San Andreas independent., 1858-04-17

ed with the young lady | was personating
"a very fortunate thing for the preser-
vation of my disguise.
Mr.. Binby, tall, legal looking man,
with hook nose and eye-glass, seemed
to be prepossessed with me, and 1 over
heard him whisper to Bob Styles as he
went out, "Nice looking gal, that Miss
Lee"
eyes," answered Bob, with amischiev-
Gus glance at me, "she is nice gal,
though a little go-ahead sometimes. Keep
look out upon her." then lowering his
voice, "not a bad match for you, old fel-
low; she is rich
"Is she?' said Bimby, his interest
deepening.
"On my HONOR" replied Bob. "Forty
thousand dollars in her own right. Day
day" and he was gone.
| Maggie, artful creature that she was,
had told her father that the sailing party
was to assemble at another hotel, and
thither he had taken her. Having bust
ness in D., he left her there, merely
saying that he would send the carriage
after her at twelve o'clock. She, like a
dutiful daughter, kissed him, bid him
goodbye, and before he had gone hun
dred yards, took seat in Bob Styles
light wagon, which had driven up to the
back door, as old Lees carriage drove
away from the front
AS for us of the picnic excursion, we
had pleasant sail down to the grove, but
somehow could not enjoy it as much as |
ought to have done. When walked on
board the boat felt awkward, as if every
body was looking at me. [ found Mr..
Bimby, as | had expected, young and
rising lawyer. He insisted on paying for
my ticket and purchasing enough oranges,
pears and candies to set up street etstand.
-Four or five times was on the point of
swearing at his impudent officiousness,
but bit my tongue just in time to prevent
the expose. But it 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 was
one among them, beautiful girl of seven
teen, just returned from boarding-school,
who had not seen Maggie Lee for three
years. Of course she was delighted with
ME when she found out that l was Mag
gle, 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 dozen times, in a manner
that made my finger ends tingle for half
an hour. 1t was all very nice, but if [
had been propria personae should have
liked it better AS twas, felt as though
| was obtaining goods under false col
ors, and that Lawyer Bimby might issue
warrant for my arrest on that ground at
any moment
A whole knot of crinoline then sur
rounded me on the upper deck of the boat,
to the utter exclusion and consequent dis
gust of Mr.. Bimby and other gentlemen.
The river breeze was very fresh where
we sat, and [ noticed that several of the
ladies were glancing uneasily at me. [
couldn't divine the reason until Jennie,
my little friend from boarding school laid
her face dangerously close to mine, and
whispered: "My dear Maggie, your dress
is blowing up terribly high-your ancles
will be the town talk with the gentlemen. J"
Now I was conscious of having a very
small foot for man, and had donned a
pair of open-work stockings, with pair
of CATERS borrowed from the servant girl,
in allof which toggery my running gear
looked quite respectable; but the idea of
gentlemen talking about my ancles and of
being cautioned thus by young girl, who
would have been frightened to death if [
had told her the same thing yesterday,
was too much for me, and [ burst into a
sort of strangled laugh, which l could
only check by swallowing half of my fill
gree handkerchief. The young ladies
looked at me in apparent astonishment
and wanted to laugh all the more. For
tunately Mr.. Bimby came to my rescue
at the moment, and edged himself in
among the crinoline
"May | sit here?" he asked, pointing
to low stool near me.
Certainly" 1 simpered in my high
falsetto.
"Ah, thank you" said Bimby-with a
lackadaisical air, which nauseated me, as
coming from one man to another-'you
are kind as you are fascinating"
"You fatter me!''
81? no indeed, praise of you cannot be
fattery, Miss Lee
"Ah, sir, you are very naughty" said
in the most feminine tone | could COM
mand
He cast languishing glance at me, and
| fairly began to feel for his feelings.
We soon arrived at the grove, and
found our band-engaged beforehand
awaiting us. Of course dancing was the
first amusement, and Lawyer Bimby led
me out for schottische. It was hard,
but | soon got accustomed to it. When
waltz was proposed I resolved to have
little amusement at the expense of the
unfortunate Bimby
| had first made him properly jealous,
by dancing with two or three young fel-
lows, one of whom | knew in my own
character, but who never suspected me
as Maggie Lee. This young man is a
great woman-killer-a sort of easy, devil
may-care rascal, who made the ladies run
after him by his alternate warmth OF ac-
! tion ond ooolnoss of Y,rocacution. him