Year: 1873

'Will you be At home to night Annie :
The person who asked this question a
tall, muscular, good looking young farm
er, was leaning upon Squire Moore's
front gate talking to the Squire's pretty
daughter, " ho stood inside of it. As the
simple words passed his lips he REDEEMED
suddenly to the very roots of bis fair
hair, as if he had just been guilty of
some great impropriety.


He was bashiul-extremely bashfnl
was David Winthrop-at least in the
presence of young ladies, most of all in
the presence of the girl he loved. No
young man in all Wilkes county owned
a better farm, or talked with more conf
3once among his cronies of stock and
crops aud such like. But the sight of a
pretty foo. or face coming lis way aiiec-
ted him qnecrly. Ga such occasions he
never knew what to DO with his hands
and eyes and seemed always to feel like
screwing himself into the nearest mouse
hole until the dangcI-ihat is 10 say the
young laay-was past.


This state of things being considered,
no one even understood how be contrived
TO muster up courage enough to enlIghten
Annie Moore on the subject OF his pre-
ference for himself, The matter pro-
tably remains to tlis day as much a
mystery to him as it is to others.


Miss Annie, however, had fair share
Of tact and wcmanly cleverness slowed
safely away somewhere in the recesses
of her pretty little head, although it was
carried jauntily upon the inexperienced
and rounded shoulders of fresh eighteen


She did not need to he reminded that
David was worth, in worldly way,
much more than any of her other suitors
and that he was good oking, good hear
ted and intelligent enough to satisfy any
but an over fastidious person of her clas 3.
He was unexceptionable, in short, barr
ing his unconquerable and excessive
bashfulness, which indeed was a never
failing source of merriment to the Young
people of their little circle.


And so, when David in lis awkward,
laundering, half frightened manner be
gan shyly to exhibit his preference for
her in various little ways, such as wait
ing on her to and from singing school,
constituting himself her escort when she
went Sundays on horseback to the lone
ly little church in the woods, and sing
ing her out as the recipient of whatever
attentions he could find the nerve to pay
at the frequent quilting parties in the
neighborhood, Annie did not frighten
him out of his budding passion by any
show, either by surprise or marked pre-
ference, but took it all in the easiest,
pleasantest, unconscious manner possible
The girls Uttered and nudged each other
elbows, and the young men cracked fur
tive jokes at the expence OF her timid
suitor, but she stood up for him like a
reol kind hearted, Independent Western
lass, as she was, and tried to encourage
him out of his sbyness as far as she con
sistently could.


She never seemed to notice any of his
unfortunate blunders, and very likely
helped him along considerably when his
feelings reached the eliminating point,
one moon lighted August evening, as
they were walking home together from a
corn-husking party.


That had been just one week ago
Annie had said Eyes" and had agreed
to take the responsibility of bringing
father and mother around on the sub
iect. David ha not been to the house
since. Probably he felt very much like
a dog who fears to venture upon tie
premises of person whose sheepfold he
has just plundered. Thus it happened
that as yet the powers that were, knew