The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-08-08
Making Love in the Dark

won't some one mark my lines for
me, please? My quilting looks much
like Mrs. Partipgton's turpentine
walks" and Mary Norris raised pref
ty. laughing face to the assembled COM
pany, which consisted Of the elite of
Brownville, with some of the lower
strata. The little village boasted not of
its numbers as it did of its pretty girls,
and Mrs. Goodwin was resolved to have
her quilt finished by fair means or foul,
and, being desperate, had scraped
Brownville for her quilting-bee. The
usual gossip was at its height when it
was interrupted by the appeal of Mary
Norris to Mrs. Goodwin, whose interest
1t was to keep the lines perfect, and to
keep the social machinery in running
order. So she hustled about, and soon
got Mary to work again.
II WONDER" said Jennie Haskins, 'if
Masy Frazier is coming to-day"
"Goodness knows; she is terribly fash
ionable and aristocratic, returned one
of the lower set.
20, she is coming" interrupted the
hostess; "she promised me not to fail,
and she is sucha quiet, undemonstrative
little thing that she will accomplish a
good deal, even if she does come late. I"
"She wouldn't be fashionable and
like city people If she came as early as
the rest" put in another of the lower
strata "For my part, / wish she
would stay away entirely. We can 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 glided in at side door, removed
her hat and gloves without disturbing
the hostess, and then suiprized them.
Mrs. Goodwin greeted her warmly,
and, as usual, with much fuss and bus
tie, she was seated at the quilt, where
her slight, deft fingers, as Mrs. Good
win 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
into pieces were, and Brownville had to
pass through the social feminine mangle
customary upon such occasions, and yet,
strange to say, survived. After tea the
gathering of the rustic swains began.
Among them came handsome DR.. COL
lins and his old friend, DR.. Peters. OF
course the entire unmarried portion of
the other sex were setting their caps for
the handsome young physician, and
were doing all they could to increase
his vanity and spoil him gen arally. Up
on the present occasion he Joined right
me-rily in the games, romped with
Mary Norris, and paid more than one
forfeit upon her red, pouting lips. In
deed, he seemed to revel in sweets, for
the most of the girls, though making
show of resentment when he kissed
them, evidently sought or challenged
such liberties-all but quiet little Mary
Frazier. She stole into out-of-the way
corners, and more than once she slipped
out of the hands of those that sought to
drag her into their plays. 1t was whis-
pered again that she was TO aristocratlc
to mingle with ommon herd, though in
truth, from having been reared in a
city, she was unprepared to permit such
liberties. Her delicate nature shrank
from becoming public property. Her
lips were reserved for him who should
win her love, and were not to be desec.
rated. But that she also had cast long
ing eyes upon the handsome young
physician, was not to be denied Yet
S'SA WIZ hooo SoiCAui OuSCINCI Idu uOJ
been able to detect the fsct--a higher
color or sudden bounding of the heart
at the sound of his voice, when he ad-
dressed her in tones always deferential
and polite, as if he was just little fro
zen or awed by her manner.
Mirth reigned fast aud furious as the
evening waned. Chairs were oyerturn-
ed in the boisterous game of blind
bluff, while dresses and Sashes
suffered sadly. The doctor, seeing
Mary Norris dash out of the front door,
resolved (upon the spur of the mo-
ment) to seize the time to disclose his
love. Such an event had been one of
the things of the fnture, If at all; until
now he had not given much thought
about it; but her sauey black eyes and
sweet, warm kisses had completed his
enthrallment. Out under the vine-coy-
cred porch of the Goodwin cottage,
where he could distinctly trace the soft
AuUNl ltW.Aa - Ii l.