The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1891-07-16

He ste With IA sf mothers Invitation.
thing, by The way. which 40 bachelor
Who cooks for himself vill ever reiass
10 do, ~hsiev.r the sists Of hn love .i'
fairs. NRM
At.r Tee, be sssumed his usual rensiss
attitude, sad sci visb folded hsnds. iike
q sister Of charity. looking IS mslsoeholy
% though . house hsd snadeniy fallen
upon bis spirits, Mother looked 81 him
wosdsrinsly and fnsily ssted.
What is The matter. Mr.. Brown. that
\ yon seem 80 serious.
OIL bo,hin'-ss iesst nothin' more'n
com mon, be answered with sigh, which
seemed to come from the bottom Of bis
heart.
Nothing more than common e1elsimei
mother Why. ] thought yon we're al.
ways well.
All, no, be replied. siu's never we'll,
don't never complsin. but yon see I'm
ccnsnmpied
No, exclaimed mother inerednlcnss
ly.
Yes, came out here Tor my health but
tain, done no good. Doctors tells me
,ha, one lung is all gone, aud the other
started. Yes. I don't expect TO live long,
bu, WHAT the difference. don't amount
10 no,hin. and I'm sure nobody'd care II
died to night.
l did not dare look a him, bu, | felt
the reproachinl glance, aud heard the pro.
found sigh which hesved up from bis re-,
naming lung.
After awhile he took his leave. first say.
ing good night TO mother. then turning
to me and asking very stifiiy II he could
speak with me = minute. ! stepped out
into the door yard. and walked few steps
with hin. when be turned aud said
Miss May. and his thin lips qaivered so
that was frightened, for l felt sure he
was going to cry. hope you amt offend'
ed at what said to you to night. reck,
on | amt so good looking as some OF the
town ieliers. sn' | hsin't good enough for
you anyhow. an jest thought Id tell
YOU that | won't come over here to bother
You any more.
Oh, you must not feel like that, e1'
claimed, panied at his evident distress. l
am not Ut all offended, and you must come
and see us just the same. Mother would
feel very bad il you should desert us.
Oh, shucksl he smiled. Your mother
don't think nothing OF me.
Indeed she does. / exclaimed smiling
iuwardly; as l caught . certain meaning
10 his tone. She often speaks OF your
many kindnesses to us. So, Alfred let US
forget that little conversation down the
road. and be good friends and Deighbors
Is before
All right, he answered little sbsently |;
thought, aud then started at once toward
home.
What in the world sils the man ?ex claim
ed mother. as | entered the house. aud
what did he want.
Well, | exclaimed, the man is ia love.
Wants to come to see me regular.
Goodpess knows be comes regular enough
but What do you means
Why. you see he wants to come spark
ing, SET up Sunday nights, in the good,
old fashioned way. Mother laid her head
back aud laughed, while Johnny rolled
upon tho floor in the extremity Of feel.
ing.
And what did you tell bimi mother ask
ed.
Well, really mother, he looked 80 miser
ably and so disappointed when told him
| had no time for beaux. that to comfort
him, told him that you thought great
deal of him, and that be must come and
see us Just the same
May interrupted mother sternly, but it
was my turn to laugh.
The next Mondsy morning ss was wend
ing my way across the prairie toward my
humble temple OF knowledge, espied an
iron rod standing straight 10 the ground.
TO which vas st.sched. like . flaming sig-
nal q gorgeous red silk handkerchief. l
looked at 1t ~ouderingly aud hoally con
cluded that the rod must have fallen from
some passing farm wagon, and IS the hand
kercbief was npcommonly handsome.
thought there would be no harm in appro
pristing it, aud was proceeding TO uniss'
ten II when hesrd 9 shout, and, looking
up saw the foim Of 9 man coming
through the tall grass. but ss yet qnite
| distance.
Halo. came the voice; ! say, little girl.
let that alone will you please. His long
strides we're bringing him alsrmingly near
and. frightened hastily threw the hand
kercbief upon it's standard and hurried
ou. feeling as il ! bad been caught in the
&C, OF stealing.
After / had reached . safe distance
cast q glance back and tsw with astonish
ment, the stranger. standing with eyei
bent ou some instrument which looked
for al the world likes photographer
camera. evidently try ing TO get focus .
some object.
Goodnessi Iexclsimed. mentally. H'
is trying to &c. my photograph. and hn
ried on more frightened snd puzzled thai
ever. He vas handsome aud young. tbs
m ucb bad made sure Of He looked yer.
romantic. too. in hi. bigb topped boots
grey f.nnei sbir, spd cowboy bat. and .
ter a~hile I veniured TO look back again
90, tno~ipg. though. but that might b
turned to a pillar ofssit or something els
H. iu.t stti,Iiog out OF sig BIT over tn