Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-04-15
si.siu' me like mad ~

SlsSin me IKE mad !!
But the intruder had by this time discover
ed his mistake; aud it did not need the in>
dienant pummellius aud pounding of the old
ladys respectable fists to make him relinquish
his hold and race off as if pursued by some
avenging fury
Annie nearly choked with smothered laugh.
ter, in spite of terprdation, now come to the
rescue.
'Oh. was never so took aback in all NV
born days? The mean scamp? Who could
1t have heenI Annie, have you any idea ?"
But that dutiful daughter was TO all ap,
pearance as innocent and ignorant as an in>
fedove. She tried to sooth the in6ie.
nant matron by representing that it might
have been ~ one of the ueighbors. who un-
der the potent influence of wee drop too
much, had mistaken the house and-the
housewife She searched the entry for the
missing spectNclcs, arranged the rumpled cap
ribbons, wound up the tangled yarn, stirred
the fre-all in the most amiahle manner nos.
sihle-and at Inst had the satisfaction of see,
ing her mother suhside into her rocking chair
and her usual tranquility Of spirit
But Mrs. Moore was fully awake now.
She had gotten new idea into her head;
and instead Of setting herself for another nap,
she pursued her train Of thought and her knit.
ting. both together, with wonderful rapidity.
At length, stopping and looking keeuly at
Annie over her spectacles, she said (:
''lt may he queer notion of mine. Annie,
hut I've fancy that man was David VIM
thron."
Oh! hnt if Annio's face didn't catch fire
then! You might have lit any number Of
candles hy it
These suspicious symptoms did not escape
the eye "f the skillful inquisitivc. who calmly
continued:
''Ponrs 40 to me; cause them hig whi..
kers put me in mind of his'n; and then the
awkward wsy he eripPod mo with his big
psws!"
No answer Bnt Annie was wonderfu,lv
hnsy. She bent over her work and drew her
needle through quickly, that the thread
snapped. and then she didn't have time to
talk. she was so taken up with trying to coax
the thread through the eye again
InH"xihIe Mrs Moore went on:
eel d"nt't believe that kiss was intended
t"r me after all. DO yom. Annie? We'll. of
course W know it wasn't But then 7 do
wonder who it was intended for? And
wonder il no" d"nt know more about it than
you seem fit to tell 7"
"Me. mother p
Eyes. 'mc mnth"r;' you was mighty anx.
ion< t" get me an Pap off t" Aunt Ruth's to.
night; hut noticed you was slickcd extra
ordinary for all you waren't going"
Here, Annie lost her needle and went down
on tho fnnr to hunt it.
Nov, Annie" her mother went on, Tin
gittin' old. know that, hut ! haven't quito
lost my cv"si@ht vet, nor my hearin' neither.
l'vo snrmscd n little sOmethin' about these
COINS on between Won an David afore now.
What ar ynu r!nvin' rnssnm fur2 On.
with it, I say. T'aiut fair t. be tryin' to
como it over your old mother"
Thus ndjured, our small feminine Machia.
val made n clean hrensf nf it much relieved
to find th"t mother "hadn It moi hin aein him."
and "wond give father talkin' to about Ii
an bring him AROUND "
'Rut, Annie, F." said Mrs. Moore, drvlv. in
conclusion, 81 want vnu to tell David I'd
rather he'd not make snrh n mistake ngain.-
I don't like the feel "f his big vvhiskers about
my face. aud, moreover, | don't approve of
pr"miskns kissin'!'
David never heard the last Of that kiss in
the dark. Old Squire Moore, of course,
hrnrd of 1t, and used to take great delight in
siylv alluding to the circumstance when ali
the parties concerned hnppcncd to he present.
He would shake his hurlv sides with laugh-
ter at David's discnmfirurc and his wife's tart
replies, while Annie would side with her
father ana poke sly fun at her sweetheart.
nnd then both Of them would laugh again at
the other two until tie tears ran down their
checks.
Never mind. David" Mrs Moore wonid
say c"nsnlingly to the nbnshed lover, ''let
them langh. Uc'd have been only too glad
tn have heen in your pluce thirty wears ago
III" had hard work 10 get ki.4 from mo
then. hone the occurrence will he lesson
to ynn m Annie agin the an. policy Of under.
hand d"in's "f all sorts, s"en' as how they're
liable to end. in sich cases, in kissin' the
wrong one in 'he dirk