The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-07


IL could frighten him. 1 would COM
plimenT him on his garden, and ask. him
home TO tea. HeWouldn't get over 1t Tor
"A month"
"Suppose you try it. am Mr.. Petit
bones"
"Well, will you comet"
| "Why should IY
II don't know, Pm sure, unless to pre-
vent my talking about you"
| "fou ooutd not say anything worse
than you have DONE"
90, yes, could. haven't begun
Eyet,"
81 don't believe it,"
| "Conle home, then, and I'll convince
[yott.'
Mr.. Pettibones said no more, but he
manifested no. intention Of turning back,
and stalked along by her side, switching
the gtass with his whip as he went. Lii
tie Magenta was in perfect flutter of
excitement. She fHhcied she had
hooked her fish, but dared not pun on
the lihe for lear he weuld yet be off. So
she, too, kept silence till they reached.
Aunt Kezians. door. Then she called
out: "
'Aunty, here's Mr.. Pettibones come
to tea. He says that he has long been
intending to pay you neighborly visit.
ana 1t has been asource of unceasing
regret to HIM that age and growing in-
hrmities have kept him away SO long"
IL never said any tning Of the sort"
commenced the astounded and indlg-
nant Pettibones, but the widow turned
on him sharply.
"How dAe you contradict me, sir
when am lying simply because, IN the
abundance OF my charity, i desire TO re-
deem your reputation, ii it be possible.
You ought to have said it, if you
didn'L."
"SAake hands with Aunt Keziah."
said his monitor, sternly. "Since you
choose to come with ME, lOu'J intend
being dIsgraced by your incivility."
Pettibones obeyed as meekly as if he
mad been ten-years' Benedlck.
"Come, sit down." ordered the impera-
tive little Magenta; "Pm tearlully Oun-
cry. Sugar in your tea, Mr.. Petit
bones? N0-more's the piLy. Youn
1t, think. Aunt, who do you suppose
we met just at the turningl Nobody
more nor less than tnat long-LOngued
Sally Lawrence. You should nave seen
her stare. PA wager any thing that lpIl
be all over the village before night that
that hOrrid, musty, crusty old bachelor
VI Pettibones was seen walking home
with the Widow Magenta"
Mr.. PettibOnes started violently.
ga wIdowl Are you WIdowf"
| "Certalnly. Why, what are you STAR
ing al? A widow is human, l think:
aud not half SO bad as a poor, sneakiug
contemplate old bacneior. Wldowhood
is an accIuent, but old bacheiornoOd is
the consequence OF mans singular I'M
wortniness. He is so much meaner than
the rest of his sex tnat he has found
himself out; and 50 he goes throu n life,
never daring to propose to pretty girl,
because he thinks that she would know
him as we'll as he does himself, and, of
course, refuse him."
| "You are very polite, ma'am."
| "No; am too truthful for that. have
read your character thorOughly-for Mr..
Magenta was exactly like you. MercYl
! What all old brute he wasp
Aunt Keziah was shocked and exceed.
ingly troubled.
"NOw, Susie"
Mr.. Pettlbones, rising: "Good even
ing, ma'am, dIun't come here Lo BIZ ill.,
suited.
eyes you did, too; 1 told you 1 could
say something worse OF you than L had
done, and you came here to hear
it. You know you dld; only you're sucu
an unreasonable and confirmed old
bachelor That nothing will suit you"
MIR. Pettibones stared at her for a mo-
| ment, and then sat down and laughed
| I'LL the tears rolled down his cheeks. The
widow went coolly on with her supper.
"Youre the most audacious, unac-
countable little woman" commenced Mr..
Pettibones, when ne mad recovered his
powers of speech; but the widow
stopped him short:
"What do you mean by talking to me,
I
my word, and now l have no more time
or breath to waste on you. Co."
81 don't want to-"
"Ot course not. You are contrary,
but you must"
81 haven't finished my supper"
"1Ou nave been long enough about it.
You must have eaten as mucl as ls good
for you by this time; and Pm princIpIed
against the over-lndulgence of one's ap-
petite. Co."
"ButV
"Go, say" And finding she was in
earnest, at last he went.
"SeemS to me you're takin' queer way
10 eaten him." observed the puzz ed
Aunt Keziah; drIvin' him, off just " hen
ne gets Interested"
''ThaPs the very time. He'll come
again; he can't heip ill.," t..
Anu uO ulu' NeXC sunday morning
saw him az Aunt Kezian's gate, gotten
up in such style tnat it Was REPORTED
his own dog didn't know him. The
widow met him with no well-pleaseu
face.
What are you doing here?"
81 came to 20 to church with you,"
81 won't go with you. You don't de-
serve ciyility; and l, for one, WON'T
waste it on you."
"Bui, supposing am repentantW
81 doubt it. You DON'T look SOP
~ think my actions prove it, since [
lnillct voluntary penance on myself"
"By seeking my society? Good. L
haunt thought of that. Ii can torment
you, l will surely 60, at the risk OF
throwing all s. into Mysteries"
And she Went, not once only, but, af-
ter awhile, regularly every Sunday, Till
D, whom the singular move had, as
she said, thrown into Mysteries of as ton
isbment, began 10 recover and settle
down in the belief that it was a sure
thing that There was to be a wedding.
One day Mr.. Pettibones said to the
widow:
"Why are you always so crusty to me?
You are sweet enough with Others"
"But hate old bachelors"