Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-14


the subcct-said hastily in reply to that
stammered query of his with which we
have prefaced this narration:
"Mother is going over to Aunt Ruth's
with father to spend the evening, and she
wants me to go, too, but guess | won't
I've been working on fathers new shirts
all day, besides doing the dairy work
yesterday, and Tn about tired out"
Then she added before he could reply
"Don't come until 8 o'clock, | shall
be about through putting things to rights
by that time"
Of course David was not too obtusc to
understand that he was especially favored
by this arrangement, and SO far forgot
his bashfulness as to petition awkwardly
for parting kiss, which was at once re-
fused in the most memorable manner
possible.
"No, you shan't There, now. Do
take yourself off. will you? Dye think
didn't see you fidgcting around En-.
Smith at Deacon Anderson's sociable last
night z! I've not forgotten that, sir
ooh, now, Annie! just one p
But further appeal was broken off by
tantallzing little laugh, and when, rem
dered desperate by this, he tried to re-
venge himself, at the very moment when
he thought he was secure of the coveted
bliss and stopped his head triumphantly
over his struggling prisoner, the rosy,
laughing face vanished suddenly from
under his arm and was off and away up
the garden path leading to the house al
most before he could realize what had
happened.
For one moment David, who stood
gazing ruefully after her, tn ought of
pursuit and re-capturc But before
he had time to put his plan into execu-
ton, his tormentress, after stopping to
give a hooking farewell wave of her hand
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 take the road homeward.
If you could have looked into the fami-
ly sitting room at Squire Moore's shortly
before eight o'clock on that same evening,
you would have had CHEEKY picture be-
fore you. The after supper clearing
away was over, for the sitting room was
also the room where the daily meals of
the family were eaten. The leaves of
the old fashioned dinner table had beer
let down, and the table itself covered
with bright oilcloth, set back against
the wall. The crumbs had been carefully
brushed with a turkey wing from the
neat homemade carpet, and Annie's work
stand was drawn up in front of the ample
and blazing fire of hickory logs which
cracked checrily in the old-fashioned
Fireplace.
Abountifully piled tray of red-cheeked
apples and plate full of cracked wanuts
were on it, in close proximity to Annie's
coquettish work basket, made of pine
cones by her own deft little hands, and
dainty 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 sway
ing backwards and forwards at intervals
in her low rocking chair. knitting as she
rocked and refreshing herself now and
then with mouthful from half-eatcn
apple which lay within easy reach, just
upon the corner Of the table; or touching
in 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 ia
Bile deity drawing her needle in and out
of a long piece of white cambria, and
with her head as busy as her hands with
trying to contrive some clever way of in
cidcntally mentioning the visit. which
she was now momentarily expecting, to
her mother. without exciting the suspi-
cion of its being pre-arranged affair
She would have given good deal to
say in an of-hand manner that she
wouldn't wonder if Mr. Winthrop we're
to drop in, as he was in the habit Of call
ing occasionally on Saturday evening at
about this time. But she recollected
with twnge of conscience how hard she
had tried to persuade the old lady to ac-
company her husband on the promised
visit to Aunt Ruth's in spite Of her fore
warnings of coming spell of "neural-
gy." which had intimidated 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. Shed be sure to think
that wanted TO get her out of the way,
so that might have David all to my
self 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 sup
per, INDUCED in what a Western girl
would call ga fixing up" A neat-fit-
ting dark chiDtz dress, looking as fresh
as when it had first came out of the viii
lage store. dainty white linen collar
and cuffs. and coquettish frilled apron
Of white muslin, and a blue neck ribbon
tied in cunning bow, were the chief
items of Annie's toilette. But she
looked as sweet and pretty as if hours
had been spent in DOMINIC satin, lace
and jewels, Her rich, wavy, gold-browu