West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-10-10


comfull than me living alonger my jolly
old she-cat of a mother, who do her
best TO make me miserbull, yoars for
ever and tho day after. Edward Wig
gins "A dead silence reigned in court
rs Peter slowly spelt out the letter, and
ali eyes were turned 10 Widow Wig
gins. She was n bony woman, not
more than fifty, with knuckly fists. and
IL must have gone hard with her son
had she turned on him i'm the full tenn
pest of her wrath. Before the letter
was half read through she had risen
from her seat and was glaring at him
in such treatening way that Mr.
Mumps deemed IL prudent to get lit
tie closer to them. But when Peter
arrived at the climax, and she heard
herself likened To- "a Jolly old she-cat,"
her mood strangely changed. Without
"A world she lifted glass of ale from
the table, poured the liquor over her
hands, ard went through the move
mcnts of washing them, sprinkled her
recrcat offspring with the surplus drip
pings, dried her trembling fingers on
her apron, and stalked mutely out of the
room.
Thus formally rcnounced by his wild
owed mother. defendant sat some few
moments visibly embarrassed and I'M
certain what to do; nor did Miss Crog-
gins behavior at this juncture tend to
restore his selt-possession. Whether
under the altered aspect of affairs she
regarded him rs an abandoned orphan
1t was only commonly human to pity;
or whether she was overcome with re-
morse for having been mainly instru-
mental in causing this painful rupture,
L Int l. NJ
glanced at him in his perplexity the
memorable hardness in which her face
was set gradually thawed, and tear
was seen to trickle between the fingers
OF the hand with which she presently
covered her eyes. Old Croggins. how
ever, remained unmoved. Growlinplv
rcbuking his daughter for her dis
play, OF weakness, he cheerfully proceed
ed with the case. whether that letter
was wri; in chat or in playfulness,
or miXshur of both, or whether
1t was rally what it purtendei to
be, young Virgins knows best. Any
how, she as knows him best seemed TO
have her own ideas about it, and YOU
all are witnesses that they were rayther
strong 'uns. Very we'll, then, on we
goes, fust of Janivary that letter is, and
though can't show you what the an
swer to IL was, here's another. See
what it is TO have the gift of eddcation,
ana to be always writingi Only
few weeks afterwards, in which what
he says Peter shall read out to YOU.
ketch hold, Peter, and don't laugh over
1t like you did last time, or youth get a
clip aside of the ear. It's your own sis
ter you re reading about, bear i'm mind"
And with solemn visage, Peter com.
menced: Dear Rarsberry-You know
them clancy tee-things what YOU took a
fancy TO at the shop in Hoxton? We'll.
they're bought and paid for, my chick
a-biddy, and you've only got to send for
'em, and they're yourn, our'n, mean,
of course. l wish as how it was winter
time stead of spring. Stead of grow
ing shorter the DAYS get longer, and
that makes il seem to stretch out the
days and weeks that stand atwixt--'
But Mt this point young Virgins rose
to his feet That's enough OF it, ouv-
ner, he remarked, with desperate calm
ness. 'Shove 'em all back in that
blessed old box, and put the kiver on.
won't stand out about the promise. |
didn' think I'd put it so strong, but
there's black and white for it, and IL
cant be got ove:. Very WELL saws
you, then what have you got to say as
to wrltin' that windingup letter break
ing 1T all off? To which / answer:
What s Sarah got to say about that
SOLDIER Had Miss Croggins been
OF the male gender, and a deserter
from the army. and at that moment n
military escort had stepped into the
room to effect her arrest she could not
have exhibited more sudden consterna-
lion E.NpFV In
less amazed, and old Croggins, looking
from one to the other, could ONLY eiacu,
late: Soldier! What soldier?'5 The
one she meets on the sly" said Edward
Virgins, sternly; 'the one what she
was seen with at Battersea three weeks
ago last Sunday, when she told me she
was going to the orspital to see her
aunt; the one what | see her with, with
my own eyes, kissing at ten O'Clock at
night, at Broad st eet Railway Station.
There she is; let her deny il if she's
got the face TO do it," And down sat
young Virgins, with his arms tightly
folded over his heaving chest.
But Miss Croggins did not faint;
neither did she fall on her
knees and implore her fathers for
giveness; she laughed outright, and
there was not the least tinge of hys-
terics III her merry tones. " You zeal
Gus donkey!' she exclaimed 'why of
course l kissed him, and I'll kiss him
again hundred times if I like. |
didn't mean it to come out Just vet.
cause though the money is paid the
papers amt made out yet, and he won't
have his liberty till next Friday. when
he means to come home unexpected.
and surprise you, father. II is our Bill
he means, whose been away these five
years He's got sick of soering. and
We been saving the money to buy him
OIL and he's coming back TO be the
steady chap he used to be. And now.
Teddy Virgins, YOU know all about il.
and you can 90 home to your mother"
But instead Of taking her advice the
sturdy young baTowman did something
that was much more likely TO tend TO
his ultimate happiness. Relieving his
pent-up emotions with loud Hur-
rah !' he flung up his hat. and vaulting
over the table that stood between them,
went straight for Miss Croo0ins
and, whether she would or no. gave her
hug and a kiss. She resisted some
what when he kissed her again. when.
IN open court, she kissed him i'm return
And so the case came to happy con
cluslon without either me or Mr.
Mumps being called on - LOHd0R Tee
gr0ph.