The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-14
SURPRISED" +"

/
The evening train was Just starting
for its journey out into the solitudes oi
country wilds, when a tall, handsome
man of seven or eight and twentJ
darted frantically into the depot and
swung himself, after perilous fashion,
upon the platform of the moving cars
"Just saved myself " was his com
placent remark, and he settled himself
on the velvet cushions under the lamp.
"Yes-exactly just " commented a
gentleman who sat opposite. "I tell
you what, Harry Kneller, I shouldn't
repeat that kind of experiment very
often, if were you."
"Well, you see, / was in a great
hurry. I've been getting little sur
prise for my wife, and somehow I got
behind time"
GA surprise, eh ?"
'You see," went on Mr.. Kneller,
confidently leaning over toward his
friend, "she's exceedingly fond of
fried oysters, and up in the country we
never get any of that sort of thing"
" So that's the secret of the pail, eh?''
said George Arden, laughing good-hu-
moredly.
Mr.. Kneller, on getting home, depos-
tied his precious burden carefully in
the corner OF the porch and walked in
with a nOnchalant air.
"Well, Matte !" as the blue-eyed
woman came to meet him and put up a
rosy mouth to By kissed; supper
ready ?"
Yes-and Tn $50 glad you come
home early, Harry for Mrs. Evarts is
sick, and they wal me to sit up with
her tonight" 81
Gan rfghtr' laid Harry, gooI,hu-
moredly. $50, by all means, my pet. "
And he rubbed his hands, thinking
gleefully of the fine field he should
have for his surprise
"I will be back before seven to-mor-
row, Harry" went on Mary Kneiler
a musical clinking among the china tea
cups and saucers, and you shall have
your breakfast in time for the train"
"Shall I?" thought Harry, nearly
choking himself with scalding tea, in
his strong sense of the implied joke.
"Couidn't have happened better, he
pondered, as he toasted his slipper
soles before the fire, while Marv was
washing the china, and lowering about
the apartment con household thoughts
intent - or Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Knel-
Ter were young people of limited in
come, and had not yet aspired to the
dignity of "help "-"no; it couldn't
possibly have happened better A fair
field and no favor and when Matte
comes back tomorrow morning she'll
find breakfast ready, fried oysters and
all, or Tn uncommonly mistaken
Won't it be a jolly surprise?"
"Good gracious, Harry ! wha5 are
vOu doing % calculated Mary, as her
husband gave vent to a very audible
ehuckle. "What pleases you so much ?'
"Pleases me? Nothing % said Harry,
trying to look austere all of a sudden,
and uttering, CT was thinking how
lonely 1 should be without you, dearr"
So Mrs. Harry Kneller tied little
white Cashmere hood over her brown
ringlets, and enveloped herself in a
prodigious Scotch plaid shawl, and
tripped away under her husbands arm
to Mrs. Evart's abode, half a mile be-
yond.
Goodnight, darling !" said Harry,
stopping to kiss her rosy cheeks at the
door.
Goodnight, Harry"
'And say, Matte, pursued K1eller,
unable to repress a brief flash oi exul-
tation, "don't be astonished H apv
little surprise I may have in store for
you tomorrow morning p
"Surprise p
But Harry was off before the q villa
BILE had fairly passed Mary's lips
cit will be jolly fun = tl-ught
Harry.
yV;tb tLo ct ,,,,- l,,, Al -,
winter morning Harry Kneller vas up
of the laurels he was to reap 1 that
mornings work.
Where are the oysters ?'' pon Fered
he, carefully holding the skirts Of his
morning wrapper, so that the fire should
not endanger them. "Oh, / fsnem-
Der / left them out on the piazzs.
And he made rush for the piazza.
" Frozen, by Jupiter Just NV luck
exactly frozen like a rock. However.
they're easily thawed out again, on hot
fire; and I'll put the coffee stewing too.
don't know Just exactly what the reou-
lation rations of coffee are. but If / fiji
the pot half full it can't help being
strong"
Mr.. Kneller made a liberal appor-
tionment of coffee, filed up the pot
with water, and placed it on tie hot
Goals with countenance expressive of
great satisfaction while close beside it
the pail of frozen oysters was exposed
to the genial influence of caloric.
They'll boil like ginger pretty
soon" thought Harry. "And now
I'll stir up buckwheat Or SOL know
where Matte keeps the bag of lr."
'Stir up buckwheat or so" lnds
easy, but Mr.. Kneller und
it a more difficult task than he h. ap-
pretended.
I-don't-see whera--the b Oh
10, " slowly soliloquized on hero aft
ought to foam over, with lihaa- b bles |
on the top, at least Mattie's alwa,S Ioes.
Perhaps the cold weather makes a dif. |
ference. Hallos I've forqotte- all |
about the potatoes I"
But not a potato could be foun and /
Harry Kneller, with all the orig lqIitv |
Of a great mind, fell back on nan Of |
yellow turnips, four in Dum- |
Der, which he put boiling in a proiigi
ous iron pot, with the cover safely held |
lown by a couple of fiat irons.
1T will boil all the sooner" thought |
Harry. Nothing like an ECONOMY of |
neat, Now then for the oysters
The frying par was hberally |
lnointed with butter and placed the |
ire, and Harry began operation by /
mpaling fat half frozen oyster the |
)rongs of fork.
"They dredge 'em in -four LIST" !