Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-31

the promised visit to aunt Ruth's, in spite
Of her forewarnings of a coming spell of
neuralgia" which had intimidated her
from venturing out into the damp night
air; and also how she had plead headache
as an excuse for not going herself. She
knew that her mother was quite sharp
enough to draw her own differences from
these two facts and the additional one of
her being dressed with more than usual
care to spend an evening at home.
shall not dare to tell her now" she
said to herself "Shed be sure to think
that wanted to get her out of the way, so
that might have David all to myself"
I'll venture my word on it, you would
not have wondered at our bashful young
farmers desperate enthrallment if you
could have seen Annie Moore as she sat
sewing by the fire that frosty night in No.
vember. She had, just before supper, in
dulged in what Western girl would call a
" fixing up" A neat fitting dark chintz
dress, looking as fresh as when it had first
come out of the village store, a dainty
white linen collar and cuffs and coquet-
fish frilled apron of white muslin, and
blue neck ribbon tied in a cunning bow,
were the chief items of Armies toilet. But
she looked as sweet and pretty as if hours
had been spent in donning satin, lace and
jewels. Her rich, wavy, gold-brown hair
was carried in shining folds away from
her warm red cheek and caught up in the
meshes of silken net at the back.
Eight o'clock and past. Worthy Mrs
Moore was doing on her knitting Her
shadow on the opposite wall bobbed about
in grotesque mimieEy as she nodded to
and fro-nOw crushing the voluminous
white satin bows on the spruce cap against
the back of her chair-now almost falling
forward. while her fat hands at length
dropped listlessly in her lap, and her ball
Of yarn rolled down upon the hearth.
Puss, espying it, was soon busy in unwind
ing and converting it into all sorts of
Gordian knots.
ALI at once double rap at the door-an
audacious double rap-which said Let
me in" so loudly and impatiently, and in
such a self assured manner, that Annie,
rendered nervous by suspense, started up
with a little scream and set her foot on
Madam Puss's tail who IN turn, gave vent
still more loudly to her amazement and
displeasure
All these three combined, or rather rapid
successive noises, aroused Mrs. Moore, and
she started wildly into an erect posture,
rubbing her eyes, setting her cap border,
and exclaiming:
BLESS my soul, Annie What was that
Somebody at the door? What time is it,
and now and what can it be? So late as
this, too.'
Its not very late, mother Only little
after 8. I'll GO and see who it is" said
Annie, demurely, and at the same time
taking the one candle from the table.
No. Here Annie, you wind up my ball
and brush up the hearth while go to the
door. Drat that cat"
For the old lady's feet were all this while
struggling in the perplexing meshes of the
unraveled yarn.
In her hurry Mrs. Moore forgot to take
the candle with her; and as she stepped
out into the small, unlighted front entry,
she unwittingly closed behind her the door
of the room she had just left. Almost at
the same moment she put her hand on the
handle of the outer door, and opening it,
she suddenly found herself in the ardent
embrace of pair of stout arms. A whis-
kered face was brought into close proxim-
ity with her own, and before she could
fully realize her position, she received a
prolonged kiss-a hearty smack, given with
significant gusto which indicated that the
unknown was taking his revenge for sone
it said as plainly as words could have done:
" There, take that And all this fell upon
her unoffending, virtuous matron lips.
"Oh, murder murder 'Tain't Josiah,
neither %
For she had by this time Invested herself
of the impression that it was her usually
sober spouse returned home in a strangely
exalted condition, thus to indulge in such
unwonted demonstrations of conjugal af-
fiction Git Quit Git out, 1 say Muir
der Fire! Thieves Annie Annie
Do come here Here's man kissin' me
like mad"
But the intruder had by this time dis
covered his mistake and it did not need
the indignant pummeling and pounding of
the old lady's respectable fist TO make him
relinguish his hold and race off as if pur-
sued by some avenging fury.
Annie, nearly choked with smothered
laughter, in spite of her trepidation, now
came to the rescue.
"Oh. l never was so took aback in all
my born DAYS The mean scamp! Who
could it have been2 Annie, have you an
idea 2'
But that dutiful daughter was to all ap-
pearances rs innocent and ignorant as an
infantile dove. She tried to soothe the
indignant matron by representing that il
might have been (2) one of the neighbors
who, under the potent influence of wee
drop too much, had mistaken the house
and the-housewife! She searched the
entry for the missing spectacles, arranged
the rumpled cap ribbons, wound up the
tangled yarn, stirred the fire-all in the
most amiable manner possible-and at last
had the satisfaction of seeing her mother
subside into her rocking chair with her
usual tranquility of spirit.
But Mrs. Moore was fully awake now.
She had got new idea into her head,
and instead of settling herself for another
nap she pursued her train of thought and
her knitting both together, with wonderful
rapidity. At length, stopping and looking
keenly at Annie over her spectacles, she
said
" 1t may be queer notion of mine, An
ME, but I've fancy that man was David
Winthrop
Oh but Annie's face did catch fire then.
You might have lighted any number of
candles by it.
The suspicious symptoms did not escape
the eyes of the skillful inquisitor, who
calmly continued
Pears TO me; cause them big whiskers
put me in mind of hisn; and then the
awkward way he gripped me with his big
paws
No answer, but Annie was wonderfully
busy. She bent over her work and drew
her needle through so quickly, that the
thread snapped, and then she didn't have
time TO talk. she was so taken up with try
ing to coax the thread through the eye
again
Inflexible Mrs. Moore went on don't
believe that kiss was intended for me, after
all. Do you Annie? Well, of course we
know it wasn't. But then I wonder who
it was intended for? And wonder if you
don't know something more about it than
you see fit to tell ~
Me, mother?"
Yes, me, mother. You were mighty
anxious to let me an pap off to Aunt
Ruth's tonight but l noticed you were
slieked up extraordinary, for all you
weren't going"
Here Annie lost her needle, and she went
down on the floor to find it.
Now, Annie" her mother went on,
- I'm gettin' old, know that, but haven't
quite lost my eyesight yet, nor my hearin'
neither. I've surmised little somethin'
about these COINS on between you an
David afore now. What ar you a playin'