FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  
I want to see your photograph while you are present; for I am sure you don't look any more like the picture than the picture does like you." "Probably not," replied Somers, as the resolute maiden dragged him into the house; where, without stopping to breathe, she presented him to her mother, with the astounding declaration, that he was Allan Garland. Mrs. Raynes gave him a cordial Virginia welcome; and, while he was endeavoring to make himself as agreeable as possible to the old lady, Sue rushed up-stairs to procure the faithless photograph. She returned in a moment with the picture in her hand, and proceeded at once to institute a comparison between the shadow and the substance. "Now, stand up here, sir, and let me see," said she, as she playfully whisked him round and scrutinized his features. "I told you it did not look like you; and I am very sure now that it does not." "Let me see," added Somers, extending his hand for the picture. "Will you promise to give it back to me?" "Certainly I will! You don't imagine I would be so mean as to confiscate it?" "I should not care much if you did, now that I have found out it does not look any more like you than it does like me," she answered, handing him the photograph. "Where did you get this picture, Sue?" "Where did I get it? Well, that is cool! Didn't you send it to me yourself?" And Sue began to exhibit some symptoms of amazement. "I am very sure I never sent you this picture," added Somers gravely. "You did not?" "Never." "Why, Allan Garland!" "This is not my picture." "I shouldn't think it was." Thereupon Mr. Raynes began to laugh in the most immoderate manner; opening his mouth wide enough to take in a very small load of hay, and shaking his sides in the most extraordinary style. "What are you laughing at, pa?" demanded Sue, blushing up to the eyes, as though she already felt the force of some keenly satirical remark which was struggling for expression in the mouth of the farmer. "To think you have been looking at that picture three times a day for a year, studying, gazing at it; kissing it, for aught I know; and then to find out that it is not Allan after all!" roared the Virginia farmer between the outbreaks of his mirth. "I haven't done anything but groan since the war began, and it does me good to laugh. I haven't had a jolly time before since the battle of Bull Run, as the Yankees call it." "You are the most absurd pa in
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
picture
 

photograph

 

Somers

 

Virginia

 

farmer

 
Raynes
 
Garland
 

shaking

 
extraordinary
 

laughing


opening

 

gravely

 
Thereupon
 

demanded

 
shouldn
 

immoderate

 
manner
 
amazement
 

outbreaks

 

roared


Yankees

 

absurd

 

battle

 

satirical

 

remark

 

struggling

 

keenly

 

expression

 

studying

 

gazing


kissing

 
blushing
 

rushed

 

agreeable

 

endeavoring

 
stairs
 

procure

 
institute
 

comparison

 
proceeded

moment
 

faithless

 
returned
 
cordial
 

resolute

 

maiden

 
dragged
 

replied

 
Probably
 

present