Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-03-02

she appeared pleased; and mutterine
something very uncomplimentary about
"never being able to understand q wom-
an, any way" he betook himself to the
preparations for ride.
But poor Susie! She had to endure a
long moral lecture, and only escape to
make ready the room for the expected
guest. And there were tears in her
eyes as she sprung up stairs, but whether
of regret for having behaved in so I'M
ladylike manner or from the anticipa-
ton of some mischief, it was very hard
to determine, for few minutes later, as
she was stirring up the feathers and
pounding the pillows, she repeated her
exclamation that it would be "ioIly. :"
and danced after fashion that would
have rendered the mother almost beyond
the possibility of recovering even with
the inevitable camfire.'
1t did snow, and vigorously. The
ground was deeply covered, it was damp
and packed readily, and made the sleigh
ing "iust lovely" AT least Susie said
TO her cousin as they stood by the win
dow after breakfast the next morning;
he looking, with an ill-concealed shiver,
out upon the black landscape, and she
mentally photographing and taking his
measure in more senses than one.
MAYHEM Patterson was neither man
nor boy, but in the transition state; was
very tall, angular, with sallow COM
plexion, with great eyes, strained and
weak from study and covered with
glasses; hair coarse and "slicked back
behind his ears" by superabundance
of grease, a beardless chin, high
shoulders, long arms and legs, wore a
tightly fitting single breasted coat, col
lar standing SO high that his large head
had the appearance of being suspended
upon it by the ears, inordinately extern
sive feet, hands that he did not know
what to do with, voice the reverse of
musical, bashful and awkward in the ex-
treme. In short, as Susie commented,
an incipient Dominic Sampson, though
never TO be possessed of his erudition.
eff Idon't prove a worse torment than
Meg Merrilles to him, Tn a sinnerl"
she said mentally, and then, in the soft
est and most insinuating manner, and
with face as demure as cat intent up
on stealing cream: 6 [ believe you are
studying divinity, Cousin Mayhew?"
eyes, yes. 1t is my hope some day
to fill the pulpit at home, or devoting
myself to Christianizing the savages of
foreign lands, go abroad as missionary"
he replied, with jerking utterances.
ga most noble resolve" said Susie,
rolling up her eyes and drawing down
the corners of her mouth to represent
humility, but in reality to keep from
laughing; and then, under her breath:
If you keep on growing you will GER
tainly fill any pulpit in length, and if
the cannibals take fancy to serving you
up as roast, it will be like picking
bones.
sc I didn't catch your last remark, Miss
Ayres.
"And you won't catch me telling it to
you," thought Susie.
"You were speaking of sleigh ride"
he continued, looking down into the
brilliant face and wondering if she would
not like to go with him to convert the
heather, while Susie was thinking what
heather he was himself in appearance
''Yes, we are going to have jolly
time" she replied.
81 think-somewhat surmise-am de-
cidedly of the opinion-that it might not
be just proper, in view of my future
life
sob, botheration If one can't have
any fun, what is the use of living ?" and
she bounded away to tell her father
''what a stick her cousin was.
Together they managed to get the
young gentleman into the sleigh, and as
1t soon became crowded and seats were
out of the question, Susie said, with the
most preposterous attempt at innocence:
"You wouldn't mind my sitting on
your knee, would you, cousin ?" and be-
pounced down upon his lap and put one
arm around his neck to steady herself,
and laid her little face so close to his
that he turned more colors than demon
allied rainbow, and experienced such a
sensation as he had never before dreamed
of
"Now," she continued, "put your
arm around my waist and hold me
tight" and she forced him to do SO and
arranged his great hand over her heart
and made it press SO close that he could
distinctly feel it's beating.
"But, cousin-Miss Ayres-this is
not according to decorum,' he gasped.
Fiddlesticks !" she laughingly re-
piled. "Just as if I don't know how all
you college boys act. And, girls, what
do you think of his wanting to kiss me
when he had never seen me before in all
his life %
twas whopper," but Susie didn't
mind that when she wanted to carry a
point.
"Miss Ayres," stammered the victim,
you know / never-never-''
"Then this is high time you did.
There!" and she made his lips fairly
burn with kisses.
But the sleigh was dashing on, the
horses tossing their names proudly, the
bells singling merrily. the girls singing
and laughing i'll chorus, and the keen ais
making them glad to huddle closely to-
gether, Down long, steep hill they
ratified, with many an "Oh!" and
"Gracious! jounced out Of their bod
les as they struck and bounded over a
g kiss me quick and generally being
tossed together 80 that Acknowledgement