The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-12-14
PETTIDOHE'S COURTSHIP.

IlDvWh " OVVU VNIl
l was first smitten with Jane at a
concert. She was tidy, blscS-eyed
young woman in pink ribbons. l
thought had never beheld such Wis.,
ion OF purely mundane loneliness. Per-
haps | never had was young then.
Attending her was a tall, lank youth
with freckled skin and red HAIR,
against whom / conceived at once an
invincible prejudice. | did not know
the young man. Worse still, | did not
know Jane, and worst of all, he did. l
naturally hated him profoundly for this
advantage.
1t will be unnecessary to relate the
violent means | took to scrape an ac-
quaintance, how l surreptitiously fol.
lowed the pink ribbons home and
stealthily read the name Porter on
the door-plate; how / haunted the
street in my Sunday clothes till l made
myself an object of suspicion to the
police how | discovered that her father
was dentist, and that she had form
liable step-mother; how | found out
the church she attended, and hired a
seat behind her how l sent her valen-
tines, left anonymous bouquets on tho
doorstep, and all, alas to 40 purpose.
1t is needless to describe my bitter but
futile chagrin all this time at seeing the
red-headed youth frequent the houo on
the most familiar terms nothing, GER
tainly, but my native irmness of prin-
ciple saved him from assassination.
Driven at length to desperate straits,
! resorted to desperate expedient l
went to consult her father professional
~. | entered his Office with guilty mis-
givings. | trembled lest he should
divine my real purpose. He was a thin
little man with a weak voice and hack
ing cough. Nono the less | regarded
hun with profound reverence. Nay, I
invested him with an air OF distinction !;
was not he the father OF Janep Indeed,
esteemed it an undeserved honor to be
allowed to remain in his presence, 80
long had / yearned to know somebody
who belonged to her, my hearts idol. I
may say, briefly, in passing, that pres
emily recovered from that yearning.
But to return to the point, let me pre-
mise that had fine teeth. had never
felt twinge Of toothache in my life,
but nevertheless, that cold, hard, re-
morseless little-but no; | will not stig-
Matte him now. Poor wretch, his path
was not OF roses, and he has long since
gone the way OF all the living. Suffice
it to say he examined my teeth he
punched and prodded with various
tools he filed to find nerve; he failed
TO make me vince. think he was very
much disappointed; nevertheless he pre-
served an ominous silence. | consulted
his face ; he wore an inscrutable but de-
termined expression. l asked him
feebly if he found anything requiring
attention. He uttered vague and in
articulate exclamation and proceeded to
set forth tray of diabolical-looking in
struments; wrenches, gouges, vlses,
hooks, files, pinchers and scrapers, to-
gether with much cotton wool and cold
water, as though he expected hemor-
rhage. My heart began to beat like
trip-hammer and my stomach felt rs
though it were sinking intoa bottomless
pit. l affected to laugh, while a clammy
perspiration believed my forehead.
"Ha ha |" cried hoarsely. why,
doctor, you look as though you-you
were preparing for campaign"
The doctor with grim taciturnlty
went on with his preparations, during
which every shred OF courage oozed
from nv craven heart.
"Do-do you find that there is much
to be done? ?" | asked at length, huskily.
eve shall see better, presently" he
returned coldly, as he examined the
point of q liendish-loOking instrument
and waited for me to resume recuIn-
bent position. | lay back submissively,
and he began to file away on magnifi-
cent molar,
maintained my self-control by con-
stmtly repeating: cit is James father,
and, after al, what signifies one toOth%
During d pause in his proceedings,
while he stopped to rest his arms, l took
advantage Of the opportunity to make
slight advance.
"Dr. Porter" I began, "you are
ahem-haven't seen you at the lev.
DIR. Longtext's church ?"
"Qiitc likely"
every fine preacher, MIR. Long
text?"
~ doa't agree with YOU"
"Ah, indeed, that isl meant to say
it is pleasant to go there on account u
tie music.
"The choir is abominable."
This was not encouraging. l supse-
After this rebuff I lay back again in
the operating-chair, seeing no other al
Tentative. This time he began on the
upper jaw. UNCONVENTIONAL
struggling into sitting posture. Pray
excuse me, but-er-do you think.n
there anything-what can be the matter
with that tooth ?" .,
The implacable little doctor looked
coldly out Of the window and made no
reply. ,.,u ct
think that perhaps I won't have any
| .I,;no, mora dona At this time"