The Kanzas news., 1858-03-20

WAS assembled aI dQOLn6f nOueis tHJtnST ne
had taken her. Having business in D,
he left there. merely saying that he would
send the carriage for her at eleven O'Clock.
She, like dutiful daughter, kissed him and
bade him goodbye; and before he had gone
hundred rods, took seat in Bob Styles
| light wagon, which had driven up to the
back door as Mr.. Lee drove away from the
front, and the old story of deeds of love
| and prejudiced age was enacted over again.
| AS for the picnic excursion, we had a
delightful sail down to the grove, but some
how l could not enjoy it as much as ought
| to have done. When walked on board the
boat, felt awkward, as If everybody was
looking at me. found Mr.. Bimby, as had
suspected, a young and rising lawyer, mighty
in Blackstone and his own opinion. He in
sisted on paying for my ticket, (the boat was
regular excursion packet, and purchasing
enough oranges, pears and candies to set
up street stand. Four or FIVE times was
on the point of swearing at his imprudent
oficiousness, but bit my tongue just in
time to prevent exposure. But it was not
with him that found my role the hardest
to play.
No; the young ladies were the difficult
among them a beautiful girl of seventeen,
just returned from boarding school, who
had not seen Maggie Lee for three years.
| Of course she was delighted to see me when
she found out 1 was Maggie, which by the
way did not occur until we had started
She threw herself into my arms, pulled my
veil aside, and kissed me half-a- dozen times
in manner that made my finger ends tin
gle for half an hour. 1t was all very nice,
but if I had been in l'ropria persona l
would have liked it better. AS it was, l
felt as if l were Obtaining goods under
| false pretences,' and that lawyer Bimby
might issue warrant 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
the utter exclusion and consequent disgust
of the other gentlemen. kept very quiet,
only speaking in monosyllables, in falsetto
voice /; but the others-Lord bless you, how
| they gabbled Under a stric. promise Of
secrecy, the little boarding school maiden,
who had kissed me so affectionately, re-
yealed all her love affairs, and also became
| unpleasantly confidential about other mat
| ters-innocent enough in themselves, but
gentlemen.
was terribly embarrassed, but it would
not do to give it up then. As soon as my
trick should become known, Bob Styles
| trick would also come out and, as news
| of that kind travels fast in the coun-
try, he and his lady-love would be tele-
graphed and followed before they could
reach Philadelphia, where the Styles family
lived, and where the knot was to be tied.
The river breeze was very fresh where
we sat, and l noticed that several of the la
dies were glancing uneasily at me. [
couldn't divine the reason, until Jennie, nv
little friend from the boarding school, put
her face dangerously close to mine, and
whispered
my dear Maggie, your dress is blowing
up terrible high-your ankles will be town
talk with the gentlemen !''
Now was conscious of having a very
small foot for man, and had donned pair
of open-work stockings which came nearly
up to my waist, with pair of CATERS bor-
rowed from a servant, in all of which tog
gerry my running gear looked quite femi-
nine and respectable but the idea of the
gentlemen talking about my ankles, and of
being cautioned by young girl, who would
have been frightened to death if I had told
her the same thing yesterday, was too much
for me. l burst into a sort of strangulated
laugh, which could only check by swal-
lowing half of my little flagree, lace-edged
handkerchief. The young ladies' all looked
at me in apparent astonishment at such a
voice, and l wanted to laugh all the more.
Fortunately, Mr.. Bimby came to my rescue
at that moment, and edged himself in among
the crinoline.
''May sit here ?'' he asked, pointing to
low stool near me.
Certainly" simpered, in my high fall
setto.
'.Ah, thank you,' said Bimby, with a
lackadaisical air which nauseated me, as
coming from one man to another-'you are
as kind as you are fascinating %
"You fiatter me! 20
81? No, indeed; praise of you cannot
be flattery, Miss Lee.''
''Oh, sir, really you are naughty man, %
I said, in the most feminine tone I could
command.
He cast languishing glance at me
through the black lace veil, and fairly be-
gun to feel for his feelings.
We soon arrived at the grove, and found
our band-engaged notwithstanding
US. Of course, dancing was the first amuse-
ment, and lawyer Bimby led me out for a
schottische. 1t was hard at first for me to
take the lady's part in my dance, but soon
got accustomed to it. When a waltz was
propoposed, l resolved to have a little
amusement at the expense of the unfortunate
Bimby. had at first made him purposely
jealous by dancing with two other young
fellows, one of whom / knew in my own
character, but who never suspected me as
Maggie Lee. This young man, who was a
great woman-killer-a sort of easy, devil
may-care rascal, who made the ladies run
after him by his alternate warmth of action
and coolness of protestation-I selected to
play off against my legal admirer. al