South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1879-08-22
A Kiss for a Blow.

says the name is Thurstop, but children
can't be relied upon in the matter OF
Names
That be tho name, Miss said Thorn,
as, 'Leastwise, it's Thurston on the door
'Thutston. A pretty set they must
be, too! That Thurston boy pummels
Oliver within an inch OF his life whenev-
er ne goes out. l can't keep Oliver in
the house, and | can't bear this thing
any longer. Why, the poor child came
home yesterday with his nose bleeding
and mud on his new suit, and | have
made up my mind TO send line to
young Thurston's father
Shall | take it round, Miss?'
Directly And Miss Nora proceed
ed to ind;e this frigid note:
'Mr. Thurston:
DEAR SIR: You will doubtless be
surprised ut note from n stranger but
1 feel obliged TO call your attention to
the behavior Of your son toward our lit.
tie Oliver. who can scarcely 90 into the
street without receiving blow from
him. | have endured this sort of thing
till endurance is no longer virtue, and
must request your early interference.
iAcSpcCtlully, IL. DlsOWNE,
The next day she received this reply :
MIR. Thurston regrets that Mrs. Browne
has been put to any Inconvenience by
the conduct OF his grandson, and begs TO
ask if Master Oliver did not provoke
the quarrel and bear his share in it,
Our Oliver provoke quarrel! cried
Miss Nora. What an in solent old man.
and straightway returned:
Sir II cannot believe for an instant
that our Oliver was TO blame in the at
fair. have inquired into the matter,
and it seems that the blow was entirely
unprovokeh. am only astonished that
you should uphold your grandson in
such grave fault. III. Browse
Mr.. Thurston thinks that il you can
secure faithful report of the affair from
Master Oliver, you will find that il is
six OF one and half dozen OF the other
so to speak. Mr.. Thurston also begs
that you will recognize your own childs
manners before offering suggestions TO
your neighbours
If can secure faithful report from
Oliver! When will impudenCe ccase?'
Woman-like, she meant to have the last
word:
| MIR. Thurston:
SIR:-I can rely implicitly on Oliver 9
word. And if 1 fail to recognize the
manners OF our boy. it must be because
your own furnished him with such evil
examples. III. BROWNE
What an ass that Mrs. Browne is =
said Grandpa Thurs.on TO the person
who had been doing up this tender cor
rcspondence for him. Give it to the sim
pleton hot e heavy this time, Luce. You
weren't savage enough in your last letter.
Il propose we drop the subject here.
She's a born scold and will have the
last word. say what you will and as
Grandpa Thurston was paralyzed, and
could only hold a pen by proxy the cor
| respondence camo TO stand still
They found my last unanswerablr,'
| thought Nora. What common people
they must he, to bring up child so
badly Shoddy, no doubt. I'm glad l
don't know them that people are not
! obliged TO know their neighbors in the
city. They must be insuA'erable,'
Miss Nora Browne had been left in
| that lady and her husband Travelled
abroad. unhampercd by Master Oliver's
presence. Her home was some hun.
dred miles away inland, and her &C
quaintances in the city were few and
far between, while even these few were
generally out OF town at this season of
the year. However, she was surprised
one morning by call from friend,
who, having become tired OF the noun .
tains, had returned 10 the city for q
few days.
How lonesome you must be, Nora =
said Miss Elphinstone. You must drop
in upon us often; the horse-cars run
within block Of our door. And well
have such larks BY the way, wo are
going down the harbor tomorrow in
Cousin Lucius yacht hes just home
from Europe, you know-and you must
join us'
I'm sure don't know, said Nora,
never having heard OF Cousin Lucus'
existence before
Never heard Of Cousin Lucius -
Well. live and learn. But you'll come.
wild horses couldn't keep me at
home. thank you.
TIE next day Thomas and old Rus
sott took Miss Nora down 20 the wharf.
where the Sunbeam was ready TO put
out What a day il was Not cloud
in the whole wide heavens, and Cousin
Jucius' on deck brown-bcar1ed and
whitc-handed. with great liquid eyes,
and n smile that set the pulses beating
when IL beamed upon one, and that one
happened 70 be n girl Of twenty with an
untenanLed boart The party was quite
a family affair, Mr. and Mrs. Elphin-
stone, their sons AMI daughters, with
one or two friends making up tho list.
This Is a regular snare, Nora, said
Ellen Elphinstonc. when they we're
/ dropping down the harbor / don't
know how you'll feel about it, my dear
girl but. you see, VIC arc not going to
sail for the day merely. bat out into the
+ broad Atlantic. aud along The coast. and
Heaven knows where. just as Cousin
I Luciu5 plesses. Wen he shipwreck.