The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-02-21

| o"NO OOlhPduJ Ou w ttllcSudy cNtuluR
Well, upon my word, you girls are
ridiculous. F! thought I settled all that
with Amanda"
Yes; but ma, dear, you settled it the
wrong way to suit us.
go, know your tricks, Margaret, and
you are all alike. You make up your
minds to anything, and there is no get.
the notion out of your heads"
Now, mother dear, if we are self
willed," exclaimed Midge, roguishly,
couldn't inherit it from you, of course.
Why can't you have Mrs. Nesbett here
some other day ?"
"Why can't Amanda have her COM
pany some other evening? ?"
head with an air of being very critical
rough place, "because she has already
sent out the invitations"
Mrs. Mayne's temper was instantly all
ablaze.
"Get away from there, Margaret y
she cried, "you are pulling that bliss
seam the wrong way; give me the iron. "
the main question drop,
lOu uCCuu U willy dcOuU DdhluR,
said she, mildly, "because it would be
SO easy to order few things from the
confectioner."
"Don't let me hear another word
about it, 1 tell you," retorted her
mother, in high dudgeon. "And you
may tell Amanda for me that whoever
sets his foot inside the front door on
Wednesday evening, if he was the Pope
of Rome, would be insulted.
Notwithstanding this edict, and the
fact that Mrs. Mayne's pleasure had not
been softened meanwhile by entreaties,
tears or tempers, at precisely seven
o'clock on Wednesday evening the girls
had all gone up stairs to dress.
They occupied two small rooms open
ing into each other, and were obliged to
share many things in common. just
imagine four girls forced to take turns
at one mirror Then add to this the un-
accountable way which ruff1es, skirt
and ribbons have of getting mixed u o.,
was some wrangling during the inter est
there are some things which must be
viewed from a purely feminine stsnd-
point.
OF all the sisters, Amie's temper
seemed to be the most rasped on that
eventful evening. Everything went
wrong with her.
"My goodness, Essie Iayne!'' said
she, scrambling breathlessly around,
poking under chairs, the bed, the bu.
reau, and even looking half demented
into her bandbox, 81 do believe you
have got on one Of my Oxford ties by
mistake
"No such thing, Amie," replied the
sister addressed, who was at that moment
| subjecting her eye-lashes to mysterious
treatment which necessitated the making
| Sp of a horrible face, "mine were to-
| gether in the shoe-bag."
"Come, do get out of the way, Es,"
another voice-Midge's--w heard
| complaining. "I want the glass to do
my hair !; you've been long enough put
ting on that black stuff to m AXE yourself
into Hottentot."
"What I want to know, girls" said
Annie, who had found b 81 shoe in the
work. basket, and was now struggling
with an obstinate lacing, ais whether
any of You had sense enough to light the
gas in the hall ?"
"Nol ,ody in this family pretends to
be smart bnt you, Amie," responded
Cecil, ',aucily.
"TlIen go down stairs this instant and
see to- it," exclaimed the eldest sister,
peremptorily. Here I am only half
Dire ssed, and every time there is the
le1st noise it gives me such q start-ex-
pecting to hear the bell. 1 have a sort
of feeling that Mr.. Pickens will be here
early"
Cecil, who hated to be ordered about.
scolded:
"Oh, bother you and your old Pick.
ems p but she threw shawl about her
and went hastily down stairs.
II suppose ma wouldn't go to the
door," continued Annie, "if the bell
should ring forty times before any of us
are ready-here, Midge, hold these
crimping. irons in the gas for me-"
In spite of all these wearying annoy.
ances. could there have been possibly a
sweeter, more artless face than Amie's
when she had coaxed the little tendrils
of hair low down upon her forehead
had knott ed her silken tie and turned
to go down stairs?
She was in good season after all, and
bad full five minutes quite to herself in
which to collect her thoughts. eyes"
said she, I have made up my mind.
1t may not be so romantic and all that.
but 1 am sure plenty of girls would Jump
at the chance. must tell him before
hand that he must not expect me to give
up the glide and everything =" here |
the bell pealed through the house, and |
as Annie ran hastily TO the front door her |
heart seemed to f1utter in her throat. |
Her first guest was, as she had surmised. |
Pickens.
He stepped into the hall, and as he |
hung his hat and oyercoat upon the rack
he glanced inquiringly about. None of
these roguish sisters were in sight-only |
Annie, looking not unlike q dewy rose
bud. He was gentlemanly person of
fifty or thereabouts, with beard and
hair we'll grizzled ; nor in his strongly
marked features did one discover the |
least hint of a susceptibility to rounded
curves and bright eyes-yet these had
taken him captive.
One glimpse of his face and Annie
knew intuitively that decisive moment
in her life had come. Nor was she
mistaken, for Mr.. Pickens took the white
hand she slyly gave him, and held it
close to his immaculate shirt-front and
whispered "Mine, Annie ?"
The ridiculous bell sounding once more
with startling emphasis, cut short the
first kiss. @
Later in the evening, when the parlor
was all alive with vivacious conversation
u i /