Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-06-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
BAsHFUL JOHN IN A FIX.


i. Ohm PATTERSON was driving his ven
q erabIe horse slowly homeward from lhs
little village of Briarton.
They were passing the low lying farm Of
Nathan Wynne. aud John without daring for
the life of him to turn his head, rolled his
great black eyes towards the substantial stone
farm house, in hopes of catching a glance of
Kitty, the farmers comely daughter But
though John kept his eyes turned in their
sockets till his head ached feartully he saw
nothing of Kitty
John was desperately in love with Kitty
Wynne, and had been SO for many long day,
and yet he had not dared to tell her so.
He generally managed 10 bow TO her when
he met her, butzeven- that brought q great
lump into his throat and turned his face the
color OF penny.
As John passed over little knoll and ont
of sight of the house, the farmers great
orchard-the trees ready to break down under
the weight of ripe fruit-was before him.
What while that miller kept me waiting
for my erist. I'm as hungry as bear.
must have PocketfuI of those yellow beauties
to eat on my wsy home.
And with that John drew rein, scaled the
fence and struck out for his favorite tree.
He knew as we'll as farmer Wyune did
G"C OSHI appIcS HcIc I'd Do IOunu.
john filed his pockets and was about to
retrsce his steps to the wagon when he caught
the futter of pink dress through cluster
of trees, and heard Kitty's merry voice in
conversation with some one.
Stealing hasty glance through the trees,
John recognized Kitty's companion to be her
cousin, Hetty Shaw, from the village.
They wore coming directly towards the
tree under which John was standing
What in the world was he to do?
Ii did not fancy his running away like q
detected thief, aud his trembling knees and
papitstiug heart warned him that if he would
not die then and there he must seek q place
of concealment
To add to Johns embarrassment he was
conscious thst he was not in the least "tidied
up"
He was in his every day garb. To make
the matter worse, his clothes were covered
with flour, which he had somehow got on
while waiting for his grist at the mill.
John glanced up in the tree, but the foliage
was not thick, and there was little chance for
hiding place there.
Near the tree was an inverted hogshead
which had been used as stand from which
to pick apples from the tree.
The hogshesd had been used as Temporary
dog kennel, and hole, perhaps eighteen
inches in diameter had been made to admit
the dog.
There was no time to be lost.
The hogshead offered tho only retreat with
in the trembling young mans reach, and he
was not long in squeezing himself inside Of it.
The girls came on aRd sat down on the
grass right where JohH, by STOPPING down and
peepiDg through the circular hole, could
watch them.
Kitty, he thought, looked prettier and
brighter than ever in her pink dress. and the
sun which Was setting in the west made her
brown hair as golden as the apples in her lap.
Kitty held up an apple BY the stem, say
ing
Name it Hssiy; but not Will Joyce, .O'
Jerry Davis, nor"
There. stop the apple is named" said
Hetty merrily
Kitty pared and ate the apple earefully,
saving AL the seeds.
When she lad them all in her chubby
hand. she held them ont for HsttJ TO spell
the name.
Toao..iDg ..eh seed with her finger, H.t.,
spelled:
"J>o-h-n P-a-t-t-e-r-ro,n. II spells ex.
Aetly- Why. Kitty, what are you blusbipr
so forl One would think that fellows nam,
was spelled out il indslibls letters. in you
hsart. BY the way you look"
Kitty said nothing. though she looked M
commonly sober for her, John thought, ant
he wondered if the girls didn't hear his hear
beat.
He thought, too, that Kitty was angry tha
any one would suppose that she cared for him
How humble he felt; he could scarcel,
tell Why his cheeks burned With HOunde'
pride