The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-01-16
SITTING UP w1Tn nnR.

She was expecting him Sunda,
night; the parlor curtains were down
the old folks notified that it wa
healthy to go to bed at eight o'clock
and Johnny bribed with d cent, t
permit himself to be tucked away a
sundown. He sneaked up the path
one eye on the dog; and the othel
watching for the "old man." who
didn't like him any too we'll, gave I
faint knock at the door, and it was
opened, and he was escorted into the
parlor. He said he couldn't t stay but
a minute, though he didn't mean tx
go home for hours. She wanted tc
know how his mother was; if his fa-
ther had returned from York State
if his brother Bills rheumatism was
any better; and he went over and
sat down on the sofa so as not tc
strain his voice. Then conversation
tagged, and he played with his hat
and she nibbled at the sofa tidy.
He finally said it was a beautiful
evening, and she replied that her
grandfather predicted a snowstorm.
He said he guessed it wouldn't snow,
as the moon was not crooked enough
to hang a powder horn on the end,
and she said she didn't believe it
would either. This mutual under
standing seemed to give them both
courage, and then he wanted to
know if she had seen Bill Jones late
ly. She hadn't she said, and she
didn't want to. Then they went on
talking about the donation visit
which was to be given before long to
Elder Berry, and he carelessly
dropped his hand in hers-his right
hand while his left arm sneaked
along the sofa, and got behind her
shoulders. She pretended not to
notice it, and he looked down at his
boots, and wanted to know if she
thought mutton-tallow rotted out
boots faster than lard and lampblack.
She couldn't say, but she had an
idea that it did. He had just COM
menced to hook fingers with her,
when she discovered something
wrong with the lamp. She rose up
and turned the lamp half down,
making the room look dim. 1t took
him five minutes to get hold of her
fingers again, and she pretended to
want to draw her hand away all the
time. After a long pause, he lower
ed his voice to whisper, and said
he didn't see what made folks love
each other. She bit her handker-
chief and admitted her ignorance
He said he could name q dozen
young men who were going to get
married right away, and his arm fell
down and gave her hug. Then he
got up and looked out of the window
to make sure that it was or was not
going to snow and coming back he
turned the light down a little more,
and then sat down and wanted to
know If she didn't want to rest her
self by leaning her head on his
shoulder.
All, me! We hive all been there,
and who of us cared a cent when the
old clock struck twelve and we five
miles from home? The old man was
fast asleep, the watch dog gone Wis
iting, and the handsomest girl in the
county didn't see why we need be in
a hurry.
Perhaps I shouldn't have written
this, but as l was going by Saunders
the other day, thinking OF the night 1
heard him whisper in her ear at spell
ing school that he'd love her very
shadow as long as he lived, he raised
the window and called to her, as she
was picking up chips in the road;
"Sue Saunders, come in here and
find the bars grease for my sore
heel, or I'll break every bone in your
body!z zDanbVy NelUs.