The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-04
DIR. JOHN AND [.
How Our Little misunderstanding
Was Finally Settled.

DIR. John is so provoking! HAwill in
sist that the beginning of it all was my
singing; that my voice was to him as a
beacon in the darkness, and led him to
me, and then the moon came out and
showed him my face, and his heart gave
thump that sealed his fate.
The idea! say it was all on account
of thunderstorm. If there hadn't
been a storm that spread black darkness
over all the roads he never would have
lost his way, and | never would have dis
graced the whole family by sitting out
in the pagoda at almost midnight. And
if there had been no storm never would
have felt like singing; with mother ly-
ing sick in bed up at the house. OF
course, he just insists to tease me be-
cause | have no more voice than a mos
quite. And it is only when there is
great noise about me that | feel as
though | could sing in way to make
the clouds send back the echoes.
Now you can side with whichever of
us you happen to like best-with me or
my great brown-bearded tyrant. The
only thing for you to know is that we
had never seen each other before. That
l had been closely confined to my
mothers sick-room all day and so could
not resist the tempting gale that shook
the trees and made the old house trem-
BILE. Wrapping up closely, stole out to
the little pagoda way off behind the
orchard, and here with the whirling
leaves and the crashing thunder, shouted
out at the top of my voice, of all things,
the grand march from The Prophet"
LA, la, Ia" were my words, and l won't
be certain that the tune was recogniza-
BILE; but, anyhow, just as highly tri-
umphant peal of thunder and voice
crashed out together, the moon tore
big black cloud in tatters and threw her
light on man who stood directly in
front of me. There is nothing at all
heroic about me, but l have never been
afraid of any thing; and he had his back
to the light, so l could not see his face.
He came forward step or two and again
we were in total darkness.
q beg your pardon" said he. ''There
is nothing to be afraid Of My name is
John Brownlow. l am stranger in
these parts and could not find my way
in the dark. l heard your voice. and
guided by it, reached here. Will you be
so kind as to direct me to Mrs. Brown
lows? All, here come the first drops of
rain! 1t is too bad; but l am afraid |
shall have to beg your permission to stay
here for to-night-unless my mothers
house is not far distant
1t was a long speech for a stranger to
make, but it gave me time to consider
You are DR.. Brownlow?'' l said
Then you are not such a stranger to
me. Your mother is a very dear friend
of ours. 1t is impossible for you to find
the way tonight, so, if you will, you
had better stay with us until the msn-
ing. 0, no, thers will be no inconven-
fence whatever
SO We started off together, and every
now and then | would stumble. 1t was
dreadfully awkward, and for the first
time in my life l felt what embarrass-
ment meant.
Il think you had better take my arm
1t was the first word spoken, and we
were halfway to the house. So took
him how | happened to be out in the
middle of the night. expected him to
be awfully shocked, but he only laughed
and helped me over big branch that
had fallen across the path.
The rain began to fall in earnest now,
and then-ye shades of propriety!-I and
a man whom | had never seen before
started off on solid run. And he dared
to take out of his pocket great big
table-cloth of handkerchief, and throw
ing it over my head, calmly knotted two
of its ends under my chin. OF course, 1
was going to be angry, but he just
caught my arm and started off again,
and there was something so very-well,
almost paternal-about the whole thing
that l changed my mind and laughed
instead.
DIR. John insisted on seeing mother
that very night, and begged that he
might prescribe for her and come to see
her.. She really needed medical advice,
but had turned deaf ear to all my en-
treaties. Mother could not, however,
resist the kind, strong man that bent
above her, and consented to his request.
After that, somehow, it did not seem to
be so very sad to have mother sick, and
took to putting my front hair up in
curl-papers-a perfectly useless piece of
labor, for l had the fullest bang that
grew in all the country round.
DIR. John came every day, and mother
improved visibly. When the time came
for her to be up and about once more, l
was little startled to find what won
derful demand her illness had made on
my ribbons and ruchings, for only a pile
of crumpled and soiled ones met my eye.
There was nothing very disappointing
about the reflections in which 1 INDUCED