The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-01-02
DIR. JOHN AND [.
How Our Little Misunderstanding
Was Finally Settled.

SASS ShtN nv ~ ~ 'NS ~
singing; that my voice was to him as a
beacon in She darkness, and led him to
me, and then the moon came out and
showed him my face, and his heart gave
a thump that scaled his fate.
The idea! say it was all on account
of a thunderstorm. II 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 tho 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 I have no more voice than a mos
quite. And it is only when there is a
great noise about me that l feel as
though l could sing in a 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-
hle. Wrapping up closely, I stole out to
I little pagoda way off behind the
ugi hard, and here with the whirling
leaves and the crashing thunder, shouted
Out at the top of my voice, of all things,
th7 grand march from The Prophet"
tia, la, Ia" were my words, and l won't
be certain that the tune was recogniza-
bic; but, anyhow, just as a highly tri-
umphant peal of thunder and voice
crashed out together, the moon tore a
big black cloud in tatters and threw her
light on a man who stood directly in
front of me. There is nothing at all
heroic about me, but ! 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 a step or two and again
AVE in total darkness.
81 beg your pardon" said he. "There
is nothing to be afraid of. My name is
John Brownlow. / am a 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 am afraid
shall have to beg your permission to stay
here for to-night-unless my mothers
house is not far distant"
1t was n long speech for a stranger tC
make, but it gave me time to consider
"You are DR.. Brownlow?" l said,
"Then you are not such a stranger tc
me. Your mother is a very dear friend
of ours. 1t is impossible for you to find
the way tonight, so, if you will, yor
had better stay with us until the morn
ing. o, no, there will be nc ~inconven
fence whatever"
So we started off together, and every
now and then / would stumble. 1t wa.
dreadfully awkward, and for the frs
time in my life 1 felt what embarrass
ment meant.
81 think you had better take my arm.
1t was the first word spoken, and W.
were halfway to the house. So I tool
it and felt more at ease, and then l TOLD
him how I happened to be out in thu
middle of the night. expected him t.
be awfully shocked, but he only laughed
and helped me over a big branch tina
had fallen across the path.
The rain began to fall in earnest now
and then-ye shades of propriety!--I an
a man whom l had never seen befor
started off on a solid run. And he dare,
to take out of his pocket a great bi
table-cloth Of a handkerchief, and throw
ing it over my head, calmly knotted tw
of its ends under my chin. OF course,
uoc npinn IN hn anrru lint hn inc
caught my arm and started off agair
and there was something so very-well
almost paternal-about the whole thin
that l changed my mind and laughe
stead.
DR.. John insisted on seeing mothe
t very night, and begged that h
hit prescribe for her and come to Sc
She really needed medical advice
mad turned a deaf ear to all my er
IIfnasieA> Mother could not, however
resisu the\ kind, strong man that ben
above her, &nd consented to his reques
After that, soiRehow, it did not seem t
be SO very sad to have mother sick, an
/ took to putting my front hair up i
curl-papers-a perfect useless piece {
labor, for l had the fftNffiest bang tina
grew in all the country hound.
DIR. John came every day, and mothe
improved visibly. When the time cam
for her to be up and about once more,
was a little startled to fir what a wor
derful demand her illne' had made o
my ribbons and ruchings, for only a pill
of crumpled and soiled Snes met my eye
There was nothing very disappcintin
about the reflections in which / indulge
as 1 sorted them overafd picked odt tn
most respectable looking.
The summer passed quickly away, an
although DIR. John had come to pay hi
mother "only a flying visit" someho'
he stayed on, and autumn came an
found him still at Silver Brooks and O
our house very often. l was a sill
young thing, and mother scolded yer
frequently aboutmy Observation-Disclosures
would blush very Hard all the Will
she was speaking, and then rush VI
stairs into my room aud weep my eye
red ovcr a dainty blue satin box tht
contained the relics Of five or six SUI
~piciously familiar withered nosegays.
A day osmo which ceAyiRsed me TIL