Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-11
.rears 10 me. .MeIIa.. conIIuuel

er fowerteen year and three month, and
though l don't go so fur as to say
'olds wi short courtships as a rule, still
1 niver 'ad no reason to repent, though
they do say marry in 'aste and repent
at leeshure. P'raps you'd like me to
speak to Jim, friendlylike, and put it
to i'm? Not as theirs no need fur 'urTy,
but somethin might be said def as
to the year arier next, Or if that were
considered too soon, the one arter that,
fur, though doesn't old wi 'urryin
things on. neither, 'Melia, my gal, does
'old wi shllyshallyin.
| Miss Binks, before replying to her
parents proposition, bit Of thread
and seemed to be turning the matter
over in her mind and weighing its pros
and cons.
Then, with merely some half dozen
| pins in her mouth, she cup" and spoke,
and her words were the words of wis
dom:
"Well, father, won't go for to deny
as I 'aven't thought as Jim 'Itchens
were bit over back k'ard III comm for
~fafd, and know the neighbors do talk,
SO p'raps if you could give i'm an lint
it might elp i'm to know lis own
mind. which he don't seem to do not at
present, and if it don't do no good I
don't see as it could do much ARM
Here the clock, giving way to excite
ment, struck II without stopping to
take breath.
''Mind you," continued Miss Binks,
as soon as the clock had done speaking,
and pointing at her father with her nee
| die, "I don want for you to De ard on
i'm, only jest to find out what lis hin
tentions is, or whether he's got any or's
likely to ave"
So in the morning old Binks put on
his hat-or rather his daughter put it
on for him, jamming his head well
homeland took his stick and toddled
off "down street," charged with the
delicate mission Of plumbing the un-
known depths OF Jim Kitchens matri-
monial inclinations.
What transpired in the course of this
momentous interview has never been
divulged. Possib old Binks himself
might have been to blame i'll that he
failed to bring 10 bear upon the matter
| that delicacy and tact for which it pre-
! eminently called.
At any rate, when he returned home
it was plain that the little old man had
been considerably 'put about. - This at
once made itself evident to his daugh-
ter, who met him at the door, and tax
ing from him his hat and stick in
quired, in voice in which not even the
presence Of pins between her lips could
disguise the signs of interest amounting
almost to eagernoss:
"Well, father"
"Not at all, 'Melia, not at all,'' was
the tremulous reply. 81 should say any
thin but sichi'
"Lor', fathe-!" exclaimed Miss
Binks, with an attempt to quell her ris
ing agitation By placing her hand on
her heart-an at empt that was baked
by q rampant cf her favorite imple-
ments Of extra large size. "Lo-'. IA
therp'
She could say no more, but laying
violent hands CT her parents coat col
lar she bore him across tic tagged
passage into the front room, where, de-
posting him i'll his elbow chair, she
mounted guard over him. .'Now, fa--
ther, speak your mind. -
'MeIa, my gal, it's my belief as
he's bin maxim fool O. you. Least
ways, all as 1 could get out O. i'm when
I puts it to Tn straight, was as he
weren't prepared to go to sich lengths
as to menshin any perticler date, as he
couldn't abide bein 'urried, nor yet
drove-drove was his very words, 'Melia
AS he niver see no good come O. it.
All as he could and would say was as
he'd be round as usual come Sunday
Gather" cried Miss Binks in a
voice choled by emotion and pins, "jest
you leave i'm to mel"
Sunday came, SO did Jim Kitchens.
Mr.. Kitchens leaned against the fence
and chewed 4 twig, wondering at the
unusual time taken by his ladylove in
putting on her bonnet.
He turned and looked up at the win
dow, but Miss B:nks was too quick for
him and lodged behind the curtain.
Once the idea Of going boldly up to
the door and making inquiries presented
itself to him, but the idea being alto
gether too venturesome, and entirely
without parallel in the annals of his
courtship, was abandoned as soon as
formed.
Then the church clock struck the
quarter before 4, and with start Mr..
Kitchens realized that his 'Melia was
not forthcoming that day.
Mr.. Kitchens was fabbergasted. As
he slowly turned and left the gate it
was to him almost as though the uni
verse were turned upside down.
Mr.. Kitchens rubbed his left whisker
against the grain and opined that this
"were queer startr' So she meant to
give him go by after all these years,
did she? And all because-at least, he
S'posed that must be it-he wasn't alto
gether prepared to rush off and get mar
ried in about couple Of years time!
On the whole, he wasn't sure that he
hadn't had lucky escape Such dis
play Of temper as he had just been
treated to seemed to indicate plainly
that she was not the sort of young wom-
an to have made him comfortable. A
party as would turn nasty over such
little thing as that wasn't the right
party for him.
All the same, as he passed absently
along, he was conscious that the pros
pect of commend ing another lengthy
courtship at this time Of life seemed a
very uphill and doubtful sort Of one.
AS to the lady herself, no sooner did
she realize that she had actually sent
Jim Kitchens to the right about thaa
she sat down and had a good cry and
forgot all about putting the kettle on-
There was, as nay be imagined, COZ
siderable comment in the town when it
became generally Lnown that the court
ship of Jim Kitchens and Miss Binks
had come to an unexpected and untime-
" termination.
In fact, it was such g universal topic
and source of comment and interest
that wherever two Or three. particularly
of the gentler sex, were gathered to-
gether, they were Gnre to be engaged in
| discussing the Latest authorized version
| of the affair.
| Gradua1lv from, tho time thai Miss