Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-06-30

later in the year than this, father, because
girls don't put on white for a month or
two yet" said Kate.
"Very likely; I'm not particular about
the season. he replied. 1.-THE dress was
white, anyhow, Well, Kate and l were
walking along in the bright moonlight,
laughing and talking, and having high
time. She was always full of fun when
coming home from meeting, or any other
place where she had been obliged TO be
sober. Such places never damped her
spirits as they do some peoples, but only
bottled them up, and when she got out
you might expect an explosion. She was
mimicking some of the personal peculiar.
tiles of the good brethren who had par
ticipated in The meeting. She was an ex.
cellent mimic, but so tender.hearted that
when she had been taking anybody off.
she always ended with saying, Pm sorry
for him.
Some little scamps were around ring
ing door. bells, just as they are tonight,
aud Kate, having exhausted the material
of the prayer meeting, took crazy notion
into her head that il would be good fun
for us to try IL just for once, and dared me
to ring somebody's bell. 1t was in vain l
argued with her, and showed her how Sc
riously il would compromise persons OF
our age and responsibilities TO be caught
in such prank. She would not listen to
reason. The risk, she said, made it all
the more fun. There is nothing crazier, /
tell you, Reginald, than girl who is bent
on prank. She actually scares a man
by her foolhardiness.
All my efforts to reason Kate out of
her freak" continued Mr.. Phelps, "were
useless, and she finally declared that un-
less would take my life in my hand and
ring somebody's door.bell she would.
And she meant it, too for, suddenly
dropping my arm she was halfway up
the walk to the stoop of house before /
saw what she was bent on. Then whis-
pered Come back, Kate, come back.
I'll do it,
How well do l remember just how
she looked under the bright moon
as she paused and glanced back
at mel | can see her black
eyes dance now. She was standing on
the grass by the brick walk, daintily
holding her dress up from the dew.
For moment she seemed irresolute wheth.
er or not to keep on, but finally came back
to me.
&c Not this house, said /, anxious to
Bulu itllltf anu u HU lOI inC
pose. There's somebody sick here
The next was Deacon Tuttle's, whose
gift for praying and talking against time
was invaluable, when the evening meet
ings were thinner than usual. Neverthe.
less Kate had taken dislike to MIN be-
cause his wife always looked scared, and
no story of sickness or guests that could
trump up would do, but that | must ring
that bell.
But at that moment steps approached
from behind, and Deacon Tuttle himself
overlook us. He had not been at pray
er meeting that evening for wonder,
and so we had supposed him to be at
home Seeing us pausing at his gate,
and looking toward the house, he nat
urally inferred that we were going to
make call
&C Come in, young folks, come in he
said with etfusion. i suppose you've
come to labor with me for negiecting
the means of grace according to Scripture
rule
"The deacon, as regular attendant, felt
that he could afford to make this Joke. But
he was so urgent to have us come in that
did not know how to get out of it, and
was afraid We should actually have to &C =
cept his invitation and make him call,
which would have been rather stupid
ending of our freak. But Kate never lost
her head, whatever happened. She
smiled bewitchingly on the deacon-wom-
en- are the only strategists why use the
same artillery against friends and foes
and answered mischievously, nudging
me:
"' We were just debating whether to
ring your bell or not, Deacon, as you
came along, but I'm afraid it is rather
late for call. We shall lave to post
pone your discipline to another evening"
" And so, with a goodnight to the dea
con, we went along.
'Got out of that neatly said Kate.
Isn'tit fun?'
"The next house showed light in the
front windows, and we voted it unsafe.
But the next was unexceptionable for our
purposes. The front windows were dark
and the gate was quite near to the stoop,
SO that retreat would be easy, while a
row of shrubbery along the fence offered
still further cover to the fugitive. A
newcomer whom we will call Mr..
Jones, though that was not his
named, lived there. | knew him as a
bowing acquaintance, but nothing more ;
and, whether he had a family, or in what
it consisted, we had not heard. lie was
not in our set
60 Do be careful, whispered Kate, Just
as II she hadn't put me up to it. That
little scene with the deacon, though she
managed it so cleverly, had lett her
rather tluttered and nervous, and | believe
she would have been willing to let me
off. Pretending to be children was funny
enough for few minutes, but it had al
ready palled on us. Still | thought it
would be a pity after so much talk and
maneuvering not to do something, and so,
telling Kate to be ready to run, / stepped
lightly up by the side of the walk to the
door. | felt for the handle of the bell.
bound TO have it over with as soon as pos
sible, and jerked it with that thorough
ness one puts into a thing which he does
in spite of himself
Another moment would have seen
me flying up the street dragging Kate by
the hand, but, while was yet IN the act
of pulling, before had let CO. the door
opened; the dark hall, like the mouth of
a dragon, gaped upon me and Mr. Jones
sprang out with vindictive ejaculation
1t took only an instant. Instinctively
lodged, just in time to save
my collar from his grasp, and was
in the act of taking to my heels in a
panic, when he started back, exclaiming
with an appearance of great regret and
chagrin:
"' / beg pardon, sir, thousand times.
| took you for one of those rascally boys
who have been tormentlng me all the
evening. l had been lying in wait, and
thought | had caught one for sure; can
not sufficiently apologize
His profuse regrets gave me time to
recover small share of my scattered
wits, and | managed to humble in reply,
go Certainly, sir, very excusable; odd
mistake and even forced very feeble
: ha, ha.'
Come in, sir, come in, said Mr..
Jones, with etfusion, anxious to make
amends for his rough reception, and evi.
IDENTIFY ascribing wholly to that, my state
of confusion.
81 had no choice but to follow him in.
As did so, heard something that sound
ed like an hysterical giggle from behind
the shrubbery.
"As stood under the hall lamp, was
conscious that Jones was regarding me
rather closely. AS | said before, barely
knew him by sight, and could think of
no possible excuse of business or polite.