The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-09-11

tul or Awkward; he is well aware OF
just what he is going to say and where
and when he shall say it. He thinks,
too, that he can be pretty certain of her
answer TOR he would not be so foolish
as to ask, though, if she should make
some few objections, he hopes and be-
lieves he knows just how to combat
them successfully. So he lays out his
plans while Angelina sleeps peacefully,
dreaming, most probably, of him; and
he rctircs to rest in state of supreme
self-satisfaction-and is likely to have
visions of some other and hitherto for
gotten girl.
The courtship begins and prospcrs
somewhat slowly, as courtships will
when carried on beneath alien eyes;
but one day he calls and asks her to
walk. Happily they are suburban and
natural, so Angelina asscnts; she is
lovely and light headed Tom gallant
and gay. He knows of path in a ro-
mantle piece of woods, lovely bit of
forest with fallen trees and broken
ridges and a purling, winding brooB-a
little oasis of nature left in the desert of
advancing civilization for just such hap
Ply pairs as this, They talk of the last
dance they attended in the winter; he
tries sentiment, but she insists on re-
calling the incidents of that evening in
very different way: How very pleas
ant Dick Darcy was, and what delight
full dancer! his step quite suits mine
which was not what Tom planned at
all
How can he make point while
hearing his rival praised?
In the midst of her chatter about the
delights of the past season, she steps
on root running zigzag across the
path, and hurts her foot. Instantly
our swain is all sympathy and pity
Will she not show him where it was
hurt? No, of course not; she could not
do that, and, besides. how would it help
the matter? Then he signs and wishes
it was her rounded chin or pretty hands,
that he could make them well by an
old recipe his mother had when he was
little child. She, never thinking,
asks what it is, and when he says: "A
kiss she cXclaims: OH and trips on
ahead of him, blushinS furiously, but
feeling pretty happy after all
This episode was not in Toms plan,
but he thinks it good one and be-
lie7es he has scored point.
They come to fallen tree; this Tom
had remembered, and given it promi-
nent place in his proposed campaign.
He would hold her hands and help her
over and-but the girl vaults lightly
across unassisted, and Tom says some
thing rather bad under his breath as he
thinks that there was fine chance
lost.
They walk along in the cool green
shade until the brook is reached; then
he CALAMITY puts his foot into the shall
low water and tells Angelina to step
on it and SO pass dry shod. But she
spies piece of rock and makes step
ping stone of that, declaring that she
could not think of crushing his foot be-
meath her weight. Tom looks at the
slender figure and springy step and
laughs at the idea of her hurting him,
but groans inwardly as he thinks of
this being another planned episode
gone astray. The only results are
wet shoe and the bottom of his new
trousers badly dabbled.
Angelina is sparkling as the sun
shine, as enticing as beauty, good
health and warm heart can make her;
but Toms courtship does not progress.
She is a very will-o'-the-wisp along
conversational paths; as he seems near
ing the desired point, she is off and
away on some other line of thought.
lie follows and tries to take the lead,
but with the pervcrsity of her youth
and sex, she avoids the very thing she
most would have, and will not allow
him to say one word even verging on
sentiment. At length Tom lapses into
monosyllabic replies, and looks as he
feels-very downcast and little
gloomy. She watches him furtively,
and begins to take less heartless
tone. lie is quick to see the change,
SO maintains his respondent manner,
letting it gradually harden into auster
lty. AS he becomes severe, she SOftenS,
until, declaring she is tired out, she
throws herself on a green knoll,
spreads out her pretty drapcries and
prepares herself to be propitiated,
coaXcd and courtcd
Tom feels instantly that his chance
HIS come, and, honest gentleman that
he is, shows his joy in his face He
throws himself dcwn quite near to ll"-'
and falls to praising her dress, her hat.
the fit of her gloves. the dainty chain
around her slender throat. 1t is only
the beginning, and soon love makes
him eloquent, though his heart is beat
ing furiouSly and he has forgotten
every speech which he had prepared.
No matter; her heart beats as fast as
his and every throb pleads for him as
he spcaks-until at last he draws her
toward him. lifts the dropping head,
takes one. long glance into the soft
brown eyes and lets his lips touch hers
in the first kiss of love. His veins
throb, and, forgetting himself for an
instant, he holds her SO close and tight
that she is frightened and begins to
cry. Then he feels as if he were a
criminal and pets and soothes her into
quiet.
They sit there long, hand in hand,
saying little, only feeling that the su-
prcme GOOD has come to them and