Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-03-08

CAAAAOSA OioU AAOA 4AHc "SAS ANDy PSA
to casket of pearls. (By" casket" he
probably referred to that orifice in the
human countenance usually termed the
mouth, and the "pearls" spoken OF
were undoubtedly the teeth.)
Indeed he talked SO nice, and she
fed upon his glowing words with such
a relish, that the old lady was ringing
away at the door bell as though the
house next door was on fire, full five
minutes before the absorbed lovers
heard her.
"Great heavens! My aunt" exclaimed
Clara.
Charley grew tribe pale, and NUT
tered an interjection OF two pertaining
to the front of mill-pond.
Itappears the old lady having reached
the place of prayer found the meeting
epizootic'd or postponed, and conse-
quently after some little chat with u
neighbor or two, had returned home at
this most inopportune moment.
What was to be done? Not closet
or nook invited retreat, and there Char
ley stood and-.Sished he was mileage
or stationery bill, so that he could pass
the house, or member of the Louisiana
Legislature, or some other feature of
modern civilization.
At last brilliant idea occurred to
his lady love. In the corner OF the
library lay bundle of carpet that had
been brought to the house that day to
refurnish the sitting room, and having
been duly inspected by the ladies was
temporarily left in tumbled heap in
one corner.
A hasty explanation took place, and
then Charley entombed himself beneath
that mass with fervid VOW that he
would die for her sake were it necessary,
and Clara then admitted her aunt.
That relative was not well pleased at
being kept SO long on the doorstep and
sharply demanded what had become of
the servants.
81 sent them to bed, dear aunt. so
that might have the pleasure of re-
naming up for your return, but fell
asleep" innocently remarked the in
genious girl.
This loving explanation somewhat
appeased the old lady, who, after warm
ing herself, walked over to ihe bundle
of carpet, and picking up a corner,
wondered how it would look by gas
light.
Clara fastened to assure her that it
would not look nice at all, in fact she
was SO confident of it that her aunt
need not take the trouble of an inves-
tigation.
The old lady pondered over the stuff
for few moments, while her niece sat
trembling upon the sofa, and little Char
ley felt that the world might come to
an immediate end and not annoy him
a particle by the suddenness of the
change.
At last however, the crisis passed and
with some new idea entering her head
the old lady turned and remarked that
she was tired to DEATH" stamped her
two hundred and fifty pound svoirdu-
bois upon the heap, and little Charley
assumed the shape human pancake.
He would have groaned, but did not
have wind enough left for the purpose.
A little shrek from Clara attracted
the old lady's attention to her neice.
"Why. you are dressed up to nightr'
Yes, aunt dear" replied Clara,
mentally conjecturing how Charley felt
in his pressed out condition. %"
eyes," returned the other, "you
lookvery we'll, only rather pale. Are you
sick ?" ' III 1.'i ID. .-
"I-1 don't feel very we'll, answ cred
her neice, silently consigning her relative
to Chicago, or some other wicked place.
"Pm sure you can't when you lace
up so tight, my. dear" affectionately
remarked the incorrigihle old lady.
II don't, family repudiated Clara,
while Charley ,rasped the skin on one
OF his ears in trying to quietly twist his
head in position where he might dis
tinctly hear anything of interest. 5
You don't, Yes you do, and at
your time of life it is positively prepos-
ferrous. II you were o yonng, giddy
girl it would be different, but for per-
son Of your age"
"Oh, aunt!.' 't -.''
Charley bsrked some moro skin of
and became decidedly interested.
GtN0 %horo,c III