The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1876-12-15

err drops in there often, and he says
there isn't more noble hearted man
to be found, John is Industrious
do YOU know what he does with his
money! Father says he ie paying
off the mortgage on his mothers Its
tie farm, and when he has a few
more pounds than is necessary for a
payment he spends them for books.
Mark:my words, Hetty, John Pat
terson will yet be man that you
will be proud to class among your
friends he has intellect of no COM
mon oider-it's only his great basis
funess that keeps him back now
Now, Kitty, you are too absurd,
and Hotty laughed as though she
thought her companion in jest
Well, it is leap year and you had
better offer yourself to this paragon
| dcn't believe he will refuse.
Il know no one whom I would
sooner marry-so there!
And Kitty's face was scarlet with
bushes as she made this frank ao-
acknowledgements to her cousin
But John was not looking at her
now.
He was crouched in the most re-
mote part of the hogShead, trying by
different gestures to drive a huge
mastilf which threatened to make his
whereabouts known.
The sun had gone down, and
Johns hungry horse had quietly
walked home, aud still the two girls
chatted away.
well, Bruno, what have you got
there? lm sure you have been
whining and paving there for half an
hour at least
And Hetty came forward and
patted the dogs hairy back.
"Why, Kitty, there is some
dreadful animal in here. What
pair of eyes it has, Thank my
nerves, if Uncle and Charlie are
away can fire a gun. I'll soon
show what that horrid creature is
In my opinion here is where your
geese have gone to. I'll warrant the
ground in there is strewed with
bones. You and Bruno keep watch,
while | run to the house and get the
gun"
Hetty ratified this off in a breath
less fashion, and before Kitty had
time to look at the dreadful ANIMAL
her cousin was on her way to the
house.
What was John to do now ? Stay
where be was or crawl from his lair
like Hottentot from his hut, and
right before Kitty's eyes too
The faithful dog began to wag his
tail, and whine with renewed anima>
ton, and John thought the gun was
really coming. Life was sweeter
TO him now, since hearing what Kit
ty had said. Of himself, than ever be,
fore, and creeping to the opening he
began coming out.
Kitty, who was peeping anxious
iy in, saw that the creature was
moving toward her, and giving a
spasmodic little scream, she sank
helplessly to the ground, and cover
ed her face with her apron. Kitty's
distress made John for the moment
forget that he was the most bashful
of men alive, and surely the arms
which Kitty felt encircling her waist
were not those of wild beast.
Knowing this it did not need a
great amount of courage to enable
her to uncover her face, and see
that the great eyes that had SO fright
ened her belonged to John Patterson,
1t is strange that neither she nor
John, during the half hour they tar
ried under the apple tree, thought of
Hetty or the gun she had gone to
bring.
Perhaps neither would have re,
membered Hetty's boosted nerve in
connection with the use of that weap-
on again, had not the young lady
herself, two yeas later, reminded a
certain happy bridegroom and his
equally happy bride of the incident,
and informed them that she knew all
the time that John was in the hogs.
head, as she saw him put himself
there, and that her part of the con-
versation under the apple tree, was
INDUCED in solely with view to en-.
courage the bashful lover to propose.
Mrs. John Patterson scolded her
cousin bridesmaid for her duplicity,
but for all that it was plain to be seen
that she was not angry, especially
since Hetty had that day acknowl-
edged that she was glad to class her
cousins handsome husband among
her friends.
LONDON has a large weekly pa-
per called the Obituary." devoted
to the affairs of undertakers, crema-