Connecticut western news., 1890-02-26

"Well, what can't be helped, can't; so what is the use of talking? We may just as well make the best of it and come right down and take what fun there is going; so let's walk on to Betty Plummer's and tell her we will accept her invitation for tomorrow night, and go right ill for a good time with the neighborhood young folks. I said at first never would do it, bht then I did not expect to stay here forever; now begin to think we may. But, let's draw the line at mar rying, we will firt with the boys and have a good time. Twill be some thing to take up our time. Grandpa and grandma will like all but the flirt- ing; they will begin to have hopes of us and think we are at last growing sensible, and we can keep dark about our real opinions of folks and things. 1 hope, though, they will not play kissing games. Just think of having grandpa's hired man kiss us! Of course, he is invited"
 Betty Hummer was quite overcome by the sudden cordiality of Mabel Tinkham and her adopted sister, Mary Peck, and for the rest of the day was in quite a fluiter of excitement over the event.
 Roland Holland and his friend, Jack Staples, had chanced upon the Plum meS farm for their halting place in this neighborhood while sketching. When they returned 10 late dinner the voluble, gay-hearted Betty chatter ed of her morning callers, and with country freedom soon had given the young men full history of neighbor Tinkham's oldest son who had :' years ago left the farm and gone to New York as a clerk, and lately became what the country people called stock gambler; had been rolling in money a few years, and married a city girl; later had lived in Europe few years, and then, just as all gamblers do sud denly he began to lose, and all at once found himself at the bottom of the heap and glad enough to send his two girls to his old home, which had never been good enough for them to visit when they had lots O money"
 She told the young man that the girls were real nice, but couldn't do thing to earn a dollar, and seemed actual v proud of it!
 Then she talked of valentine party, and the young men having identified Mabel Tinkham and Mary Peck as the two stylish young ladies of the morn- ing episode, entered into Betty's plans, and soon hal given the quick-witted country girl some hints about valentine tricks. Betty was always ready for good-natured joke and readily agreed to their suggestions.
 In response 10 one of these she went over 10 grandpa Tinkham's on the evening of the thirteenth and told the girls of these tricks. One was for the girls to take an early morning walk on the fourteenth and the first man they met would surely be their future hus- band! Others were to be tried at the house. One of these was 10 go out into the dark, and standing on the doorstep unwind ball of twlne for few yards and holding the end of the twine in one hand, with the other throw the ball as far out into the dark ness as possible, then begin to wind up the end in their hand, repeating these lines:
 ''I wind this long line so very fine,
 Hoping to find at the other end.
 The love would call my valentine,
 The man I'd choose for lover and friend.''
 Then. unless one was predestined old maid, at the end of the line would hnfo !, f,,t husband who would yield the line to her, clasp her in his arms and take his first kiss and disappear in the dark ness, and when the gates were propi- tious she would meet this very man, perhaps be introduced to him in the most prosaic and orthodox manner; and surely some day he would come to claim the hand of the maiden he had kissed in the dark!
 s'I shall go for walk before to- morrow morning, Mary; will you go too?" cried Mabel, gleefully.
 HIndeed 1 will not. You'll be sure to meet somebody's hired man driving the COWS to the spring for water, :" re- piled Mary, scornfully.
 Then she continued, "I will control my impatience to see my hero until evening. 1 shall throw the ball of twine from our back doorstep, and let it roll down the slope into the garden, and then gently draw my hero up to give me that sweet betrothal kiss, and as it is hardly proper to accept any thing from a stranger, will return it at once," and Mary joined in the gen. eral laugh. ...
 Betty went home and reported.
 Early the next morning Mabel went out for walk and for half mile met no one, not even hired man driving cows to. water, nor a milkman going toward the village.
 Suddenly, as she turned corner, she came face to face with the dark, mouss tackled stranger she had seen few mo nings ago posing so gracefully be- side the stone wall as he lifted his hat and passed around the corner.
 Mabel was not more romantic than the ordinary girl, yet her heart throbbed more rapidly, and the rich color swayed back and forth in her shapely cheeks, as she wondered if there could be anything in such hap penings, and queried mentally over and over again, "who could he be, where from, and with whom was he staying in that neighborhool, and would she maybe sometime really meet and speak with him?"
 But it was time 10 return for break fast. and, 10! he was returning, and politely lifted his hat once more from the closc-cut, da' k, curling locks.
 Evening came, and Mabel and Mary were much entertained by the society into which they were for the first time introduced. Hitherto they had held