The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-07-16
MAKING LOVE in THE DARK.

MAKING LOVE in THE DARK.
"Won't some one mark my lines for
me please? My quilting looks very
much like Mrs. Partington's turpentine
walks" and Mary Norris raised pretty,
laughing face to the assembled company,
which consisted of the elite of Browns
vile, with some of the lower strata. The
little village boasted not of its num-
bers as it did ofits pretty girls, and Mrs
Goodwin was determined to have her
quilt finished by fair means or foul, and
being desperate, had scraped Brownsville
for her quilting. bee. The usual gossip
was at its height when it was interrupt
ed by the appeal of Mary Norris to Mrs.
Goodwin, whose interest it was to have
every line perfect, and to keep the social
machinery in running order. So she
hustled about, and soon got Mary
to work again.
"T wonder" said Jennie Haskins, "if
Mary Frazier is coming to-dayw
"Goodness knows; she is terribly fash
ionable and ar1stocratic," returned one
of the lower set.
90, she is coming" interrupted the
hostess, 'she promised me not to fail, and
she is such a quiet, undemonstrative lit
tie thing that she will accomplish 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, I wish she would stay
away entirely. We can live without
such stuck up"
The sentence remained unfinished, for
at the 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 pre-
dicted, soon began to trace line after line
in her exquisite and neat fashion, and tC
outdo many who had come earlier.
All the people who could be picked tt
pieces were, and Brownville had to pas
through the social feminine mangle Gus
tomary on such occasions, and yet, strange
to saw. survived. After tea the gather
ing the rustic swains began. Among
them came handsome DR.. Collins and hi
old bacherlor friend, DR.. Peters. y
course the entire unmarried portion o
the other sex were setting their caps TO
the handsome young physician, ant
were doing all they could to increas'
his vanity and spoil him generally. Up
on the present occasion he Joined righ
merrily in the country games, rOmpe'
with Mary Norris, and paid more thai
one forfeit upon her red, pouting lips
Indeed. he seemed to revel in sweets, fo
the most of the girls, though making
show of resentment when he kissed them
evidently sought or challenged such lit
critics, all but quiet little Mary Frazier
She stole into out-ofthe way corners
and more than once slipped out of tn
hands of those who sought to drag he
into their plays. 1t was whispered agai
that she was too aristocratic to mingl
with the common herd, though in trutf
having been reared in the city, she wi
unprepared to permit such libertie
Her extremely delicate nature shran
from becoming public property. Ht
Iips were reserved for him who shoul
win her love, and were not to be desecra
ed. But that she also had cast longlr
eyes upon the handsome young physiciaa
was not to be denied. Yet even IL
most careful observer had not been ab
to detect the fact-a nigher color or su
den bounding of the heart at the sour
of his voice, when he addressed her
tones always deferential and polite, as
he was just little frozen or awed by h
manner.
Mirth reigned fast and furious as Il
in the boisterous game af blind-man
buff, while dresses and sashes suffer,
sadly. The doctor, seeing Mary Nor
dash out of the front door, followed ht
resolving (upon the spur of the momer
to seize the time to disclose his 10y
Such an event had been one of the thin
of the future, if at all; until now he h
not given much thought to it, but
saucy, black eyes and sweet, warm kis
had completed his enthrallment. G
under the vine-covered porch of
Goodwin cottage where he could distin
ly trace the soft outlines of his love
her fieecy white dress, he followed, al
gaining her side, he whispered:
MARY, must leave now. / have
patient to visit yet tonight, but /
not tear myself away without tell
you how much / love you"
One little hand was clinging to
trellis as he spoke, and, dimly trac
the coveted member, he forcibly poss
ed himself oft, while his other arm ST
around her slender waist. With an
of timid surprise all unlike the. us
spontaneous demonstrativeness OF M
Norris, the young girl dropped her h
and murmured:
T-I-did not think"
"You did no. think loved you
that it, my sweet girl? Well, ! do n
sincerely. But, Mary. / am no adep
love making, and / presume / am
brusque. Yet, will you be my wife ?
"Surely you can not mean it?
have never shown me the slightest 7
erence," was whispered back rs her i
dropped still lower.
"Never shown the slightest preferel
Is it possible that under my careless
light exterior you did not detect n
serious meaningY But ] am awai
my answer" and he bent down to Ct
the timid "Yes."
The night was moonless and dar
much 20 that the doctor could not se
he longed to do, the blushing face o.