The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-05-17
A KISS ON DEMAND.

cork, but exactly like nothing but it.
self, it was kiss.
A kiss implies TWO parties-unless 1t
be one of those symbolical kisses pro-
duced by one pair of lips, and waited
through the air in token of affection or
admiration. But this particular kiss
was genuine. The parties in the case
were Mrs. Phebe Mayflower, the newly
married wife of honest Tom Mayaower,
gardener to Mr.. Augustus Scatterly, and
that young gentleman himself. Gus
was a gOod-hearted, rattle-brained
spend-thrift, who had employed the
two or three years which had elapsed
since his majority in "making ducks
and brakes" of the pretty little fortune
left him by his defunct sire. There
was nothing very bad about him, ex-
cepting his prOdigal habits, and by
these he was himself the seyerest
sufferer. Tom, his gardener had been
married a few weeks, and Gus, who had
failed to be at the wedding, and missed
the opportunity of "saluting the bride" !"
took it into his head that it was both
proper and polite that he should do SO
OH the first occasion OF his meeting her
subsequently to the interesting cere-
mOny. Mrs. MayflOwer, the other party
interested in the case, differed from him
in opinion and the young landlord
kissed her in spite of himself. But she
was not without champion, for at the
precise moment when Scatterly placed
his audacious lips in contact with the
blooming cheek of Mrs. NJ, Tom entered
the garden and beheld the outrage.
"What are you doing of, Mr.. Scat
terlyP" he roared.
SO, nothing Tom, but asserting my
rights! | was only saluting the bride"
"Against my will, Tommy" said the
bride blushing like peony, and wiped
the offended cheek with her checked
apron.
"And I'll make you pay dear for it if
there's law in the land," said Tom.
"Poh, poh! don't make fool of
YOURSELF" said Scatterly.
81 don't mean to-" answered the
gardener dryly.
"You're not seriously offended at the
innocent liberty tookH"
eyes be-" said Tom.
"Well, if you view it in that light" 1"
answered Scatterly, 81 shall feel bound
to make you reparatiOn. You shall
have kiss from my bride, when Pm
married"
"That you never will be-"
81 must confess" said Scatterly
laughing, "the prospects of repayment
seem rather distant. But who knows
what will happen? l may not die a
bachelor after all. And if mPry-I
repeat it my dear fellow-you shall
have a kiss from my wife,"
"No he shan't," said Phebe, che shall
kiss nobody, but me-"
eyes he shall" said Scatterly. "Have
you got pen, ink, and paper, TomH"
"To be sure" answered the gardener.
"Here they be, all handy"
Scatterly sat down and wrote as fol-
lows:
THE WILLOWS, August, lS-.
"Value received, | promise to pay
Thomas Mayfower or order one kiss
on demand.
AUGUSTUS SCATTERLY."
"There you have legal document" "
said the young man, as he handed the
paper to the grinning gardener. "And
now good folks, good bye"
"Mistakes will happen in the best
regulated families" and so it chanced
that, in the Autumn of the same year
our bachelor met at the Springs a
charming belle of Baltimore, to whom
he lost his heart incontinently. His
person and address were attractive, and
though his prodigality had impaired
his fortune, still rich maiden aunt,
who dotted on him, Miss PersimmOn
Verjuice, promised to do the handsome
thing by him on condition of his marry
ing and settling quietly to the manage
ment Of his estate. So, under these cir
cumstances, he proposed was accepted,
and married, and brought home his
beautiful young bride to reside at the
Willows.
In the early days of the honeymoon
one fine morning when Mr.. and Mrs.
Scatterly and the maiden aunt were
walking together in the garden, Tom
F Mayhower, dressed In his best, made
his appearance, wearing a smile Of most
peculiar meaning.
"Julia," said Augustus, carelessly
to his young bride, "thls Is my gardener
come to pay his respects to you-honest
Tom Mayhower, a very worthy fellow,
J / assure you.
r Mrs. Scatterly nodded condescend-
, ingly to the gardener who gazed on her
' with open eyes Of admiration. She
spoke few words to him, inquired
about his wife, his flowers, &C., and
then turned away with the aunt as if SC
terminate the interview.
But Tom could not take his eyes of
!, her, and he stood, gaping and admiring,
and every now and then passing the
I back of his hand across his lips.
/ "what do you think of my choice
Tom ?" asked Scatterly, conhdentlally
A go, splendiferousl" said the gard
Y ener.
: Crosses and lilies in her cheeks-ehp p
q said Scatterly.
z UJer llns are as red rs carnations