Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-10-29

4
seized my hat and left. When about hal
way down the road, thought | heard |
laugh. Looked about Mamie sat By
the window, locket in hand, her sewing
tossed idly across the window-seat.
grated my teeth, and walked along. Fol
two or three successive days the locke
tormented me. She always managed to b.
hiding it, when 1 came along. At las
she become less shy, and looked at it con
tinually in my presence One morning
sat watching Fer. How sweetly she smiled
at the despisable little yellow affair. ]
could have shaken her with good will
Then she sighed, put her face down sus.
piciously low. A smile, smack, trium-
phant uplifting of her saucy eyes-graci-
Gus she had kissed it Human nature
could endure no more. Curiosity-tanta-
lizing, jealous curiosity, overcame every
consideration Of politeness. Forgetting
the rudeness of the action, sprang for
ward and snatched the locket from her
hand. She gave a faint cry of alarm, and
struggled to rescue it from me; but
caught both her eager hands in mine, and
held them fast, while turned to look al
the miniature. I set my features in q
glare of defiance intended for the especial
benefit of the masculine visage l expected
to see there. Oh ! jealousy, thou green
eyed monster, avaunt! Oh, confusion,
thrice confounded the locket was an
empty one! Irelinquished my hold of it.
and glanced at Mamie. Cheek, forehead,
and ivory white throat were deluged with
crimson, while two tears Of mingled in
dignation and chagrin struggled through
the misty fringe Of her lashes. Preached
out my hand.
II was rude; forgive me, Mamie"
Such a stamp of her slender foot upon
the carpet Such queenly straighten-
ing of her fairy figure Such blazing
of her glorious eyes, l stood back
aghast.
"I'll never speak to you again, Howard
Ross, as long as i live-neuer p
That was what she said. have already
recorded my unsuccessful attempts to
change her resolution.
And yet had gone to her, intending
to place my happiness in her hands--in-
tending to say to her what no other wo.
man had ever won from my lips. Oi
course I relinquished the idea then. An
army of hungry bears would have been
less formidable than Mamie Gray in such
pet. 1 went home laboring under the
conviction that either l was brute, and
Mamie an angel, or Mamie was little
vixen, and myself an abused, uncomfort
able, and stupid fellow.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself
Howard Ross" 1 muttered. "Fie on
such ungentlemanly conduct! Any wo'
man of spirit would have resented it,
You've not half got your deserts, even il
she should keep her cruel threat Of never
speaking to you again-which she won't,
added, by way of consoling myself
That was the most uneasy forenoon ever
passed, without single exception.
tried to read, to pass away the time. The
paper blurred all over with Mamie Gray'l
yellow curls and blue eyes. Thought II
smoke. Sat down with that intention
and after half an hours vigorous putting
discovered that had omitted to light my
cigar, an important consideration, as al
smokers will testify. At dinner, surprised
myself purloining the soup ladle, and at
tempting to stir my tea with it, besid,
numerous other follies, such as butterinl
my bread on both sides, and calling fo
vinegar on my pudding The 6rst part o
the afternoon passed about as satisfactory
ly. l worried through an hour or two
and finally decided to go gaming, thougl
there was nothing to shoot in the neigh
borhood but birds and field rats, if ex
cepted dogs, hens, and cats, game neve
mOlested. 1 threw my rife across IN.
shoulder, and took the nearest path to tn
woods.
There were daisies growing all along th
path, nodding and swaying their yelloV
3 hearted blossoms vainly. / imagined the
looked triae like so many little gol
lockcts stuck upon stems, and kicked q
them spitefully as / went along. Reache
the woods at last, the cool, breezy, delici
Gus woods, A perfect bower of comfoI
found them, after my long walk owe
sandy roads, with the marciless pelting {
July sun at my back. A perfect bowe
|, of comfort; green inches of shade, luxur
/ GUS mounds of velvety moss--miniatur