Ellsworth American., 1876-05-18

eieu ehat sne was uOlng IL on purpose |,
aggravate me, and determined to treat i
accordingly.
la my excited state of mind. lost al
sight OF my own treacherous and under
handed proceedings, and, manlike, was on
ly too glad to find someone whom coult
blame for my broken engagement an,
smarting fingers; therefore, without turn
/ ing my head or deigning to cast glance
at her. | commenced in n digniiicd way
| which sat badly on my coatlcss shoulders
II declare. Mollie. this is pretty state
of things! No one up in the house but the
servants, aud the bell has been rung al
ready three times. guess that the next
tine take you 10 party, you'll know IL,
| any way"
/ How much longer should have contin.
/ ded IN the same strain cannot tell, for the
Insulting glgglc turned suddenly 10 ring
4 Ing laugh, which knew never belonged IL
Moilic. and wheeling around wrathfully on
| the music-stOol. confronted the intruder.
To >Ay that was huniilated would ex-
/ press only slightly the feelings with which
| | looked at the plump little figure OF Prim-
rose barley. In bright cpiorcd morning
/ dress, her brown eyes dancing with merri-
ment. her red lips smiling IN spite OF her
eiioits to look grave. and her dark hair
bri>tlin@ with crimping pms.
Il didn't know that you we're here. Mr.
Eiilut. indeed | didi't," she deprecated.
."Sinuln2 To retreat a. she SAW the ex-
preston "u my cnuutruauce.
Ir order 10 explain this yuuus lady, APP
pcAraucc at that unreasonable hour. il
Viii be necessary 10 >ay that Primrose
Darcy IA, my sister Mollie', be> friend
aud TIE t~o gir.s wcrc IN the habit. al
though they lived not dozen squares di,-
iant from each other. OF visiting bacA aud
forth 10 an alarming extent.
t"r the past week HIimIu-c had been
WISHING Moiie. Tor the pur, pose OF mLtuA,
ASSISTANCE ia planning their toilets i1r the
party. aud A. lhey had been for neatly all
the time locked up u MpIHc'> room. sur
rounded by, aui oblivion, Ia ANYTHING bat.
mu>llus and lacc~. | had seen li,t!c or
nothing Of either oi them.
VOW am mot goiu. to SAY that wa,
"In love with Primrose Darlcy. bat A. ,hr
was Jacks sister. aad Mollie', best friend.
was la manner obliged 70 agree with
NY sister, when she declared rapturou.Iv.
a. She often did. that Primrose MAS "thc
dearest Esrl ia the world" ANA although
Viii not say that va, lin love" with her.
! ciH say that | would rather have been
caught IN tina; plight by any one else Ia
the world
There was no way. however. but 70 put a
brave face on 70, and acknowledge nv iaUl.
ure All. general hclples,nes>. therefore,
seeing that the little mink was guiu. to
leave ne To my tate. | stretched iotth my
hand, displaying my crumplcd and parll-
coloscd wri,tband. and said solemnly-
Primrose barley. do YOU know how to
sew button on
She was hemurc enough by thl- time.
only ro.t'sh twinkle la her eyes brtray-
ed how hard * WAS to, keep her amusement
from sight. aud closing the door She came
across the room. and looked down "u me
liNf, "RI:' gi raaSsS!.-,.k sfSN AL jack, but
my fnrlorn situation.
Here wa> = model sister lor a Young
man. In imlg nation couirastrd her with
my somewhat iudplcut Moi4i-. ending bt
euyyIug JACK tremendously: but even a.
did 80 my eye, fri! on the ds,maatlcd work
basket. sul I coufr>, that >huIlercd.
"Primro,r." said | In whisper. where
i Mollct"
Sh" understood my thought, and picking
up the basket. commenced uutaugiiug the
contents
shes got = headache. and Won't be
down Tor a lon. time YETI said She re-a,-
sutiugiy. and -cuiu. herself down costly
in tn. great char which /. hayiu. rcover-
ed my polltenes>, rolled up for her. devo--
ed herself 10 re>tor,n. the basket TO its for
mer ncatuc>~ aud order. while | watched
her atleutiyely.
was wonderful how deity and easily
those little pink fingers separated the
snarls upon which | had gazed in despair,
and wound the different thread, upon the
respective balls and sponi,. In AN iucrcd-
ibly short space OF time my mischief was
entirely repaired. and /, drawing a long
d a. a
admriugiy AT the ekillful hands.
I Now said She, after setting aside the
! pretty tribe, which iuwardly vowed ney-
/ er to touch again-"now for the wrist
band.
held out nv hand, in obedience TO her
merry nod, and displayed the Tiny gold
thlmble cleaning on my finger. when. 70
nv great discontinue. the provoking little
thing went Of into i paroNy>in of Taught
er. which made me wish that had never
seen a button. and wish much more than /
had never tried To sew one on.
DO excuse me. Mr.. Elliot. but it i, re-
/ ally too comical." she said. or rather gasp
ed What on earth would Molile and
Jack say? then catching sight OF my
,hame.faced appearance. she checked her
( sell with great contrition, and again an
{ nounced herself ready Tor work.
Primrose" said |. Il want YOU to teach
me how TO sew a button on; its too comi-
cal a. you say. for a great six -footer like
myself 10 be 80 helpless aud moving up
/ my music-stool very close beside he:.
prepared to receive her instructions.
Well" said she. in no way resenting
my unusual proximity. in the .hra place
YOU generally ought To put your thimble on
the middle finger of your right hand
Here she looked at we mi>chievouslv
| while was conscious Of blushing deeply.
Then YOU thread your needle, and tie a
! knot al the end of the thread
Yes said. deeply Interested.
Then you put it through the cloth
leaving the knot on the wrong side"
Yes"
Then you slip the button on. So
Yes
Then you sew il firmly on, this way
and the little hands few back and forth
over the cloth in manner perfectly be-
wildering to my masculine mind.
Then you take a stitch on the wrong
side to fasten it, and then cut the thread
of. Where are the scissOrs?''
Il guess they are in the basket, said
fOrgetiul of my yirtuous resolution, and
! reaching toward il.
''It's no matter" she said hurriedly
fearing that | was going to make another
OH>iduchb oh is picciou> CouiciitS. 4 eau
bite it of just as we'll"
NO said gallantly, IL will; 1t vii
spoil your teeth aud somehow it happen
ed that we bent down over it at the sam,
time. and-well. when Primrose raiseC
her face again, she was blushing violently
two big tears were in her eyes. and the
thread wasn't bitten of at ALL
"How could you, Mr.. ELLIOTT" she sale
repreachfully, and the two tears fell dowI
on the back 81 my hand.
Primrose" said !, and-but it's no mat
ter what | said.
Fifteen minutes later. when Sister Mol
lie opened the door, she was, for the frs
time in her life, startled out of her usua
indoent seli-possession.
We'll, | pever?' she calculated, witt
more energy than | had supposed her ca
pable of exhibiting-"Brother Fred AM
Primrose Darley!'' and then sank into tn
nearest chair 10 wait for an explanation.
Ii nds rather startling, l must confess
the spectacle that met her gaze. |, sittin
on the cosy little tete-a-tete in my shiI
I Il 81. hat.- .kAI