Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-12-17

Pressing business engagements, you
know, and all that sort Of thing. Deuced
sorry, can't go though. [ had just time
to bring Miss Lee over, and now I'm off
Mr.. Bimby this is Miss Lee, Miss Wither-
gall, Miss Lee," and he ratified off a long
string of brief introductions, which convinc-
ed me that but few Of the company were ac-
quainted with the young lady whom [ was
personating- very fortunate thing for the
preservation of my disguise.
Mr. Bimby, tall, legal-looking man,
with hook nose, and eye-glass and fluffy
hair,-seemed to be prepossessed with my
pcrsoneHe, and overheard him whisper to
Bob Styles, as he went out:
''Nice looking girl, that Miss Lee"
EYES," answered Bob, with mischiev-
GUS glance at ME, ''she Is a nice girl,
thoug gh little go-ahead sometimes Keep
a little look out on her will you"-then,
lowering his voice--''not bad match for
you, old fellow; she is rich"
els she?' said Mr. Bimby, his interest
deepening.
s'On my honor" replied Bob. "Forty
thousand dollars in her own right. Good
tdayp p and he was gone,
Miggie Lee, artful creature that she was
had told her father that the sailing party
was to assemble at another hotel and thith-
er he had taken her. Having business in
D., he left her there, merely saying
that he would send the carriage for her at
eleven o'clock She, like dutiful daugh-
ter, kissed him, bid him good bye, and be-
fore he had gone hundred rods, took a
seat in Bob Styles light wagon, which had
driven up to the back door as old Lees car
riage drove away from the front, and the old
story of head strong love and prejudiced age
was enacted over again.
As for us of the picnic excursion, we had
delightful sail down the grove, but some
how, could not enjoy it as much as [ ought
to have done. When Lwalked on board the
boat [ felt awkward, as if everybody was
boxing at ne. [ found Mr.. Bimby, as
had suspected, young and rising lawyer,
mighty in Blackstone in his own opinion.
He insisted on paying for NY ticket (the
loat was regular excursion packe) and
purchasing enough oranges, pears, and can
dies, to set up a street stand. -Four or five
times [ was On the point of swearing at hi;
Iimpudent oficiousness, but bit my tongue JUS
in time to prevent the exposure. But il
was not with him that found my role the
hardest to play.
No: the young ladies were the Difficult
ones to deceive. For instance, there wa
one among them, beautiful girl Of seven
teen. just returned from boarding schoo
who had not seen Maggie Lee for three years
Of course, she was delighted to see me, whel
she found out that [ was Maggie, which, b.
the way, did not occur until after we hat
started. She threw herself into my arms
pulled my veil aside, and kissed me half
dozen times, in a manner that made my fin
ger ends tingle for an hour. It was all yer,
nice, bat if [ had been in propria persona
[ would have liked it better AS it was.
felt as if [ were stobtaining goods under falls
pretenccs," and that lawyer Bimby nigh
issue awarrant for my arrest on that ground
at any moment.
A whole knot of crinoline then surround
ed me, on the upper deck Of the boat, to tn
utter exclusion and consequent disgust o
Mr. Bimby and the other gentlemen.
kept very quiet only speaking monesy tables
in a falsetto voice; but the others-Lor(
bless you! how they gabbled! Under
strict promise of secrecy, the little boarding
school maiden, who had kissed me so affec
t:onately, revealed all her love affairs, an,
also became unpleasantly confidential abou
other matters-innocent enough in them
selves, but not customarily talked Of betweel
ladies and gentlemen.
I was terribly embarrassed, but it woul'
not do to give up then. AS soon as m,
trick should become known, Bob Styles
trick would also come cut; and as news Q
that kind travels fast in the c. untry, he an
his lady love would be telegraphed and fol
lowed before they could reach Philadelphia
where the Styles family lived, and wher
the knot was to be tied.
The river breeze was very fresh wher.
we sat, and [ noticed that several of tn
ladies were glancing uneasily at me-
couldn't divine the reason, until Jennie, m
little friend from boarding school, laid he
face dangerously close to mine, and whisper
ed: my dear Maggie, your dress is blow
ing up terribly high-your ancles will b
town talk with all the gentlemen !''
Nor was I conscious of having yer
small foot for man, and had donned a pal
of open worked stockings which came near
ly up to my waist, with pair of garter
borrowed from servant girl, in all of whic
toggery my running gear" looked quit
feminine and respectable; but the idea {
the gentlemen talking about my ankles an
) of being cautioned thus by young girl
f who would have been frightened to death
| had told her the same thing yesterday
: was too much for me. [ burst in a sort
J strangulated laugh, which could only chez
} by swallowing half of my little flagree lace
edged handkerchief The young ladies a