The Winslow mail., 1898-04-23

an sometimes Cftener''
[ did not answer.
81 member Mr.. Hugh when he warn't
much biggern my Beniie. He's down
right hansom', Mr.. Hugh is, but he amt
much of talker, is he? Ter tell You de
trufe, Miss Mary, [ lows ez you talks
too much ter Mr.. Hugh; you gifts him
kinder fiapdazzled, an you don't give
him chance ter git a, word in idge-
wise"
stared at Priscilla in speechless in
dignation.
"De oder night wuz in de hall fiXin'
de lamps, an 1 TUX notis dat you dld
all de taillin' Mr.. Hugh LATED an
laffed, but he amt never ascertained no
subject fur hisself"
"Priscilla," said I with flaming
cheeks, 81 wish you would go on with
your dusting."
"Prisenuy, Miss Mary, presently, but
I hez had hit in my mind fur long
time ter tell you dis (you amt got no
mother, Miss Mary, chile), and Use
'bleeged ter eend hit. members hear
in Miss Alice say once (she an your ma
wuz in de garden under de orange
trees); sez she, Kate -sez she, when l
likes man I never talks, kase hit
pleases me ter listen, an when | don't
like him [ holes my tongue sose he kin
say all he hez in his mind right quick,
den I gifts a chance fur ter git rid OF
him."
I cot up and sauntered out of the
room. pretending Indifference, but in
reality Priscilla's suggestion was by
no means lost upon ne. Hugh Raney
was a thorn in my path, and from all
appearances he intended to continue
one indefinitely. [ had known him as
a child, and upon my return to the plan
tation, after my mothers death, he had
taken up the old friendship where we
dropped it, years before. A slim, dark
fellow, with ready laugh, but abso-
lutely no conversation, he called often
and again at Southmeade, boring me to
extinction and furnishing Fred with a
never-ending material for teasing. 1t
was true, as Priscilla complained, that
l did all the talking, when he came to
see me, but if had not, felt sure that
we would have sat and gazed at each
other in solemn silence But Aunt
Alice's maxim, in Priscilla's language,
set me to thinking, and to such purpose
that when Fred knocked at my door
that evening with the facetious infor-
nation that ''my little playmate" was
waiting for me in the study, [ went out
to meet him, resolved to try the magic
effects of silence. The result was
startling in the extreme. After one or
two fruitless attempts to lead me out, )"
and finding me absolutely unrespon-
sive, Hugh pulled his chair closer to
mine and proceeded to "entertain" me
for the first time in his life. My dull
ness seemed to stimulate him, for the
qnieter I became the merrier he grew.
Whether he attributed my apathy to
sudden self-consciousness or apprecia-
ton of the situation, do not know, but
before very long he launched into a per-
sonal conversation of q type he had
never before attempted Priscilla
could no longer complain that che never
ascertained no subject" for he 'ascer-
tanned" so much in a comparatively
short time that he gave me ample food
for reflection.
Priscilla met me with my lamp just
after he had gone, and the expression of
satisfaction on her features was diff
cult to ignore. 1 did so, however, and
went yawning off to bed after first re-
preaching Fred bitterly for not coming
in.
Well, the story is soon told. My
caller, finding me so unusually pensive
and thoughtful, became so emboldened
that after several visits he gave me an
opportunity to answer definitely,
whether or not he found favor in my
sight. 1t was hard to convince him
that he did not, but after the use of a
good deal of plain and earnest English
/ finally persuaded him that [ was real
ly possessed of such bad taste, and a
few minutes later he rushed out of my
presence, sprang onto his horse and
rode furiously away.
1t must have been half an hour after
that Priscilla came into the library and
found me staring into an empty hearth
"Huccome you let de fire go out ?" she
asked, reprovingly
81 did not notice it." [ answered.; II
was thinking of something else"
She chucllled: 'Ireckon you bleeves
now, Miss Mary, dat Miss Alice knowed
what she wuz tall1in' about"
what do you mean?" demanded.
She looked at me quizzically.
''Priscilla," suddenly recalling a noise
had heard in the book closet adjoin-
ing the study; Priscilla, can it be that
you were in yonder listening?"
''Miss Mary" replied Priscilla, fall
ing into dramatic attitude, ''don't you
be gittin' famagatious against me; Use
too ole ter be treated like dat! Sides,
chile" assuming an air of righteous in
dignation, "ain't you tole me ter
straighten up dose books? An eff Use
wicked so hard all day an kant fin
time ter do it twell now, is you gwine
ter git mad about dat? I done what
YOU tole me an ef," breaking into an
irresistible smile, 81 heerd what ]
warnt 'tinded fur ter heer, Lor knows
3 Miss Mary, hit wuz jist what L spicioned
1 would heer eff listened; but de trufe
is, chile, [ oughter bin in bade hours
ago, std of sittin' up like dis, jist ter
make sartin of somepin what knowed
ady."-Detroit Free Press.