence of the girl he loved. No
young man in all Wilkes county owned
better kept farm, or talked with more
confidence among his cronies of stock and
crops and such like. But the sight of a
pretty foot Or face coming his way affect
ed him quecrly. On such occasions he
never knew what to do with his hands
and eyes and seemed always to feel like
scrcwing himself into the nearest mouse
hole until the dangcr--that is to say, the
young lady-was past.
This state of things being considered,
no one ever understood how he contrived
to muster up courage enough to enlight-
en- Annie Moore on the subject of his
preference for herself The matter pro-
badly remains to this day as much a
mystery to him as it is to others.
Miss Annie, however, had fair share
of tact and womanly cleverness slowed
safely away somewhere in the recesses of
her pretty little head, although it was
carried jauntly upon the inexperienced
and rounded shoulders of fresh eighteen.
She did not need to be reminded that
David was worth, in worldly way,
much more than any of her other suitors,
and that he was good-looking, good heart
ed and intelligent enough to satisfy any
but an over fastidious person of her class.
He was unexceptionable, in short, bar
ring his unconquerable and excessive
bashfulncss, which indeed, was a never
failing source of merriment to the young
people of their little circle.
And so, when David in his awkward,
laundering, half frightened manner be-
gan shyly to exhibit his preference for
her in various little ways, such as wait
ing on her to and from singing school, CON
stituting himself her escort when she
went Sundays on horseback to the lonely
little church in the woods, and singing
her out as the recipient of whatever at
tcntions he could find the nerve to pay,
at the frequent quilting parties in the
neighborhood. Annie did not Brighten him
out of his budding passion by any show,
either by surprise or marked preference,
but took it all in the easiest, pleasantest,
most unconscious manner possible. The
girls Uttered and nudged each others ell
bows, and the young men cracked furtive
Jokes at the expense Of her timid sutton,
but she stood up for him like real kind
hearted, Independent Western lass, as
she was, and tried to encourage him out
of bis shyness as far as she consistently
could
She never seemed to notice any Of his
unfortunate blunders, and very likely
helped him along considerably when his
feelings reached the eliminating point,
one moon lighted August evening, as
they were walking home together from a
corn-husking.
That had been just one week ago. An
ME had said yes and had agreed to
take the responsibility Of bringing father
and mother "around" on the subject
David had not been to the house since.
Probably he felt very much like a dog
who fears to venture upon the premises
of person whose sheepfold he has just
plundered Thus it happened that as
/ yet the powers that were knew nothing