The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-05-06

Molly drew herself up with an air OF
offended dignity, and stammered some-
thing about there being no occasion
she was satisfied, and nobody else
need
"Tut, tut" said DR.. Stone, al have
deliberately undertaken to serve hel,
and shall not be deferred except by
very clear and emphatic reasons. There
is no sense in letting Harry go on SO.
That wild and unprincipled girl, Clara
Evans, is doing her best to draw herne
over him. She is playing high game
and may win. Such thing is possible,
and it will avail neither him nor you
anything if he finds he has been mis-
taken when it is too late"
Here the doctor paused, and looked
so long and pensively down upon the
grassy path that Molly was convinced
that the popular suspicion which had
attached itself to his previous history,
and which affected to account for his
protracted celibacy, was not wholly un-
authorized. Her heart suddenly opened
to him when she thought it not unlikely
that he had been the victim of such arts
as were destroying her peace.
81 am older than you are, Molly" he
continued, "and have seen moro of
life, and therefore my advice may claim
your attention. AS l said, nothing else
than fit of jealousy will give Harry
his wits again. Let him see that there
is chance of losing you, and his flash
ing cousin may go home again very
suddenly. I'll wager he hasn't said
word to you about the picnic, and there
isn't girl who hasn't received her in
vitation three days ago. Miss Clara
will tell him it is sufficient just to let
you have time to put your bonnet on
and that's all the ceremony they'll stand
upon"
Molly burst into tears.
"Tut, tut! I don't love to see little
girls cry; so wipe your eyes, and we'll
speedily set the tide the other way.
haven't been with the young people
these many years, but with an excellent
object in view am happy to depart
from my usual custom, and if you VIII
accept conceited old beau like myself
III take you down to Green Valley on
Saturday with my feetest horse, and
well make quite an impression"
"What VIII people say?" inquired
Molly, but half persuaded
"What we wish to have them say is
hat you have given Harry the go-by,
and that / interd to settle down like
OF er sensible gentlemen, and all that
sort of thing. You are girl Of spirit
Molly, and III wager if you'll twist
your curls anew, and put on the pretty
white dress, and fall into your old Ways
Of laughing-all for my edification, of
course-we shall have people talking
fast enough AMI Harry at your feet be-
fore day after tomorrow night"
The picture was so pleasant that
Molly laughed involuntarily.
"Now be q little stiff, Mollie," said
the doctor when they parted; "don't
yield at once, and I'll wager that we
shall not need to give your Harry an
other lesson. I'll manage it for you"
At the next turn Dr. Stone fell in
with Aunt Goodenough, an excellent old
lady who came hobbling along in her
big bonnet and spectacles. After pass
ing diffuse compliments and discours-
ing with considerable prolixity upon the
weather and the rheumatism with
cognate ills, Aunt Sally proceeded to
remark:
"Well, doctor, expect if we was
young we should be going to the picnic
along with the boys and girls
DR., Stone plainly WINGED
Young, do you say9 l am sure
l never was more vigorous than 1 am at
present. l don't think you ever saw
gray hair in my head" (Aunt Sally had
been purblind for years.. "Young in
deed There isn't o fresher, gayer
young man in these parts. I think
have done myself injustice in allowing
the grave cares of business to force me
into undue sobriety, and have deter
mined to assume my proper character,
and shall begin by going to the picnic
with the rest"
A smile of intense astonishment broke
over the benevolent countenance of
Aunt Sally, and an additional point
painfully stimulated her curiosity.
"Oh, la, now, l always said you
would take Peggy Williams" "
"NIiss Williams, indeed Why, she
is old enough to be my mo-that is q
very deserving lady, but not quite
suited to my years. A girl of twenty
would do very well"
~ see you was going up street with
Molly Brown, little while ago. Now,
il she wasn't engaged 1 should say
twas her." suggested the distressed /.
Aunt Sally.
"There Isl reason why she shouldn't |
be guided by her own preference" re-
turned the doctor, modestly; "and am
quite willing you should know in conf
dence, Mrs. Goodenough-we are old |