The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-09-25
1t Sounded
Like Thunder
By F. A. Mitchell


waist. / knew scarcely any one there
and stood watching a set of dancers
who We're doing quadrille or some
other of those old fashioned square
dances. Lille was bobbing about, feel
ing happy in the consciousness of look
ing very pretty and showing her long
locks, and all the while she was firing
quick shots at me with her black eyes.
After the dance | hunted for some
one to introduce me to Lille and was
successful. The girl had known 1 was
watching her in the dance, and every
one of her antics was for me. I wasn't
a dancing man and persuaded her to
sit out dance with me. Then a nice
looking, dapper young fellow took her
for another dance, and l looked on
again This time her antics were for
me all the same, but they were Of an
other kind She flashed her eyes alter
nately at me and into those Of the fell
low she danced with. 1 was too stupid
to see through this feminine device
then, and it had its effect. Quite likely
it would have worked just as well with
me if I had seen through it. When
girl wishes to attract and fellow
wishes to be attracted it's the easiest
Job in the world.
1t wasn't long before was going to
see Lille. She was an orphan and
lived with her grandmother, an old
lady deaf as a trolley car conductor
whose car is jammed full Of strap
hangers. She was half blind too. But
she must have heard by contact with
substances if she didn't hear through
the air, and, as for seeing, the darker
it was the better chance she had OF
distinguishing objects. She was like
other deaf and blind persons In that
respect She couldn't see or hear what
she should see and hear, but had re-
markable facilities for detecting what
was most inconvenient for others for
her to know.
About the time 1 made Lilies ac-
quairtance her grandmother was TAX
en- with her last illness. Lille loved
the old lady, and her approaching
demise was an aff1iction to the niece.
As for me. was but twenty -one years
old and had years before me in which
to do counting, but so impatient was l
that grudged the old lady what little
time she needed from Lille. l feared
1 would be too old for matrimony be-
fore the invalid got into her grave and
ceased to require attention.
Now that | look back ON this period
can see that was very unreasonable.
l would go to the house and wait a
whole evening for Lille while she re-
NAMED upstairs with her grandmother,
hoping every minute that she could
come downstairs for . brief sitting
with me. One evening when l had
waited Il couple of hours in this way l
concluded, considering that the old wo-
man was blind and deaf and her i'm
perfect senses must be further dead
ened by illness, to go upstairs to the
sickroom, steal i'll and see if couldn't
get word with Lille.
Il tiptoed up the staircase and to the
door of the room, which fortunately I
found ajar. Lille was sitting in q
chair where she could see me. She
came to the door, and told her that
if she couldn't come to me was bound
to go to her. She went back into the
room, turned the light very low and
beckoned me to enter. There was a
sofa placed where the invalid could
not very we'll see it. l stole toward 1t,
and Lille and sat down side by side
nfh
We whispered more love than today
at fifty, / could talk in year, and to
be heard by each other we scarcely
needed to whisper, for when l spoke
my lips touched her coral ear, and
when she spoke her lips were mil
lionth of an inch from mine.
"Who's there|' came from the in
valid
Lille arose, went to the bed and
asked her grandmother if she wanted
anything. She replied that she thought
she heard whispering. Lille told her
that she must be mistaken, put her
hand on the sick wOman's head to
soothe her and told her she had better
try to get a little sleep.
Whether grandma was satisfied with
this or not she said no more, and Lii
lie, after coddling her awhile, came
back to me- l had been wishing
could burst the remains Of the Drum
of the old lady's ear with ramrod,
but when Lille came back I felt bet
ter. However, we didn't think it pru-
dent to do any more whispering and
refrained. L took a pencil from my
pocket and some old letters and wrote
what 1 had to say = very short sen,
fences, in every one of which the word
'love" figured conspicuously.
Men, instead of choosing, as is sup,
posed. appropriate opportunities for
proposals. are quite likely to choose
the most uniting. l was unable to
even whisper without being heard by a
deaf and dying old woman. and yet
must needs choose the moment to
make declaration Ton paper and ask
Lille to be my wife. She accepted me
ION paper, and l sealed our engage
ment with kiss which was uninten-
tionally a smack.
"Lilliew came from the sickbed.
"What, grandma. dear?''
"Is it rainlngT"
mo. grandma
ooh, / thought | heard something
that sounded like thunder"