The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-17
A STORY ABOUT couRriNo.


Exchange,
The old folks couldn't stand Il much
longer. There no was night after night
In the parlor with Jennie, and all
sorts of hours would pass and he
wouldn't SO. don't think they mind
cd that 30 much, but Il asea % VERY
them 70 be woke up with \ start ev.
cry now and again. You know how
IL Is yourself, don't your You rencm-
Der when you courted sweet Jessie
tor the matter of that you may no
member 20 longer ago than last night
the long pauscs, the ncaningfnl
pauses, when you forgot that the old
folks were over head and OK peoted you
to talk = good deal 10 their daughter.
| will not give you away. You know
there were no air waves when you
had shut off the supply necessary. You
know that Jessie suddenly said;
s'0h, Wiilisi What viii papa AMI
mamma think? We must make some
noise.s'
She then began TO play very loudly
on the piano, WIN people ever really
believe that the old folks arc deceived
by sudden noises and gay, loud laugh
ter and commonplace remark In
loud tone and all other Transparent
lodges sweethearts use when they are
oourtingg Why, they have hecn there
themselves, and they can tell when
you steal kisa In the middle Of sen-
tence. But those Interruptions are
very useiNl. They break up the mon-
otony OF the thing and give you n
chance To begin all over again. dare
say the old lady smiles as shc sits NJ
her knitting when Jessie opens the
door and cries
"Oh, mamma, are you there9"
"ics,a mamma says and--goes nn
knitting. Mamma knows that Willie
thought ha heard y sound outside and
Jessie had TO give an excuse for going
out TO SEQ Ii Ii WAS her mother. No. |
No. What If Willie does steal kiss
or two and Jcssie's hair Is just trihe
out of curl and her cheek IL just little
rcdder than the weather justifes. and |
there's long, long hair OF brown an
Willie's coat collar. Only as she sits |
and knits she dreams of the time when |
her Willie came and courted her, and
the happy summer nights with their
and balmy odors, and the
stormy winter evenings, when the fire
with delight and her brown
hair rested ON his shoulder m they sat
and listened In silent happiness to the
roaring gale and the dashipg rain. 80
,onrt on, happy youth. Tho years
ny past quite fast enough and there arc
sorrows and responsibilities, breads
md fears 10 come, Tor us all.
But the old man of whom ] speak
was different. lie didn't care to have
i Acutely brought 10 him that his
lays for spooniDg were over. lilo for.
rot how he had done just the same thing
himself, forgot all except that some
body else was having the same fun hc
lad long ago passed through. So he
'aid to Jennie that II Willie could not
70 Al ton O'clock there was going To
be trouble. OF course she told the
young man like dutiiui daughter
N hat her pa said, but Il was eleven
o'clock before she told him. There
was clock In the parlor that struck
inc hour in a slow reRre!iil way, nm II
20 say: 81 hate TO tell you but II IL
.en o'clock" One day the old man
brought home new clock aud put II
,arelessly on little bracket just over
inc sofa. That night tho clock on the
mantle began its usual regretful chime
md rang out ten O'Clock. They paid
no attention, but seemed 10 put their
leads closer together, when five min
itcs later suddenly from that little
bracket there came "banR - bang
Dang," like a Are bell very much
and the young man shot out
It the front door like rocket. The
Did man had given him just FIVE min-
ties grace.