The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1858-09-22

sides, and calling for vinegar on my pudding.
satisfactorily. worried though an hour or two,
and finally decided to 60 cunning, though
there was nothing to shoot in the neighborhood
but birds and field rats, if excepted dogs, hens,
and cats, game never molested. l threw my
rifle across my shoulder, and took the nearest
path to the woods.
There were daises growing all along the path.
nodded and swaging their yellow hearted bios
SONS vainly. / anaagined they looked triile
like SO many little gold lockets stuck upon stems
and kicked at them spitefulg as I vent along.
Reached the woods at last, the cool, breezy
delicious woods. A perfect bower of comfort
found them, after my long walk over sandy
roads, with the merei!ess pelting of July sun
at my back. A perfect bower of comfort;
green inches of shade, luxurious mounds of
velvet moss--niniatare wilderness Of tangled
vines, waving trees, murmuring brook, cool
breeze was in raptures. Leaned my rife
up against friendly tree, and looked about
NE. Something caught ny eye few reds off
=. something brigsat sltteriny, round, and
yellow. lying close to q thicket Of ivy that
climbed and ran IN a sort of fantastic trellis
work from one large tree to another. Thought
I'd see what it was. Went forward, stopped
down-torment ard fairies!-a gold locket!
Set ny foot on with growl Meant to crush
it, but didn't A bed of yielding moss saved
it. Bent down to pick it up, and found it was
attached to a chain. Gave the chain g little
pull bat ii resisted my efforts. Saw that one
eng of it was tangled in the ivy. Pushed the
leaves apart to find it. Jupiter. Joyi, Jovis.
Jovum! / started back in surprise. I had
found the other end of the chain indeed, but
neck inside of it. Crushed down among the
trailing festoons of ivy, her dainty slippered
feet just peeping fTon, the folds of her muslin
dress, and one round white arm beneath her
head, with pillow of chesnut ringets flowing
over it, like sunlight across ivory, lay Mamie
Gray fast asleep! Her gipsey hat was beside
her,running over with blossoms. Dear Mamie!
Such a picture of unconscious loveliness and
girlish innocence as she made! Who could have
helped loving her as l did?
l wondered if she was still angry with me,
and wonder begat a sudden thought despe
rate resolve. l would try her. l went back
where my rifle was standing, raised it delibe
ratey, and tired-5don't be alarmed, reader
into the air! Then staggered groaned and fell.
A first class tragedian couldn't have acted his
part more thoroughly. The report, the groan,
the fall, had their! intended effect. eaycns!
what spring Mamie gave! had flung myself
down on my left side, with one arm thrown up
SO as partially to conceal my face. But my
fingers were arranged to accommodate my eyes;
of course, peeped through them.
l saw Mamie for moment in perplexed
attitude, drawing her hand across her eyes, as
if to assure herself she was not still asleep.
Then her glance fell where was lying. A
quick parlor spread over features, and with g
faint cry of alarm, she leapcd forward and
knelt beside me.
"Howard-Howard! What is the matter?
Are you injured? How did it happen? Who
has shot you?'' We're her terrified inquiries.
I gave another groan, more heart rending
than the first.
Howard, dear, dear, Howard. speak to me!
What is the matter?'
The words came thick and broken, as if fear
choked her utterance. | opened my eyes halt
way. rolled them wildly in my head, writhed
as though suffering the most acute pain, and
groanen third time.
She sprang up with a suddenness that star
tied me; ran for her gipsey hat, emptied it OF
its flowers, darted toward the brook, seooped it
up full of water, and was back again with the
cool moisture dripping over her hat brm and
through the coarse braid upon her frock, before
| comprehended her movement. Then she
knelt and dipping her soft hand in the water,
bathed my forehead and temples.
"Howard!' she called again. Howard in
mercy's name, speak to mei''
Rut | didn't Snaal-pot T With that soft
cool, caressing hand fluttering so deHciously
across my face, how could l? What man could
have been unse6sh enough to put an end to a
She paused at last as if her task were a hope
less one, and drew my head up tender'y upon
her shoulder-a shoulder plump and dmpled
as a babes. She wound her slender arms
around my neck, laid her velvety cheek upon
mine, pressed her aewy lips over and over again
to my forehead. 'Ah, Mamie, your coquetry
was all gone then. l read your heart that
moment, proudly. exuting, yet withal tenderly
and reverently. You loved me.
ooh, he will die--he will die He will never
speak to me agaiE'--ncyer forgive me for get
ting SO angry--nGver tell me again that be
loves me! Howard, Howard, darling! my love,
my life! In pity speak to me. ook up. For
give me, kiss me, love me! Oh, this is dread
-dreadful--dreadfulp'
Lying there, half supported in the soft clasp
Of her tremulous arms, with her siken curs
ripping like cloud of amber mist about my
forehead-her lips to mine-her balmy breath
drifting across my cheek, could have wished
the deception carried on forever. But the quick
heaying of her bosom, the burst of passionate
sobs, the falling ,of hot tears, told me how
deeply and truly she had suffered. | was
melted to repentance in an instant, and opening
my eyes glanced up full in her face:
do you then love me 50 very much,
Nannie?"
She sprang up instantly, staring at me with
parted lips and dilating eyes. Her wonderment
was not of long duration, however, for the tri-
umph that tremhled through my voice as
spoke, and the merry laughter l found it i'm
possible to restrain, explained the whole story
to herin an instant. How bitterly Ireproached
myself for the cruel jest, when I saw the hot
iushes of wounded pride dash across her fea-
lures. Tears of modification struggled to her
eyes, her lips quivered, her head dropped with
bashful pain. Shocked, grieved, startled, she
stood thus for moment, like frightened bird,