Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-12

heard again on the kitchen boards. Though
it makes me young again, she always stops
me just as if L were child. But she cannot
help me showing you"
Here her steps became audible in the hall,
and his words died away on his lips. By
the time she had entered he was seated with
his head half turned aside and his form bent
over as IL he were in spirit thousand
miles from the spot.
Amused at his cunning and interested in
spite of myself at the childish eagerness he
displayed to tell his tale 1 waited with q
secret impatience, almost as great as his
own perhaps, for her to leave the room
again and thus give him the opportunity OF
finishing his sentence. At last there came
an imperative call for her presence without
gone than the old man exclaimed:
81 have it all written down. 1 wrote it
years and years ago, at the very time it
happened. She cannot keep me from show
ing you that; no, no, she cannot keep me
from showing you that" And rising to
his feet with a difficulty that for the first
time revealed to me the full extent of his
infirmities he hobbled slowly across the
floor to the open door, through which he
passed with many cunning winks and mods.
TT grows quite exciting" thought 1,
and half feared his daughter would not al
low him to return But either she was
too much engrossed to heed him or had
been too much deceived by his seeming in
difference when she last entered the room,
to suspect the errand which had taken him
out of 1t. For sooner than had expected
and quite some few minutes before she
came back herselH, he shuff1ed in again,
carrying under his coat q roll of yellow
paper, which he thrust into my hand with a
gratifed leer, saying:
There 1t Is. was gay young lad in
those days, and could go and come with the
best. Read 1t, sir, read it; and if Maria
says anything against it, tell her it was
written long before she was born and when
was as pert as she is now, and good deal
more observing"
Chuckling with satisfaction he turned
away, and had barely disappeared in the
hall when she came in and saw me with the
roll in nv hand.
"Well! declared" she exclaimed; "and
has he been bringing you that? What ever
shall do with him and his everlasting
manuscript? You will pardon him, sir; he
is 80 and upward, and thinks everybody is
as interested in the story of that old house
as he is himself"
"And l, for one, am" was nv hasty
reply. eff the writing is at all legible, 1
am anxious to read it. You won't object,
will you?"
"Oh, no." was her good humored re-
joinder. 81 won't. object; 1 only hate to
have fathers mind reused on this subject.
because he is sure to be sick after it. But
now that you have the story, read it;
whether you will think as he did, on a GER
tain poins. is another question. 1 don t;
but then father always said would never be-
heve i'll OF anybody"
Her smile certainly bore out her words. it
waG so good tempered and confiding; and
pleased with her manner in spite of myself,
accepted her invitation to make use of her
own little parlor, and sat down in the glow
Of brilliant autumn afternoon to read this
old-time history.
X
Will Juliet be at home to-day2 She must
know that am coming. When met her
this morning, tripping back from the farm,
[ gave her a look which, if she cares
anything about me, must have told
her that 1 would be among the lads
who would be sure to pay her their re-
spects at early candle light. For cannot
resist her saucy pout and dancing dimples
any longer. Though am barely 20, am
ludu, anu OIlC W uO AullG 1O16uduueu dUU
able to take unto himself wife. Ralph
Urphistone has both wife and babe, and he
was only "a last August Why, then,
should not go courting, when the prettiest
maid that has graced the town for many a
year holds out the guerdon of her smiles to
all who will vie for them?
To be sure, the fact that she has more
than one wooer already may be considered
detrimental to my success But love is fed
by rivalry, and if Colonel Schuyler does not
pay her his addresses, think my chances
may be considered as good as anyone's.
For am not the tallest and most straightly
built man in town, and have not little
cottage all my own, with the neatest of gar
dens behind it, and an apple tree in front
whose blossoms hang ready to shower them
selves like rain upon the head of her who
will enter there as bride? 1t is not vet
dark, but will forestall the sunset bya
half hour and begin my visit now. If 1 am
first at her gate, Lemuel Phillips may look
less arrogan; when he comes to ask her
to the next singing school.
l was not first at her gate; two others were
there before me- All, she is prettier than
ever supposed, and chirper than the spar
row which builds every year nest in my
old apple tree. When she saw me come up
the walk, her cheeks turned pink, but do
not know if it was from pleasure or annoy-
ance, for she gave nothing bpt yexing re-
plies to every compliment paid her. But
then Lemuel Phillips Jared no better; and
she was so bitter-sweet to Orrin Day that he
left in huff and vowed he would never
step across her threshold again, l thought
she was trltie more serious after he had
gone, but when woman'S eyes are so bright
rs hers, and the frowns and smiles with
which she disports herself chase each other
so rapidly over face both mischievous and
charming, a mans judgment goes astray,
and he scarcely knows reality from seeming.
But true OF false, she is as pretty as a hare
bell and bright as glinting sunshine; and
mean to marry her, if only Colonel Schuyler
will hold himself aIoof
Colonel Schuyler may hold himself aloof,
out he is a man like the rest of us for ali
that Yesterday as l was sauntering in the
waiting for the appearance of
certain white-robed figure crowned by the
1emurest of little hats 1 caught glimpse
IF his face as he leaned on one of the tomb
stones near Patience Goodyear's grave, and
saw that he was waiting also for the same
white figure and the same demure hat. This
gave me a shock; for though L had never
'eally dared to hope he would remain un-
moved by loveliness so rare in our vii
age, and indeed, take it, in any village,
did not think he would show so much i'm
or await her appearance with such
burning and uncomfortable ardor.
Indeed, was so affected by his look that
forgot to watch any longer for her coming,
out kept my gaze fixed ON his countenance,
i'll saw by the change which rapidly took
place in 1t that she had stepped out of the
yreat church door and was now standing
before US, making the sunshine more brill
ant by her smiles, and the spring the
'weeter by her presence.
Then ] came to myself and rushed for
ward with the rest of the lads. Did he