The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-08
"A WRONG GUESS.

was innocently proud of her prowess. Sh,
was a dark, brilliant little brunette. will
large, liquid eyes, whose curled tiashes
turned piquantly upward, and mouth az
red and fresh IS wild rose.
ssThe prettiest girl in all the country +
Walter Milliman said to himself, as he
leaned over the window sill. ssNarcssa r
he ventured to say, after second or two
ofrespectful silence, during which. although
she must have known perfectly well that
he was there. she never raised her eyes.
ooh is it you, Walter ?"
ssDon't let me interrupt you," said Wal
ter, little stiffiy. ''Tve brought you one
of Dora's little white puppies here in the
basket"
ga puppy 7 cried Narcissa, contemptu-
ously. "Me puppy! l hate dogsl /
dare say Alice Jeffries would like the dog, y
said She "Alice is fond of pets"
81 dare say so, too," Walter rejoined,
dryly. "Good morning, Narcissa Oh,
by the way"
"Well?"
Narcissa was stirring away more vigor-
ously than ever now.
"About the new moon picnic. I suppose
you will be going with Silber?"
81 shouldn't wonder, +" said Narcissa, col
oring up. sf
s'Then ! needn't tr5uble about coming
after your"
Certainly you need not"
So these silly young people parted
Walter Millman would have given his
life for Narcissa Hail. Narcissa loved the
very sound of the young fellows free, frank
voice; and yet nobody on earth knew why
they had both contrived to build up be-
tween themselves the framework of a very
pretty quarrel.
How ridiculous One of Dora's pup
pies, indeed p said Narcissa, tossing her
head.
"That fat, old SLIDER pondered Wal
ter {" man old enough to be her father
And weighing $50 pounds at the very least
Is the girl crazy?"
The Jam was a success OF course it
would be, being Narcissa Halls work /;
a ID she was portioning it into glass jars
with dainty precision, when she heard
heavy footsteps among the Sweet VIII
liams and Johnny Jumpups that bordered
the path outside.
s'That sounds exactly like Mr.. Silbers,"
she said to herself. "Horrid, fat old man!
what brings him here again? 1t was only
last week that he came here with the par
rot and father is with him. Well, / do
hope father won't tell kim that sold the
parrot to Bill johnson for SIS, because he
pulled the roses off my best hat and killed
the canary, and kept us all awake nights
shrieking How dye do how dye do . -
And thus meditating, Narcissa shrank
behind the clematine vines, that made
curtain of natural green across the case
ment.
Hush! Those were surely the rumbling,
sonorous tones of the squire himself!
81 s'pose, Hal, said ne with chuckle,
''you consider me too old for that sort O
thing"
ssWell, don't know" the good farmer
replied slowly. 'Tastes differ"
'sBut if / took fancy to the little
thing"
"Hum" said Mr.. Hall, doubtfully.
Sand I'll give her a real good home.
Every bit as good as she has here"
81 never doubted that, Mr.. Silber."
s'Tll go bail she'll be happy with me-"
''She'd ought to be happy with you
sartin', squire.
''Oome." said SLIDER, insinua.ingly, s'is it
bargain.
ST can't take it on me to decide" said
Mr.. Hall, meditatingly. "You must ask
Narcissa yourself, Mr. SLIDER.
'.But you don't think she'll object ?'sr
81 don't know" said Mr. Hall, shaking
his head don't know Girls are queer.
There's never no telling which way they'll
jump. You ask her yourself, say"
But Narcissa did not wait for the sequel
of this strange discussion. Her cheeks
blazed crimson; her eyes sparkled like Jet
stars, as she caught her bingham sunbonnet
off its nail behind the kitchen door, and
he oro Of rror ,o&a
on the table, sped away over the daisy
spangled fields to certain upland meadow,
where Walter Milliman was harnesslng the
old horses to glittering moving machine
ssNarcissa!" he said IN amazement.
sOh, Walter" she said, II am so fright
ened II don't know what it all means
| don't know whatI ought to do r
He hung the bride over an old pump,
and led Narcissa into the shadow of an
umbrella-like oak that grew near the stone
fence.
ssTell me about il" said he
Il was strange how each had sett q i ITO
his and her relative position Narcissa
iaging, trusting, hiding herself, as it were
under the aegis of his protection Walter
calmly superior in the midst of his tender
solicitude. W
s.Why, child" said he, s'the old idiot
wants TOTO marry you'll"
Narcissa crimsoned to the very roots of
her hair.
~ thought So" she whispered ssI was
almost certain of it. But-but what am I
to dor"
He took both her little cold hands in
his.
.sDon't be frightened, Narcissa," said he.
s'You can't marry two people at once, can
your" ~
"No-at least, suppose not.
sAnd you're engaged to me, aren't you ?"
eff you say SO, Walter" hanging down
her head.
81 do say SO, Narcissa And now let me
take you home. Well see whether old
SLIDER is to have everything his own way or
not"
"But the horses, Walter?"
"They'll stay here contentedlys enough
until 1 come back, pet-never fear. Oh,
by the way, Narcissa little Dorette is in
the basket under the hedge. / haven't
given her to Alice Jeffreys yet"
sob, Waiter do get herr" whispered
N rcissa. The little white fluffy darling !
I've been thinking of her ever since ever
since you went away. And, Walter" nerv-
ously playing with the buttons Of his coat,
al told you q horrid story about the par
rot, couldn't endure the screeching little
thing, and Billy Johnson took it away three
days ago. ------------.- -i------ ------'-----~
% Narcissa, you are the dearest little
girl in the world II cried the enraptured
lover.
sNo, I am not" confessed thefair pen
itent. II am a cross, deceitful, treach-
But here the catalogue of sin was cut
short with absorbing kisses.