The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-11-03
oh! 'Tain,tobadiah. neither z,

She had by this time divestod her.
self of the impression that it was her
usually sober spouse, who must have
, come homo in an unusually excited
condition thus so indulge in such an
unwonted expression of affection.
Get out Get out, ! say Who are
your Nnrder Thievesl Mary, come
here Here's man kissing me like
mad !"
But the intruder had discovered his
nistake-it did not need the indig.
nant puma,elling aud scratching of
the lady's vigorous fist to cause him to
relinquish his hold and Ay as if pur.
sued by some indignant ghost.
Mary, nearly choking with smoth
cred laughter. in spite of her trepida.
tor, now came to her mothers rescue
81 never was so frightened in all
my life2 Who could it be? Mary,
have you any idea ?"
But that dutiful daughter was, to
all appearance, innocent as a dove.
She soothed the old lady by repre-
sentirg that'it might have been one of
the neighbors, who, having drank TOO
much, had mistaken the house and
the house WIFE
She searched the entry for the miss.
ing spectacles, dropped in the scnffie !;
rearrauged the rumpled cap border !;
wound up the tangled yarn; stirred
the fire all in the most amable man
ner possR end at length haf taae
satfsiacti0tP6f seeing her moth efssnb.
side into the chair with her accustom.
. But n'st's.sI &rs.stuA AA wa, wide awake
now.
She had new idea in her head;
aud, instead Of settling herself for an.
other nap, she pursued the tram o.
thought and her knitting at the same
time with wonderful rapidity.
At length stopping and looking
keensY.at Mary, she said:
II s6feose it's queer notion of
mine, Mary, but I've an nnistinct
idea that that man was Jim Brown -
If Mary's face did not fire up then !
You might have lit candle by it.
These incipient symptoms did not
escape the wary inquisitor.
peas so tn me, cause those big
whiskers were so much like his'n, and
the awkward way he gripped me with
his great paws.
Mary was wonderfully busy.
She bent over her work, and threw
the needle shrnugh so rnpidly thar Iee
thread snapped. and then she @S<so
engaged in threading her needle again,
! that she didn't have time to answer.
IL don't think that kiss was meant
for me, after all Wonder who it was
! intended for? And | wonder if you
don't know something about it, Mary?"
ME, mother?'
"Yes, you, Nary. You was mighty
anxious t. get me and father off to
Aunt Ems this evening, hut | noticed
you were dressed up extraordinary,
for all you wern't going. Mary, Tn
getting old, | know ii; but haven't
lost my eyesight yet I've heard some;
thing about this between you and
James Br%n. What are you playing
that game for? Out with it, / say"
! Our little schemer. thus adiured,
made "clea breast" of the matter,
much relieved 10 find that mother
hadn't nothing agin him" aud would
"give father talk about it, aud bring
him all around on the subject"
But, Mary, want you to tell jim
! I'd rather he wouldn't make such a
mistake agin. don't like the feel of
his big whiskers about my face. don't
approve of promiscuous kissing"
James never heard the last of that
blunder.
Old Williams used to delight in re,
hearsing the story wheuev er all parties
interested happened to he present.
He would shake his fat sides at James
discontinue, aud his wife's tart replies,
and Mary would join him, aud both
would laugh until the tears ran down
their cheeks.
Never mind, JIM" Mrs. Williams
would Say, eonsolingly. Let him
laugh. He'd have been only To glad
to have been in your place, twenty
years ago. He had TO work to get a
kiss from me taen. And | hope it will
be lesson to you and Mary agin the
impolicy of concealmenI and such un.
derhand doings of all sorts
To-
A gentleman of Birmingham, ConA
who Was visiting the optical works al
tDat place with some friends. the Other