The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-30
BEING ENGAGED.

felt that she would almost be wiling % fofcEo
Tho pleasure Of hearing n man ask n he
might come 20 scc her Sunday night, II that
pleasure were 20 result In such a gaze ~ this.
She could not account for her suffering from
such guilty feeling when She was not guilty
Of nnvthing. unless 10 were 81 being ~ az.
traciive that a gentleman dceircd her society.
At this thought she blushed, and then com
mon scDse whispered 10 her that she was not
attractive
II was Of no use % try 20 look her mother
IN the face, and she gave up the attempt
After a terrible silence Mrs Green cried out;
IL never! ! declare ! never did,"
Mchitablc tremblcd
Gle was a-wcigh.n' the ROSTERS, she said
fcebly.
"He want a-weighin' no ROSTERS when
YOU m he was stan'in' by the fence, without
bein' nigh no ROSTERS, was The stern reply.
Mehitablo felt that there was nothing for
her 70 say, and 50 she said nothing. She only
tried 10 hold herself W that her mother should
he ns little aggravated as possible.
elias that man buried bis second wifep
Gle hasn
ooh gracious land'
Here Mrs Green deliberately withdrew
her hands from the back OF the chair, sat
down In that chair. and then. with ostonta-
tions carcfulncss, began 20 unto the hand
korchief from her head and b fold 1t ON her
knees When She had donc this, she looked
up al her girl and made this inquiry;
"Whcn d be bury herr
"Aboni SIX months ago
"Ilc's been a mourner over sence, s'poscf
II s'p0se 80" dejectedly came from Mehit-
able's lips.
The poor thing was ondcavoring % brace
herself in some way She knew that she had
n right TO receive Nh Smiths addresses, but
this knowledge was Of singularly little avail
90 her.
She was immensely asionished and intefn
ably alarmed when her mother said, rising
20 her feet ns She spoke.
1--WE mustn't be- a fooliu here If we want
10 get them bunnits sowcd fore the man
comes
Mohitablo eagerly sat down 90 the straw
work. For two hours She expected, every
time her mother opened her lips, 20 hear
something more Of the dread subject But
no. Mrs Green was remarkably amiable and
"thc gentlemen were not mentioned in any
way.
SO the days passed., and nothing was said
II will be guessed that Mrs Green had not
only inherited the Farnsworth look, but the
Farnsworth shrewdne-s as well What She
said 10 herself was. III ] 60 acinst that
Parrot Smith. she'll take nap all tho more for
him. 50 I'm hold my tongue
She was one of those exceptional women
who. having resolved 10 hold her tongue, can
do So
Thus il came 10 be Saturday night When
D. d Il
NAL room. she stood with her small kerosene
lamp in her hand before her foot-square look
ing glass She was meditating the act Of
doing her hnir up in "crinps.' She had not
hitherto had any occasion for crmps, bat %
seemed 20 her now that the time had come
for this adornment When She had gone 20
the library that afternoon she had stopped
into the store and bought pair Of crimping
pins. These instruments were shaped like
very stout hair pins, each furnished with
slide which confined the hair. When she had
come into the house she had felt as If her
mother could see these articles, although they
were wrapped up 40 the bottom Of her pocket,
and her circular was over her pocket She
never felt exactly certain how far her
mothers knowledge extended
II was cold in her chamber The wind
made a loud whisfling when il was that side
of the house At this moment, however, the
occupant II the room was not cold. She
looked at herself full front, quartering, and
tried 10 see her face In profile, with but poor
success. Finally. she set down the lamp,
with drcary sigh.
I'm jest a fright, that's what / be- she
said aloud.
She held the crimping pins for a long time
in her hand She wondered how they would
make her look Sine wished her mother were
going 10 stay over Sunday somewhere, and
then She, Mchitable might experiment with
those pins. But her mother never went
away She was always there % oversee every
thing Mehitable shuddered al the thought
of what might be said when her hair was
seen done up in those pins
Then kind Of CONFUSION Of courage
came 10 her, and she did what she believed
20 be the bravest act Of her life She
twisted her hair up in those instruments, and
without waiting 10 consider what she had
done or what she should do on the morrow,
she hurriedly crept TO her bed.
When she went down stairs the next
morning. Mrs Green did not seem 20 see that
her girl had her head bound up IN handker
chief which carefully concealed her brows.
The excessive amiabiity continued even up
TO the time when Mchitable came from her
room after their late dinner, IN her best
black wooden dress. and with a wavy fun of
iron gray hair over her forehead. That
Mrs. Green experienced a shock at that mo-
ment cannot be- doubted, but she did not
make IL manifest.
The two women sat in the kitchen. The
elder one had book Of the Psalms, in very
large print. open ON her lap She appeared
20 be reading diligently. The Younger was
holding a Bible. but she did not even make
the prctense Of perusing 10. She was think
ing that the fire was ready 10 touch of pa
the scttn' room stove, and wondering how
long 1t would be before the room would be-
warm II Mr. Smith should come. And If he
came what would be sayi She had done
the barn chores full half hour earlier than
,ho had ever done them before, and her
mother had made no remark.
IL he came. what would he Sayl This ques
tion required again aud again She could
not 10y any possibility, put it from her mind
IL hummcd over and over In her thoughts.
1t is piliable 20 have to relate that Meht-
able had never had SUNDAY night COMPANY"
In all her life. She bad a hay belief that
luis was II Vel oHAh Ati'A ttA' STU "' Nt't'f
IL might never be said with truth O.; her again.
Surely somebody had driven into the yard
somebody said Whoa very loudly and en-
phaticaly
Il guess we're goin' 20 have callers, M'hii-
able. said Mrs. Green weetly. "lou run
right m light the sett'n' room stove, m III
go 10 the door ~
While Mehitable was lighting the stove
her mother ushered into the kitchen Mr.. Al
lhonso Smith. lie said he guessed he might
: well take out his boss M stan 1t in the barn,
a. twas kinder bitin' out
lie Immediately disappeared, and was eve
IDENTIFY ''stan in his hos In the barn. When
be returned Mehitable was in the kitchen,
and be shook hanGo With great cordially
with bosh women. and said with gusto that
he had an idea that two women alone so
might be lonesome like, m he jest dropped