Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-14
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND FRIDAY MORNING. MARCH a. 1873

from her warm red cheek and caught up
IN the meshes of silken net at the
back.
Eight o'clock and past. Worthy Mrs.
Moore was DOING over her knitting. -
Her shadow on the opposite wall bobbed
about in grotesque mimicry as she nod
ded to and fro--now crushing the volu-
minous 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 unwindng and converting
it into all sorts of Gordian knots
All at once a double rap at the door
an audacious double rap-which said
"Let me in y so loudly and impatiently,
and in such self-assured manner, that
Annie, rendered nervous by 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 dispcasure.
All these three combined or rather
rapidly successive noises, aroused Mrs.
Moore, and she started wildly into an
erect posture, 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, anyhow, and who can it be ?
So late as this, too p
1t is not very late, mother Only a
little after eight. I'll 90 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 meshcs of the ravelled
yarn.
In her hurry Mrs Moore forgot to
take the candle with her; and as she
stepped out into the small, unlightcd
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 latch of the outer
door, and opening it she suddenly found
herself in the ardent embrace of pair
of stout arms A whiskered face was
brought into close proximity with her
own, and before she could fully realize
her position she received prolonged kiss
"a hearty smack, given with signif
cant gusto which indicated that the I'M
known 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 !" And all
this fell upon her unofending, virtuous,
matronly lips.
ooh, murder murder! faint Josh
ua neitherl'
For she had by this time Invested her
self of the impression that it was her
usually sober spouse returned home in a
strangely exalted condition, thus to in
1ulge in such unwonted demonstrations
Of coniugal affection "Git out git out
| say murder! fire thieves! Annie
Annie do come here here's man kis-
sin me like mad p
But the intruder had by this time dis
covered 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 off as if
pursued by some avenging fury.
Annie, nearly choked with smothered
laughter, in spite of trepidation, now
came to the rescue
ooh, / was never so took aback in all
my born days. The mean scamp. Who
could it have been? Annie, have you
any idea 2"
But that dutiful daughter was to all
appearance as innocent and ignorant ms
an infantile dove. She tried to sooth
the indignant matron by representing
that it might have been (D one of the
neighbors, who, under the potent lnflu-
ence Of wee drop too much, had mis-
taken the house and-the housewife -
She searched the entry for the missing
spectacles, arranged the rumpled cap
wound up the tangled yarn,
stirred the firc-all in the most amiable
manner possible-and at last had the
satisfaction of seeing her mother subside
into her rocking chair and her usual tran
quillity Of spirit.
But Mrs. Moore was fully awake now.
She had gotten new idea into her head,
and instead of settling herself for anoth-
er nap, she pursued her train Of thought
and her knitting both together, with won
derful rapidity. AT length, stopping and
looking kecnly at Annie over her spec
tacles, she said:
1T may be queer notion of mine,
Annie. but I've a fancy that man was
David Winthrop"
Oh. but if Annie's face didn't catch
fire then. You might have lit any num-
Der of candles by it.
These suspicious symptoms did not es-
cape the eye of the skillful inquisitor,
who calmly continued:
"'Pears so to me, cause them big whis-
kers put me in mind of his'n; and then
the awkward way he gripped me with
his big paws"
No answer. But Annie was wonder
fully busy. She bent over her work,
and drew her needle through 50 quickly
that the thread snapped, and then she
didn't have time to talk-she was so Ia
ken up with trying to coax the thread
through the eye again.
Inhexible Mrs. Moore went on:
Il don't believe that kiss was intended
for me, after all, do you, Annie? Well,
of course we know it wasn't; but then |
do wonder who it was intended for 2