Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-08-26

you? Murder Thievesl Maggie, come
here Here's a man kissing me like
mad p
But the intruder had discovered his
mistake-it did not need the indignant
pummeling and scratching of the lady's
vigorous fist to cause hin to relinquish
his hold and fly as if pursued by some
indignant ghost.
Maggie, nearly choking with smoth-
cred laughter, in spite of her trepidation
now came to her mothers rescue. 81
never was so frightened in all my lie
who could it be? Maggie, have you any
idea %
But that dutiful daughter was, to all9
appearances, innocent as a dove. She
soothed the old lady by representing
that it might have been one of the neigh
bors, who, having drank to much, had
mistaken the house and the housewife.
She searched the entry for the miss
ing spectacles, dropped in the scuff1e:
rearranged the rumpled cap-border;
wound up the tangled yarn; stirred the
6re-all in the most amiable manner
possible-and at length had the satis-
faction of seeing her mother subside into
the chair with her accustomed tranquil
ity.
But Mrs. Williams was fully awake
now. She had new idea in her head;
and, instead of settling herself for an
other nap, she pursued the train of
thought and her knitting at the same
time, with wonderful rapidity. At
length stopping, and looking keenly at
Maggie, she said:
81 suppose it's queer notion of mine,
Maggie; but I've an indistinct idea that
that man was Frank Wollmerath."
If Maggie's face did not fire up then !!
You might have lit a candle by it.
These incipient symptoms did not es-
cape the wary inquisitor.
"'Pears so to me cause those big
whiskers were so much like his'n, and
the awkward way he gripped me with
his great paws"
Maggie was wonderfully busy. She
bent over her work, and threw the need
lie through SO rapidly that the thread
snapped, and then she was so engaged
threading her needle again, that she
didn't have time to answer.
81 don't think that kiss was meant
for me after all. Wonder who it was
intended for? And wonder if you don't
know something about it, Maggie ?"
"Me, mother %
"Yes, you, Maggie. Ysu WIS mighty
anxious to get me and father Of to Aunt
Ems this evening, but notced you
were dressed up extraordinary for all
you weren't going. Maggie, In getting
old, know it; but 1 haven't lost my
eyesight yet. I've heard s,mething
about this between you and Frank Woll-
merath. What are you playing that
game for ? Out with it, say"
Our little schemer, thus djured,
made a "clean breast" of the natter,
much relieved to find that mother
"hadn't nothing ag'in him." and would
"give father talk about it, and bring
him all around on the subject"
"But, Maggie, | want you t, tell
Frank I'd rather he wouldn't make such
a mistake ag'in. l don't like the feel
of his big whiskers about my face I
don't approve Of. .promiscuous kissins."
Frank never heard the last of hat
blunder.
Old Williams used to delight in re.
hearsing the story whenever all parlie,
interested happened to be present. III
would shake his fat sides at Franks dis
comfture and his wife's tart replies, and
Maggie would join him, and both wotld
laugh until the tears ran down th.il
cheeks.
Never mind, Frank" Mrs. William.
would say, consolingly. "Let him laugh
He'd have been only too glad to hav
been in your place twenty years agc
He had to work to get a kiss from m
, then. And | hope it will be a lesson t
you and Maggie ag'in the impolicy {
concealments and such underhand de
, ings Of all sorts"