Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-12-09
MAKING LOVE IN THE DARK,

company, WHICH consisted OF the elite
of Brownsville, with some of the lowe,
strata. The little village boasted no,
of its numbers as it did of the pretty
girls and Mrs. Goodwin was resolved to
have her quilt finished by fair means OF
by foul, and, being desperate, had
scraped Brownsville 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 it was to have every line per-
feet, and to keep the social machine in
running order. So she hustled about
and soon got Mary to work again.
81 WONDER" said Jennie Haskins, "ii
Mary Frazier is coming to-day ?"
Goodness knows She is terribly
fashionable and aristocratic, returned
one of the lower set.
"Oh, she is coming" interrupted the
hostess "she promised me not to fail,
she is such a quiet, undemonstrative
little thing that she will accomplish a
good deal even if she does come late. -
"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
Miss Frazier looked in upon them with
a pleasant smile. In her quiet manner
she had glided in at a side door, re-
moved her hat and gloves without dis
turbing 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
into pieces were, and brownsville 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.. Collins and his old bachelor friend,
DIR. Peters. OF course the entire un-
married 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 generally. Upon the present
occasion he joined right merrily into
the country games, romped with Mary
Norris, and paid more than forfeit upon
her red poutiHg lips. Indeed, he
seemed to revel in sweets, for the most
of the girls, though making a show of
resentment when he kissed them, evil
IDENTIFY sought or challenged such iber-
ties-all but quiet, little Mary Frazier.
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 too aristocratic to
mingle with the common herd, though
in truth, from having been reared in
a city, she was unprepared to permit
such liberties. Her extremely delicate
nature shrunk from becoming public
property. Her lips were reserved for
him who should win her love, and were
not to be desecrated. But that she had
also cast longing eyes upon the hand
some young physician was not to be
denied. Yet, even the most careful
observer had not been able to detect
the fact-a higher color or sudden
bounding of 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
her manner.
Mirth reigned fast and furious as the
evening waned. Chairs were overturned
in the boisterous game of blind mans
bluff, while dresses and sashes suffered
sadly. The doctor, seeing Mary Norris
dash out of the front door, followed
her, resolving upon the spur of the
moment) to seize the time to disclose
his love. Such an event had been one
of the things of the future, if at all.
Until now he had not given much
thought to it, but her saucy black eyes,
and sweet, warm kisses had completed
his enthralment. Out under the vine
covered porch of the Goodwin cottage,
where he could distinctly trace the soft
outlines of his love in her feecy-white
dress, he followed, and gaining her
side, whispered:
"Mary, 1 must leave now. 1 have
patient to visit yet tonight, but can
not tear myself away without telling
you how much love you"
One little hand was clinging to the
trellis as he spoke, and dimly tracing
the coveted member, he forcibly pos
sessed himself of it, while his other arm
stole around her slender waist. With
an air of timid surprise, all unlike the
usual spontaneous demonstrativeness
of Mary Norris, the young girl dropped
her head and murmured:
T-I-did not think"
s.You did not think 1 loved you Is
that it, my sweet girl? Well, 1 do,
most sincerely. But, Mary, l am no
adept at love-making, and 1 presume 1
am very brusque. Yet, will you be my
wife ?"
Surely you cannot mean it. You
have never shown me the slightest
preference" was whispered back as her
head dropped still lower.
'Never shown the slightest prefer
ence Is it possible that under my
careless and light exterior you did not
detect a more serious meaning? But l
am awaiting my answer, and he bent
down to catch the timid "Yes.
The night was moonless and dark-so
much SO that the doctor could not see,
as he longed to do, the blushing face of
his Mary, He kissed at random, and
being determined to leave the seal of
betrothal on her lips, kissed first her
ear and then her cheek, and after
meandering all about at last settled
upon her sweet lips, which were turned
temptingly upward.
"God bless you - he whispered.
Tomorrow evening 1 may come and
see you, suppose, and then We can
adjust our happy future ?"
Just then the shouts of some lasses
who had been chased out of the back
door and around the graveled walks, by
their rustic admirers, startled she
lovers. DR.. Collins kissed his affianced
again, and dashed away before he was
OF course he walked
,,o,, a;r and II is unite likely his