Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-03-30
rapture. An apprehersiyely

unexpected rapture. An appreheEslYely
accepted invitation to dinner, where Tod
die tilted his soup over MISS Mayton's
dress, led to twilight tete-a-tete. which
Bulge interrupted by informing the lady:
''Uncle Harry 'spects you, Miss May
TONI
The little rascal had, that very morning,
demanded to know whether didn It Glove"
Miss Mayton, and accepted with suspicion
my assurance that "respected'' her very
highly. Now, before could stop him, he
continued:
s'Only what he calls 'spect, calls love-"
There was all awk ward pause--something
must be done.
"Miss Mayton,' said l. "Budge is a
marpIot, bat truthful interpreter, p
"When loves anybody, observed Bulge
81 kisses them"
Miss Mayton gave start. She did not
speak; she was not angry. Could it be
that? I acted ON Budge's suggestion,
once, twice. She raised her head and | saw
that Alice May on had surrendered at dis
cretion. Then Bulge and Toddie came in
for share Of the kisses; two or three la
dies appeared, and calmly said:
''Come, bows. Their I'll call with the
carriage at three tomorrow, Miss Mayton.
Good evening"
I shall not tell you what thought or did
during that interval, except that l bought
my angelic nephews everything they want
ed, beginning with candy and ending with
a goat and goat carriage. Nor shall l say
a word about my ride with Miss Mayton,,
except that it was suddenly interrupted by
a runaway goat and two bno-hooing boys;
and that night Bulge prayed:
Dear Lord, bless just lots that lovely,
lovely lady that comforted me after the
goat was bad to me-
The next day was wet, and those chill
dren led me terrible life! Their only real
comfort was Jonah, Or rather, the 'whay-
ALA picture of which Toddie tenderly Ca
ressed, murmuring
s.'Dee old whay-al, I loves you. I finks
twas veal mean in Djonah to get froed up
when you hadn't noffin' else to eat, poor
cid whay-al p
And Toddie amused himself for some
time with big box for a whale and dead
mouse for Jonah, till a mishap occurred,
which be mournfully announced by say
ing:
''Djonah bwoka he tay-al!''
The next morning, l got a letter from
Helen, inciosing one to her from Alice
Mayton. from which I learned that might
attribute the sudden success Of my suit to
Miss Mayton's ''seeing that q man who
could be so lovable with thoughtless and
unreasonable children must be perfectly
adorable to the woman he loved.''
I have not time to tell you how Bulge
revealed to stately Mrs. Mayton, the rela-
lions subsisting between her ''little girl"
and his Uncle Harry, o. how that awful
Toddie disclosed our secret to the ladies OF
Miss Mayton's acquaintance by solemnly
declaiming some Lines to Alice lie had
heard me rehearsing il the garden; or how
the same Toddie swallowed ''wbole bot
too full'' Of paregoric, and was hurried to
the apothecary's with such wholesome re-
suits that he reported to his brother:
"Budgie, down to the village l was
whay-al. 1 didn't froe up Djonah, but |
froed up a whole floor full of uvver tings.'
Tom and Helen came home in due time,
aud at lunch that day toasts were drunk
to Her and TO the makers of the match
Bulge and ToddieH' And Alice insists
that when q certain ceremony takes place
they shall officiate as groomsmen, nor have
| tile slightest doubt that she will carry
her Illustrated Weekly.