St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-18
at - and ride home by starlight
Hnil 1,o,, cro 2v h. i,Fs.

Dlu L SO O0SA "CAt, oIIu Soul
I back out? Besides, it isn't often
man gets such an.offer. Atfive P. N
We started, and one Of the merries
crews that ever went any where thil
ty single sleighs, they don't go in 70
your great double arks there With
hip and a hurrah, off we sped, an
over the road we skinned, like a con
ct dashing along the milky way. Tn
girls were excellent whips, and m
black eyed Kate was "Genese
Mills, extra superfine." She had ST
lected a steed with admirable taste
As well as her beau"
"Get out His neck arched lik
the Thames Tunnel, and his broat
breast marked his noble strength, Will
his slender legs told you volumes TO
his swiftness which were backed up b,
the very example. We went by then
alive did-and Kate led the gran,
procession, prouder, dare say, thar
any julius ever was of any Roman
triumph" s.
What did you talk of on the road p
"Of the weather, the delightful
sleighing, the differences in horses
&c. After supper came the hop-wel
now it was hop--none Of your tame
parlor dances, through which the par
ties go with the precision that two
old chess players move, who have
played draw games for the last hal
century, no, sir. 1t was regular
Western hop, but if you want it de
scribed any further, you must do j
yourself, words can't express it .; il
was action, action, sublime, God-like
action that's what it was. But like
everything else it had an end, and we
were off on the road again.
And here must confess that l hat
been somewhat coquettish during the
evening, and had with no little salts
faction seen those black eyes still Oh
me wherever l moved, with whomso
ever danced, and on whomsoever
smiled. Was wrong to enjoy it P
How often had been served the same
way. And when we came to go, OF
course l couldn't find my overcoat, and
my hat was missing; so ! called to
my aid half dozen misses, who sort
of half hunted for them, and half not
and under the shawl of one of them
at last discovered the one, and undel
that of another the other Kate al
the while standing by and looking al
demure as have thousand times un
der similar circumstances. And thel
l got into the wrong sleigh, of cours'
by accident, as you will see, no doubt
when l tell you l slapped the naught,
girl who kissed me for being wher'
my room was better than my compa
ny, as she laughingly said-Kate
meanwhile, quietly standing with th'
ribbons in one hand, and ready will
the other to help me in.
But as said before, at last we wer,
on the road again but what change
had come over the spirit of Kate. VI
her way up, she was all talk, mirtl
and fire now she was all silence, alb
straction and gentleness. Her very
steed caught her sentiments, and, al
though he started off ahead, the ack
nowledged leader of the party, half a
mile had not been gone over, before
every one was past him, and far out
Of sight.
But on we went upon slow trot
the reins swinging as loosely as q
clothes-line in a gale OF wind at last
they dropped from the hands Of Kate,
and hung trembling over the dasher
And now, half bewlldered, felt gen
tie arm crawling stealthily around my
waist, while my hand was clasped by
tapering fingers, whose pressure grew
every moment more perceptlble thel
came the gentle weight OF glorious
curls upon my breast, and upturneo
eyes of strangest beauty met my per-
picked gaze. Where was II Was i
a dream? Or was l suddenly berei1
of reason? Was it a voice / heart
pronounce, with tremulous tone yer
strong accent:
Albert, do you love me p
It must have been dream. II
be sure my hand was clasped in hers
her little arm was around me, her eyes
right opposite mine, but then she die
not speak, that was all my magma
ton, and so l made no answer, bu,
merely drew long breath, as one will
you know, when weary OF a load ly
ing upon bis breast. The arm was
clasped still tighter around me, my
hand was fast growing beautifully less
in width, and more in length beneath
its warm embrace kate's black eyes
were growing blacker, and her face
redder, when with rich voice, who's.
gentle cadence l shall never forget til
the last day, she said: So
Yes, Albert, know you love me
and Heaven only knows how truly
love-will you, will you be mine p
Kate replied l, at the same tim,
giving her kiss to show my willing
ness, Kate you must ask my-wife.
1t was too much. Kate took advan
tage of a woman's privilege and faint
ed But the cold air brought her too
and gathering up the reins, i drove
briskly into town. left in the morn
ing. If you ever go to Aurora, dom
say anything about it. 20 =