The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-10
ENDED IN SMOKE.

|
| More and greater oaths to break.
| Than reclaimed lovers take
'Gainst women Thou the siege dost
| lay
Much, 100, in the female way.
lam sitting on the back porch of my
little vine-clad cottage this lazy May
morning, pulling immense volumes OF
smoke from my old meerschaum pipe,
undisturbcd by aught save the chirp-
ings of the songsters OF spring, and the
CHEEKY voice of my sister Bessie, as sho
goes singing about her household
duties. 1 am thinking doeply-think-
inc of my pretty next door ncighbor,
| Kittie American. She is q witching
little girl with the blacklist of hair and
the bluest of eyes. She does not look
her age by five years. which her
widowed mother innocently told me
was less than my own by ten years,
and am turned thirty-fve.
| have known Kittic nearly year.
have ridden with her, played with
her, and worked with her; and to-day,
for tho first time, the startling revela-
ton has dawned upon my obtuse
intellect that l am deeply in love with
her.
About fifteen months ago L came
| from the North, bringing with Inc my
only sister. Bessie, and my cousin,
Basil Willoughby, and settled down in
Bonnie Brae, one of the picturesque
! little villages which comprise the
suburban belt of Baltimore. Basil is o
| literary man, and am an artist. My
sister keeps house for lis two old
bachelors. though the term can hardly
be properly applied to Basil, for he is
only q tall, slender STRIPPING Of
twenty-four summers, rs fair and deli
cate of feature rs girl; while am
dark, short, heavy-set, weather-beaten,
and fast growing gray.
I puff and puff until have thor
oughly made up my mind that to-day
shall settle my fate, ut least so far as
! Miss Kittie American is concerned.
Carefully knocking the ashes out of my
pipe, / arise and walk leisurely over to
Mrs. Americans. / find Kittie out in
the yard, busily engaged in wedding
her flower beds and soiling her pretty
fingers. She looks up with a sunny
smile as she sees me, and exclaims in
quiringly,-
''Not painting this morning, Mr..
BorroughsP"
mo. Miss Kittio," I reply, II am
suffering from an acute attack of
spring fever, and have come to you for
sympathy and consolation"
II greatly fear you have come to the
wrong individual" she says, laughing
merrily, 'for am going to ask you to
turn gardener and help me to rid my
flower bed of these horrid weeds"
.Let us compromise. Miss Kittie, by
taking stroll in the woods after wild
flowers" reply.
"Done!" she exclaims, rs she runs
into the house after her bonnet; and soon
we are strolling along together in the
most contcnted manner possible.
never noticed before how graceful
her 1.-the, petite figure really is, how
lustrous her eyes, or how tempting her
rosebud mouth, and l am seized with
an almost uncomfortable desire to take
her up in my arms and imprint kiss
when he has been badly hit! but what
man very deeply in love ever yet pos
sessed a vestige of practical common
sense of which the all-absorbing pas
sion did not wholly deprive himp
We stroll leisurely through the leafy
woods, conversing on various topics OF
art and nature, culling wild flowers
here and there, and finally, when we
have done, Kittie seats herself on the
trunk of y fallen tree, and l stretch
myself indolently ut length upon a
downy bed of dry leaves. 1 wonder If
l shall have the courage to carry out
my original design, and con over what
shall say and how 1 shall say it. /
gaze at Ilittie long and searchingly.
Although she is looking the other way,
she must be aware of my scrutiny, for
presently she turns to me and asks
quizzicaily,-
"Arc you thinking of putting me on
canvas, Mr.. Borroughsp"
II confess / was not. but indeed /
would like to, Miss Kittie." l reply
earnestly-so earnestly that o faint
color mounts to her forehead.
A long pause ensues, and then say
abruptly
"Kittie, love you; will you be my
wifep'
She looks Mt me n moment in utter
amazement, and then coolly replies
mr.. Borroughs, do not believe l
can"
care your affections otherwise en-
gagedP" l inquired eagerly.
"No, think not" she answers
placidly.
"Then why can't youp" / ask calmly.
"Well, have reasons"
"But what are theyP'' Iquery trifle
impatiently.
swell. Mr.. Borroughs, you arc q
great smoker, and / do dctest smok-
Ing"
'But why have you not told me so
before thisp" exclaim, throwing away
my cigar. 81 had an idea you en-
joyed seeing me smoke"
"Oh, do like to see you enjoy
yourself, but under certain circum-
stances it would be different, you
know, having a smoky breath about
| one all tho time ~ abe replies blushinc