River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-03-21

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locking as fresh as when it had first
come out of the village store, dainty
white linen collar and cuffs, and a CO.
quettish firilled apron of white muslin,
and blue neck ribbon tied in a cum
ming 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 gold-brown hair was
carried in shining rolls away from her
warm red cheeks, and caught up in the
meshes of a silken net at the back.
Fight o'clock and past Worthy
Mrs. Moore was DOING over her knit
ting. Her shadow on the opposite
wall bobbed about in grotesque mimic
ry as she nodded to and fro-now
crushing the yoluminous white satin
bows on her spruce cap against the
back of her chair--now almost falling
forward, while her fat hands at length
dropped listlessly in her lap, and her
ball of yarn rolled down upon the
hearth. Pussy espying it, was soon
busy in unwinding and converting it
into all sorts of Gordian knots.
All at once came q double rap at the
door-an audaoious double rap-which
said "Let me in ~ so loudly and i'm
patiently, and in such self assured
manner, that Annie, rendered nervous
with suspense, started up with little
scream and set her foot on Madame
Puss' tail. who in turn gave vent still
more loudly TO her amazement and dis
pleasure
All these three combined or rather
rapidly successful noises aroused Mrs.
Moore, and she started wildly into an
erect posture, rHbbing her eyes, set
ting her cap border, and enchanting
BLESS nay soul, Annie What was
all that? Somebody at the door What
time is it, anyhow, and who can it be
So late as this, too
at is not late, mother. Only lit
tie after eight. I'll go and see who it
is, said Annie, demurely, at the same
time taking the one candle from the
table.
"No! Here, Annie, you wind up
my ball and brush up the hearth, while
| go to the door. Drat that cat {"
For the old lady's feet were all this
while struggling in the perplexing
meshes of the unravelled yarn.
In her hurry Mrs. Moore forgot to
take her candle with her; and as she
stepped out into the small, unlighted
front entry, she unwittingly closed be-
hind 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 sudden
" found herself in the ardent embrace
of pair of stout arms. A whiskered
face was brought into close promixity
with her own, and before she could
hardly realize her position, she received
prolonged kiss-a hearty smack, Civ
en- with a significant gusto, which in
Dictated that the unknown was taking
his revenge for some past slght-pay-
ing off some old score; for it said lust
as plainly as words could have done: /
There, take that!' And all this fell /
upon her unotfending, virtuous matron
lips.
"Oh, Murder. Murder, faint Josh
ua either"
For she had by this time Invested /
herself of the impression that it was
her usually sober spouse returned !
home in a strangely exalted condition. |
thus to indulge in such unwonted de- /
monstrations of conjugal affection. |
"Git out Git out, L say Murder /
Fire Thieves Annie Annie Do |
come here Here's a man kissin me
like mad I"
But the intruder had by this time
discovered his mistake; and it did not
need the Indignant pummelling and
pounding of the old lady's respectable |
fists to make him relinquish his hold /
and race of as if pursued by some
avenging fury.
Annie, nearly choked with smoth-
cred laughter, in spite of her trepida-
tiou, now came to the rescue.
"Oh, | never was so took back in all
my born days The mean scamp /
Who could it have been2 Annie, have
you any ideal
But that dutiful daughter was TO all
appearance as innocent and ignorant
as an infautile dove. She. tried to soothe
the indignant matron by representing
That it might have been @ one of the
neighbors, who under the potent in
tluence OF wee drop too much, had
mistaken the house and-the house
wife. She searched the entry for the
missing spectacles, arranged the
rumpled cap ribbons, wound up the
tangled yarn, stirred the iire-all in
the most amiable manner possible
and at last had the satisfaction of see-
ing her mother subslde into her rock
ing chair and her usual tranquility of
pirit.
But Mrs. Moore was fully NOW,
She had gotta new idea into her head I
and instead of settling herself for
another nap, she pursued her train of
thought and her knitting, both togeth-
er, with wonderful rapidity. At length, !
stopping and looking keenly at Annie .
over her speetacles, she said
II" 1t may be a queer notion OF mine, |