Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-03-06
HOW KITTY CONSENTED.

tea cakes. Her white cambria apron wa
smoothly tied over her neat dress-a ligh
calico sprinkled with rosebuds and forget
me-nots, which had taken Uncle Jerry
fancy on his last visit to town, and whicl
he could not be convinced was too yOun!
or gay for his wife.
And, in Sooth, Aunt Betsey was pleasan
and comely to behold, with her smOotl
bands of silvery hair, displayed as tn,
breeze blew back her cap-border, and th
expression of goodness and kindliness upol
her still rosy face.
She hummed cheerfully to herself, as sh,
knitted, some thing about "a rest beyond
the skies" while Jemima as she mixed ant
rolled the dough, occasionally took up the
refrain.
Presently there came strolling across the
grassy lawn in front of the house two per
sons, one handsome, manly looking youth
and the other pretty girl with laughing
face and mischievOus dark eyes.
They sat down on the green bench OF
the porch, shaded by the trellis of multi
flora, rose and white jasmine, and Aunt
| Betsy in pause of her song, heard then
talking together.
Dear me !" she said to Jemima, "why
there's Joe cOurting Kitty again"
We'll" answered Miss Jemima, "It's
more'n would do. How often has he got
to ask that girl before she consents to mar.
ry him, I'd Jest like to know"
Unconscious of these comments, Joe was
pleading his cause with the pretty girl
of the bright, mischievOus eyes.
kitty, l don't like to hear you talk
about going home. Couldn't you be con-
tent to stay here and make your home with
us always.
Well" answered Kitty, slowly, as il
deeply considering the question, II like the
country; and if"
IF what 2" said Joe, eagerly.
'If l had handsome country house
and handsome carriage"
Kitty, will you be in earnest for once
You know that / can't afford fine house
will do everything for your happiness that
is in my power to do. Don't you believe
me?"
well, l don't accuse you of telling un-
truths, Joe. But what is the use of always
talking about such things? We're SO
young. | am only eighteen, and you twen-
tythree. Surely there's plenty of time for
Us to wait.
I've waited over whole year," said
Joe, glOomily.
Dear me is it so long? But, after all,
what is year to us? Why, we may both
of us live to be hundred years old like
that couple we were reading about in the
papers last night, and then we may regret
that we didn't enjoy our youth longer, in
stead of getting married so young. Besides,
/ believe in waiting. 1t is the test of con-
stancy."
MY constancy needs no test" said Joe
with firmness.
But perhaps mine does How do /
know but that could like some one else
better than / do you ?"
She looked at Joe, with her laughing
eyes Just visible above the bunch of wild
roses she was holding to her pretty retrOussi
nose.
Joe regarded her sternly in reply, aud
viciously chucked away an innocent lady
bird that was crawling on the multiflOra.
How cen you be so cruel, Joseph? 2" said
Kitty, solemnly. "That poor insect never
harmed you"
Look here, Kitty, I've had enough of
this. | don't want to be made fool of any
longer You will force me to do something
desperate"
"Well, can't help your doing desperate
things if you choose to do them. You're
old enough to know how to conduct your
self properly. And now 1 smell cousin
Jemima's tea cakes baking-Tm so glad
we shall have my tavOrite tea cakes for
supper-and Tll just go and put my flowers
in water before we are called in."
And she arose and tripped lightly away,
humming gay song.
THAT gal" said Miss Jemima, who had
heard fragments Of the foregoing discourse
that gal would worry the life out of
Job himself I've a great mind to put
away the tea cakes for to-morrow's supper,
and not let her have taste of them to-
day"
'Oh, she'll come around some time" said
Aunt Betsy, cheerfully. ''Its the way
with some gals, though Pm bound to con-
fess that | never carried on that way with
my Jerry"
Kitty went up to her room and put her
flowers in water. And then, standing near
the window brushing back her curls, she
said to herself little remorsefully:
81 dare say do tease Joe too much, but
/ can't help it. l suppose it's my nature.
But l don't mean to give up JOe--nOt
And I'll be kinder to him tomorrow"
She heard the tramp of horse. and
looking out, she saw Joe riding away on
his beautiful bay, on which he always
looked so we'll
"Oh, so he's gone to the Harveys," said
Kitty, with toss of the head, as she
watched him turn into the orchard road
That's tc pay me off, | suppose, and ex-
cite my jealousy. Well, We'll see. AS if
caredw
Cousin Jemima might as well have car
ried out her threat of not producing the tea
cakes for though Kitty made point OF
devouring two or three of them with
great show of relish, they had lost their
charm for her, and more than once she felt
as though they were choking her.
The next morning she made point of
not going down until Joe had finished his
breakfast, and she exulted, as over the
stair banisters she saw how he fingered
about the porch and hallway, pretending
to be looking for missing articles, before
he finally followed his father to the corn
field 1t was busy time and they did not
come home to dinner.
Kitty thought it was the longest day
she had ever spent, and she hardly knew
what to do with herself.
But in the evening she PUT on white
lawn dress, with rose in her hair, and
went down stairs to where Joe was sitting
on the porch pretending to read paper.
He looked up wistfully, but Kitty passed
him and went to the little front gate,
where presently she was engaged in an an.
imated chat with with young DIR. Bowers,
who happened to be passing.
Joe knew that the Doctor admired Kitty,
and while they stood chatting together he
sat on the steps, scowling like thunder