The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-10-01
Making Love i'm the Dark.

very much like Mrs. Partington'l
turpentine walks" and Mary NOrri
raised q pretty, laughing face to tn
assembled company, which consistel
of the elite of Brownsville, with som
of the lower strata. The little villag
boasted not of its numbers as it dit
Of its pretty girls, and Mrs. Goodwin
was determined to have her quilt fin
ished by fair means or foul, and be
ing desperate, had scraped Browns
vile for her quilting bee. The usua
gossip was at its height when it wa
interrupted by the appeal of Mary
Norris to Mrs. Goodwin, whose inter.
est it was to have every line perfect
and to keep the social machinery il
running order. So she hustled abou
and soon got Mary to work again.
81 WONDER" said Jennie Haskins
"if Mary Frazier is coming to-day ?'
Goodness knows; she is terribly
fashionable and aristocratic," return.
ed one of the lower set.
30, she is coming" interrupted the
hostess, ''she promised me not to fail
and she is such a quiet, undemon-
strative little thing, that she will ac.
complish good deal, even if she does
come late"
"She wouldn't be fashionable anC
like city people if she came as early a:
the rest" put in another of the lowel
strata. "For my part, 1 wish she
would stay away entirely. We car
live without such stuck up"
The sentence remained unfinished,
for at that moment the lovely face of
Mary Frazier looked in upon them
with a pleasant smile. In her quiet
manner she had glided in at side
door, removed her hat and gloves
without disturbing the hostess, and
then surprised them. Mrs. Goodwin
greeted her warmly, and, as usual
with much fuss and hustle, she was
seated at the quilt, where her slight
deft fingers, as Mrs. Goodwin had
predicted, soon began to trace line
after line in her exquisite and neat
fashion, and to outdO many who had
come earlier.
All the people who could be picked
to pieces were, and Brownsville had
to pass through the social feminine
mangle customary on such occasions
and yet strange TO say, survived.
After tea the gathering of the rustic
swains began. Among them came
handsome DIR. Collins and his old
bachelor friend, DIR. Peters. OF course
the entire unmarried portion of the
other sex were setting their caps fol
the handsome young physician, and
were doing all they could to increase
his vanity and spoil him generally.
Upon the present occasion he Joined
right merrily in the country games,
Iomped with Mary Norris, and paid
more than one forfeit upon her red
pouting lips. Indeed, he seemed te
revel in sweets, for the most of the
girls, though making a show of re.
sentiment when he kissed them, evil
IDENTIFY sought or challenged such
liberties, all but quiet little Mary Fra
Zier. She stole into out of the way
corners, and more than once slipped
out of the hands of those who sought
to drag her into their plays. 1t was
whispered again that she was toe
aristOcratic to mingle with the COM
mon herd, though in truth, having
been reared in the city, she was un.
prepared to permit such liberties
Her extremely delicate nature shrank
from becoming public property. Her
/ lips were reserved for him who should
win her love, and were not to be de-
secrated. But that she also had cast
longing eyes upon the handsome
young physician was not to be denied
Yet even the most careful observer
had not been able to detect the fact
higher color or sudden bounding oil
the heart at the sound of his voice
when he addressed her in tones always
deferential and polite, as If he was
just little frozen or awed by hel
manner.
Mirth reigned fast and furious az
| the evening waned. Chairs were over.
turned in the boisterous- game o.
blind man's-buf, while dresses anC
sashes suffered sadly. The doctor see
ing Mary Norris dash out of the fro nj
door, followed her, resolving (upor
the spur OF the moment,) to seize the
time to disclose his love. Such al
event had been one of the things oi
the future, if at all I; until now be haC
not given much thought to it, but hel
saucy, black eyes and sweet, warm
kisses had completed his enthran
ment. Out under the vine-eoverel
porch of the Goodwin cottage where
he could distinctly trace the soft out
lines of his love in her fieecy whit
drees, he followed, and gaining be-
side, he whispered:
"Mary, must leave now, 1 have 6
patient to visit yet tonight, but / car
not tear myself away without telling
you how much l love your
One little hand was elinging to the
trellis as he spoke, and dimly tracing
the coveted member, he forcibly pos.
sessed himself of it, while his othel
arm stole around her slender waist
With AN air of timid surprise all un
| like the usual spontaneous demonstra
tiveness OF Marry Norris, the younI
girl dropped her head and murmured
"I-I-did not think"
"You did not think / loved you /
that it, my sweet girl =? Well, 1 do mos
sincerely. But, Mary, am no adep
at love making, and presume an
very brusque. Yet, viii you be m.
wife ?
"Surely you can not mean it ? Yol
have never shown me the slightes
preference" was whispered back a
her head drooped still lower.
"Never shown the slightest prefer
ence Is it possible that under m,
careless and light exterior you dil
not detect more serious meaning
But 1 am awaiting my answer :
and he bent down to catch the timi
"yes." Fl
The night was moonless and dark
so much so that the doctor could no
see, as he longed to do, the blushin
face of his Mary. He kissed at ran
dom, and, being determined to leav
the seal of betrothal on her lips
kissed first her ear, then her cheek
and after meandering all about, a
tast settled upon hersweet lips, whicl
were turned temptingly upward.
"God bless you ~ he whispered
Tomorrow eveningI may come an
see you, suppose, and then we ca
adjust our happy future"