The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-03-20

bits, Guinea hen, and the superan
uated old pony, who had preceded
the new horse.
In a week was as much in love
as ever John could have desired
Mamie was the most bewitching
maiden l had ever met, childlike
and yet womanly, frank, bright and
full of girlish freaks and boyish mis-.
chief, and yet well educated with
real wonderfully musical, gifts; and
full of noble thoughts. She was q
perfect idol in the.yillage, her friends
and neighbors thinking no party
complete without her, while iliep pOoi
fairly 2orshipped her,
John allowed her an almost unlim'
tied supply of pocket money, and she
was lavish in all charity, romblank'
cts for old women, tobacco for old
men, to candies for children, and
rides on her horse for the .urchins.
And she had a way of conferring ia
vors that never wounded the pride
of the most sensitive.
We rode together every morning,
we walked in the cool evening hours,
we spent much time at the piano,
and discussed our favorite authors,
and one day when / asked Mamie
to be my wife, she said cody:
"Why, of course, | thought that
was all understood, long ago!
l was rather amazed at such mat
ter-offact wooing, but delighted at
the result. How could 1 expect any
soft blushing speeches. Isnppose l
ranked just where John and Nannie's
grandmother did in her affections.
But one morning when Mrs. Still.
man was nipping her geraniums in
the sitting room, and John was read.
ing the morning paper, Mamie
burst in, her beautiful face all aglow,
her eyes bright with delight, crying;
"Oh, grandma Walt has come
homel saw him from my window
riding up the road"
She was gone then, just as John
exclaimed:
"ConfoundWalt!e
"Who is Waltz" | naturally in-
quired.
,sWqlter Bruce, the son of one 81
our neighbors. He'has been like a
brother to Mamie all her life, aud
went off to Europe two years ago,
when he became of age. They
ed to correspond, but l forbade it.
So he has turned up again"
1t was evident that John was ter
ribly vexed, and very soOn shared
his annoyance, Walt, tall, hand
some, young fellow, improved, not
spoiled by travel, just haunted the
house.
He was generally off with Mamie
as soon as he arrived, and blind to
Mrs. Stillman. He concealed cold
ness, and Johns sarcastic speeches
about boys and puppies.
AS for me by the time my sleepy
eyes were opened in the morning,
Mamie had taken u long ride with
Walt, and was at the piano when l
came into the room, and Walt was
walking beside Mamie when the
hour for our usual stroll arrived.
And the very demon of mischief
possessed tho girl. There was no
freak she was not inventing to i'm
peril her life, riding, driving, boat
ing and l fairly shiyered sometimes
at the prospect of my nervous ter
rors when it would be my task to
control this quicksilver tempcra-
ment
But one day when l was in the
summer.houso, a very rueful little
maiden, with a tear-stained face,
came to my side.
"Walt is going away!" she said.
"Indeedl"
"Yes, ard he says | am wicked
fiirtl" with achoakingsob;" 81 thought
l would ask you about that"
"About what?"
"0ur getting married. You know
papa told me was to marry you,
ages and ages ago2"
"Yes."
And knew it was all right if he
said so. But Walt says you must
be a muiT if you want n wife who is
always thinking of somebody olsc."
a 4. Ill, 20