American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-25

| 81 don't want it! 1 won't have itn' in
terrupted Minnie, pulling her hands
away, and rushing to the window with
checks as red as the scarlet geraniums
there. Its too, too bad! Ned Wyudltam
| indcedr'
But, my dear child" demonstrated
Jack, VINO stood like a statue of astonish
ment where she had left him, 1--WE all fan
cied you liked him."
| 'I'm sure don't know aohy you should
fancy it," retorted Minnie, with an en-
phasis very much misplaced on so small a
word. II detest him, and-and every
bodyr'
"Me, too9 Oh, Minnie, NIinnie!'' said
Jack, walking toward her. ''Why, what
is the matter, Minnie?''
Jack Heaton built me, l know that but
still l must say think there could hardly
ever have been another man so stupid in
| such case. l was new; l had had no
experience in that kind of thing; but, for
all that, 1 knew what was the matter
with Minnie.
Are you angry with me ~ Jack blum
| dered on. "What have | done? Won't
you look at me, Minnie?" for she sat still
| where she had flung herself into the dis
gracefully easy chair" and kept her face
| obstinately turned away from him. But
| when he said, "Won't you look at Inc,
Minnie?'' she raised her eyes to his very
| slowly, almost as if against her will. l
don't know what he read in her eyes, for
l was watching him, but know l saw
| the oldest sort of change come over his
face and he put out his nand quickly in a
blind sort of way, and struck it against
the window-sill. There was long pause.
so you won't take my house?" he
! said, suddenly, in an indiscribable tone.
"Never, on that condition." answered
Minnie, emphatically.
"And-on what, them" said he.
"None that would oblige me to leave
you ALL said Minnie. GLOW pretty those
scarlet leaves look in the corner therer'
she added, lightly rising and taking step
forward.
"Stop minute" said Jack She stood
still, without replying, just on the edge of
the balcony, waiting for him to speak. l
really thought he never was going to, but
still she waited without word. "Minnie'
he said at last, Il am great deal older
than you"
"Apres?" said she, saucily. I could
have shaken the little witch for her
pretenses; for though Jack couldn't see
her face, l could, and it was all in a
CULVER
'.And-but-I have cared more for you
than any thing else ever since you came
to u.s."
"And so have 1, Jack" she said, all in a
breath, but hanging down her head.
1 was not altogether pleased with this
answer, it was so very illogical; but it
seemed to satisfy Jack, for he caught both
her hands again and-but no, on second
thoughts l won't tell you what he did, for
l am eminently proper house, and l
should not like you to get wrong idea of
me from any foolish behavior of my own
ers. I'll tell you instead what 1 did: l
gave tremendous crack that startled
them both. Minnie gave a little scream.
Its nothing but the walls, said Jack,
reassuringly. Its often so with new
hOuSeS?'
Are you sure?" said Minnie, peering
round through the twilight. Il thought
perhaps somebody might have seem
Only think, Jack, if walls had eyes as
well as ears!"
If?-I cracked again, louder than be-
fore this time with amusement.
''Oh dear.'' said Minnie, pretending
fright in so pretty a way that l excused
the temporary imbecility of Jacks face.
do let us get away before the ceiling
tumbles about our ears!"
1t is some years since that evening.
Jack has had kind of covered piazza
built between us two houses, the old and
the new, and it would really be difficult
to say which of us the family live in. All
that can be said with any certainty is that,
take us all together, We are very happy
family indeed, and, spite of our semi-sep-
aration, an uncOmmonly unied one.
This is the real reliable history of the
house that Jack built. l give you my
word there is not syllable of truth in
that absurd old rigmarole about the cat
and the rat and the malt, and all the rest
of it; and if you continue to pin your
faith to it in the teeth of my assurance, it
will only be out of the obstinacy peculiar
10 the human race.-Harper'S Bdzar.