The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-03-14

his bashfulness as to petition awkwardly
for parting kiss, which was at once refused
in the most memorable manner possible.
"No, you shan't There now DO take
Yourself of, will you? Dye think I didn't
see you fidgetting around EN-. Smith at
Deacon Anderson's sociable last night
I've not forgotten that, sir!'
ooh, now, Annie just one !"
But further appeal was broken off by q
tantalizing little laugh, and when, rendered
desperate by this, he tried to revenge him
self, at the very moment when he thought
he was secure of the coveted bliss and stoop-
ed his head triumphantly over his strug-
Cling prisoner, the rosy, laughing face van
ished suddenly from under his arm and
was off and away up the garden path lead
ing to the house almost before he could
realize what had happened.
For one moment David, who stood gaz-
ing ruefully after her, thought of pursuit
and recapture But before he had time
to put his plan into execution his torment
ress, after stopping to give one mocking
farewell wave of her and from the front
porch, vanished inside of the hall door.
So there was nothing to be done but to turn
reluctantly from the gate and taking the
road homeward.
If you could have looked into the family
sitting room at Squire Moore's shortly be-
fore eight o'clock on that same evening
you would have had CHEEKY picture before
you. The after supper clearing away was
over, for the setting room was also the room
where the daily meals of the family were
eaten. The leaves of the old fashioned
dinner table had been let down, and the
table itself, covered with bright oil cloth,
set back against the wall. The crumbs
had been carefully brushed with turkey
wing from the neat homemade carpet,
and Armies workstand was drawn up in
front of the ample and blazing fire of hick-
DRY logs which cracked cheerily in the
old. fashioned fireplace.
A bountiful piled tray of red cheek ap-
pies and plate full of cracked walnuts
were on it. in close proximity to Annie's
coquettish work basket, made ofpine cones
/ by her own def little hands, and daintily
lined with blue silk.
On one side of the fire place sat Mrs.
Moore, fat, fair, more than forty, and at
peace with all the world. She sat swaying
backwards and forwards at intervals in her
low rocking chair, knitting as she rocked
and refreshing herself now and then with
mouthful from half eaten apple which
lay within easy reach, just upon the corner
of the table; or touching in q caressing
manner with the tip of her foot sleek,
lazy looking gray cat that lay purring and
blinking on the hearth rug before her.
Annie sat on the other side of the table
deity drawing her needle in and out of
long piece Of white cambria, and with her
head as busy as her hands with trying to
contrive some clever way of incidentally
mentioning the visit, which she was now
momentarily expecting, to her mother,
without exciting the suspicion Of its being
q pre-arranged affair. She would have
given good deal to have been able to say
in an offhand manner that she wouldn't
wonder if Mr.. Winthrop were to drop in,
as he was in the habit of calling occasion
ally on Saturday evening at about this
time. But she recollected with twinge of
conscience how hard she had tried to per-
suade the old lady to accompany her hus-
band on the;promised visit to Aunt Ruth's.
in spite of her forewarnings of coming
spell of"neuralgy," which had inundated
her from venturing out into the damp
night air; and also how she had plead
headache as an excuse for not going herself
She knew that her mother was quite sharp
enough TO draw her own inference from
these two facts and the additional one of
her being dressed with more than usual
care to spend an evening at home.
II shall not dare to tell her now," she
said to herself. "She'd be sure to think
that I wanted to get her out of the way, so
that l might have David all to myself"
So, like wise little puss, she was silent
I'll venture my word on it, you would
not have wondered at our bashful young
farmers desperate enthralment if you could
have seen Annie Moore as she sat sewing
by the fire that frosty night in November
She had, just before supper, INDUCED in
what Western girl would call "a fixing
up" A neat-fitting dark chintz dress,
looking as fresh as when it had first come
out OF the village store, a dainty white linen
collar and cuffs and coquettish frilled
apron of white muslin, and blue neck
ribbon tied in a cunning bow, were the
chief items of Armies toilette But she
looked as sweet and pretty as if hours had
been spent in looming satin, lace and jew
els. Her rich, wavy, gold-brown hair was
carried in shining folds away from her
warm red cheek and caught up in the
meshes ofa 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 nodded to and
fro-now crushing the voluminous white
satin bows on her spruce cap against the
back of her chair-now almost falling for
ward, while her fat hands at length drop
ped 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 double rap at the door-an
audacious double rap-which said "Let me
in !" so loudly and impatiently; and in
such o self assured p!anIer, that Annie
rendered nervous by suspense, started up
with little scream and sat her foot on
J Madame Puss' tail, who in turn gave vent
still more loudly, to her anazement and dis.
| pleasure.
All these three combined or rather rapid.
ly 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 too2"
sit is not very late, mother. Only little
after eight I'll go and see who it is" said
Annie, demurely, at the same time taking
the one candle from the table.
mo Here, Annie, you wind up my ball