The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-24
4 KITCHEN ROMANCE.
How Phi Made Dena Say eyes"
to an important Question.

Della was sitting in her rocking-chair
in a corner of the Kitchen. reading
aloud to the other two girls. Maggie
was mending "a stocking, and bridget
was making a dress out of piece of
calico which Mrs. Randol had given
her. Della had found Sir Charles
Grandson in the course of her clearing
up, and it amazed the two older girls
to hear her excited intonations and
marvellous pronunciation, as it would
have amazed Mr. Richardson himself.
Della was q nice-lool1ing girl, and she
was intelligent; her choice of books
being, as we haye seen, faultless The
they had not outgrown their taste for
romance, and they listened bravely to
what they could understand.
A dark shadow appeared at the win
dow. Della stopped reading long
enough tosay: ITS only Phil Crowley;
never lnlnd him." and then continued.
Mr. Crowley saw that he was discov-
cred, and entering the kitchen, took
chair with a nod of recognition to lis
three hostesses, while Della went on.
''A'ld that will do for tonight" she
sad, a. last, putting the book down
with the consciousness that her audi
tors would like to hear more, but stop
ping because = well, because she
pleased Della was an autocrat.
You might nave expected the visitor
to begin conversation, but no, Phil
Crowley looked at Della in an admiring
way, but never opened his mouth. Mag
gle soon went OF to bed; but Della per-
suadcd Bridget to stay, just to be
kind o respectable, she said; mot that
Phil an me amt all right alone"
So Bridget sat at her work, growing
sleeper and sleeper, and there was q
pause for awhile. Finally Phil spoke
in an earnest whisper, leaning forward
and looking hard at Della:
Il come up tonight, Della. cause
we'll, cause | couldn't help it; an l
might as well tell ye all about it. Sure
| can't sleep O nights for thinkin' of ye,
an think moro of ye than all the
world, an'-an'-d'ye think ye can ever
care bit for me, Delia?"
DG1ld IOOhGQ IOullt DIT u,
who was doing over her work, and
then said: Jaw, Phil, man, what's got
into We? l don't want to marry anyone,
an I'm sure it's not you that I'd take,
if | was to choose. Sure We must a
been out O your head when ye said
that. Don't try romanticizin', for ye
don't understand it. You're oil? Well,
good night to ye!"
Phil was already at the door. Good
night, Della" said he. 81 wish we
pleasanter night an better sleep
than I'll have, bad luck to mel" Then
he turned and went away. Della sat
down again and thought awhile, then
she rose. Come on, bridget, it's bed
time,' said she; and the two went up
stairs together
The next evening Della and Phil
were to have gone to a dance given by
the Westminster Boat club. AS night
came on, Della wondered whether her
escort would make his appearance. In
the six o'clock mail she received the
following letter:
MISS NICGoNIGLE: can't take you to the
Ball tonite, as 1 have surnthin else on Hand
AS you Wos not very glad to see me last night,
mayby you don't care. p. CROWLEY"
Della studied over this good while.
Tt took her long time to master the
spelling, for, though her own was &C.
centric it was very different from
PhiPs. The meaning, too, puzzled her.
One thing was certain; it was not po-
lite. Miss McGonigle, indeed! Some
thing else on handl Well, Mr.. Phil
should see that she could get on with
out him.
She knew a girl in the next house,
who was going to the ball, and some
hours after receiving Pills letter she
called on this friend and they went to-
gether They were a little late, so
that the ball was already begun; and
oh, shameful-there was Phil dancing
round in the happiest way with little
girl with red hair He did not take
any notice of Della when she came in
to the hail. and she pretended not to
look at him. Della was favorite, and
plenty of young men danced with her;
but Phil was not one of them AS to
the little girl with red hair, he danced
with her great many times. Every
one sang her praises, except Della,
who was unable to see anything at
tractive about her.
After the dancing had gone on for
several hours, Phil stepped up and
asked for q dance lie was a good
dancer, but Della said she had head
ache, and then danced with the next
man who asked her. She was vexed
that Phil had not asked her before and
she wanted to punish him. But Phil
would not be punished. He danced
and laughed in very lively way, es-
pecially with his little red haired
friend, Miss Sullivan, of Dublin, who
was certainly the belle of the evening.
Della went home early with the girl
who had come with her She was ex-
hausted and cross, and a man chased
them part of the way. She went to
bed excited and tired and one may
imagine, without being certain, that
Miss Sullivan, of Dublin, played con
Si6are l)la mart II, ba,. 1rao,,,e