Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-03-06

Uuu uOW Tie OlDl0 COOuTMCO HIS Su0'
picion. He wanted to be good; he
wouldn't be alone any longer-fact; no,
if he could help it; and he stole an in.
quisitivc glance across the aisle at the
lady of his heretofore hesitating choice
He did more. Benediction pronounced
he sided over to her, his face glowing
like the perennial carnation in her bon
net, and asked her opinion OF the dis.
course. Didn't she think that was a
noble text?
Poor Miss Lovisa, taken quite by sur
prise, murmured something about il
being good sound doctrine, but hard to
live up to, and hurried across the way
to open her house 20 her usual Sunday
guests. These were chiefly farmers
wives from distant parts of the parish,
who found in her tiny cottage con-
venient retreat during the noon inter
missions. Here they ate their lunch,
always remembering to present a liberal
Offering to their hostess, who in return
poured out for them steaming ibation
from the stumpy earthen teapot which
during the morning service stood upon
the kitchen stove, putting and blowing
as if it had a polypus in its ugly little
pug-nose. These Sabbath donations
were important items toward the sup
port Of Miss Lovisa, who, save this
house and its humble furniture, had no
assured patrimony. 1t is true, she often
helped her neighhOrs in their sewing or
household labors, but never for wages.
1t would have pierced her to the heart
had these been offered her. She want
ed it distinctly understood that she only
went I" to accommodate Ifher friends
felt disposed to give her presents, why,
that altered the case. She accepted
them with an alacrity worthy of Mr..
Dorritt.
AS these testimonials usually reached
her on Sunday, it followed that, wher-
ever Miss Lovisa might be during the
week, the Lords Day was sure to find
her in her queer little cottage opposite
the church. Hither came David in the
twilight of the Sabbath of which have
spoken, ambling up the narrow path
with his own peculiar gait, quite like
that of a small boy riding the paternal
cane. Lovisa, at the moment RECALLING
herself with the diluted dregs of the
tea, spied him above the in
clined rim of the cup, and in her per-
scalded her throat with the
boiling liquid.
"Good-evening, Lovisa," said he, rest
ing his elbows on the sill, as he looked
in at the open window.
"Good-evening, Mr.. Yopp," returned
she, pushing the tea equipage out OF
sight with one hand while extending
him the other.
A tell-tale crumb of gingerbread in
her palm transferred itself to David's,
and he unconsciously rolled it between
his thumb and finger as he spun sec
ond thread of conversation.
cts been tolerably warmish day,
Lovisa."
Tedious warm," sighed she, adding,
gratuitous'y, to cloak her nervousness,
:" it gives me weak, all-gone feeling"
"Just so, just So" assented David.
with sympathetic groan which would
sound too cheerful. Constitutionally
he took life easier than she. As RUE,
he considered this a pretty nice world,
this world of ours, but Lovisa knew to
the contrary.
"Does the old gentleman feel the
heat much?" she asked, presently, I'M
easy because David made no move
ogo.
desperately fact" answered he,
his chin backward and for
ward to pump out the words, which
clogged his throat more and more the
longer he delayed his GRAND.
An embarrassed pause succeeded,
during which Lovsa's fingers steered
restlessly along the two curving bays of
hair that encroached right and left upon
the bold bluff of her forehead, and Da-
vid anx:ously watched their progress.
Once he half opened his mouth to speak,
hut it sprang together again like his
own house door in that dog-day
weather.
Lovisa grew each moment more I'M
easy. She was afraid it did not look
well, Mr.. Yopp's standing at her Sc
ment in the cleaning; she was equally
afraid it would not sound well should
she invite him in; and yet he was her
could not bid him go.
II suppose grandsir feels your
mothers death a good deal?" was her
next tremulous remark, thrown out rs
a sort of plank to bridge over the ST.
lence.
81" Yes, father misses her, and miss
her." said David, crowding the words
out helter-skelter, lest his lips should
close upon them. Seems IS if we
get along without mother.
And l was wondering, Lovisa--that is,
l want to ask you What say, LOW
"a, amt you willing to take her place?
do wish You would. There's nobody