The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-07-05

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plaintiyely. Il really think that our
little porch at home would be more
coy. suppose you are going to let
me sit near you there?"
perhaps" said the young woman,
in a non-committal way. "But you
can look at me much better from where
you are, and you oughtn't to be so
desperately unhappy when you can
look at me. Ought you? No, don't
look at me like that"
'"There it is again; I'm not to look
at you now"
well, you may look at me little.
1 think that old gentleman opposite
has his suspicious already. Buel, dear,
I'll tell you what; you may cut the
leaves of that magazine for me, if you
like"
"Wouldn't that look too devoted and
bridegroomy | think you would carry
out your scheme of deception better
if you were to cut them yourself while
l go out to the smoking room and en-
Joy a cigar. I'm just dead for a
smoke"
He looked at her a little wistfully,
nevertheless, but she was memorable.
II think that would be a splendid idea,"
she said. do go, Buel, but don't be
gone too long. will your
The young man ross with tragic
expression of countenafNse that should
have caused her to relent, and walked
down the aisle toward the smoking
room. AS he passed the old GENTLE
man winked knowingly at the old lady
who was with him, at which she
frowned warningly, and then smiled
little herself.
He was nice-looking old fellow,
which is to say he had a good -humored
face and a shrewd, twinkling blue eye
which went well with his mat of white
hair
His clothes were new enough-even
too new-but they could not spoil his
general effect. The old lady was, if
anything, more prepossessing still, as
frail in appearance as her companion
was sturdy, and with lines in her deli
cate face that told of past troubles
and anxieties, as the enlarged kunckles
and unshapeliness of her black-mit-
tened hands told of past toll, but the
kind old lady that one naturally wishes
to pet and be gentle to. There was an
air of suppressed excitement about her,
and her black eyes shone with the
brightness of youth, a circumstance
that the old gentleman seemed to note
approvingly as he nodded. and smiled
at her from time to time.
II the recent Mr.. and Mrs. Cullen
had not been too much occupied with
each other, in spite of their heroically
simulated indifference, they could not
have helped noticing how interested
the old couple had been in the view
from the car window from the time
the train had left the Twelfth street
station, with what pure enjoyment
they had marked every haystacl, corn
field, farmhouse and barn, and how
cordially they had returned the en-
thusiastic greetings of the friendly
children who sat on the roadside
fences; how they beamed on each other
at frequent intervals, and how the big,
brown hand Of the old gentleman pat
ted the back of the old lady when she
turned to him from the contemplation
of some pretty bit of scenery, her
black eyes moist with happy emotion.
But Mr.. and Mrs. Cullen had not no
ticed these things at all.
"I'm going to go and take a smoke
myself, mother" said the old gentle
man almost directly after Buel had
gone out. 81 seen you gaping an you
might just as well take 40 winls while
I'm gone. won't let you oversleep
yourself, you needn't be skeered."
II hate to take time to sleep" said |
the old lady, "but think If did take
little nap I'd feel heap better for
IT."
The old gentleman gave her Shout
der farewell pat and went away and |
the old lady composed herself to slum-
Der, In about two minutes she was