Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-11-03
From the Atlantic Monthly.1
BEAUTY AT BILLIARDS.
There is a lady in this case.

Mountain resorts, (of course | give no hint
as to which that is,-tastes ditfer,) and |
had gradually become enthraIled Her
beauty was dazzling, and her name was
Tarlingford. For the first of these items,
| was indebted to my own intelligence; for
the second to the hotel register, which also
informed me that she was from New York.
|, too, had come from New York IA
coincidence too startling to be calmly over
| looked.
Our acquaintance began oddly. One
morning, at breakfast, | was musing over
hard-Ooiled egg, and wondering if could
perforate her affections with anything like
the success which had followed my fork as
| it penetrated the shell before me, when
felt a tiIGid touch upon my toe, thrilling me
from end to end like a telegrph-wre when
the insulation is perfect. | looked up, and
detected pink flush making its way brow
ward on the lovely countenance across the
table.
Il beg your pardon" saiG I,.'assn much
concern.
at was my fault, Sir; excuse me- said
she, permitting the pink flush to deepen.
rosily.
"Shall pass you the buttered toast y
said |.
"Mufins, if you please said she, and so
sweetly that | was blinded to the absence OF
sugar in my second cup of coffee.
| was confused by this incident. Many
men would have concealed their disquietude
by an affection of sudden appetite, or by
bullying the waiter, or by abrupt depart
ure from the scene. / did neither. felt
| had right to be confused, and | gloried
in it.
Very soon Miss Tarlingford withdrew,
and experienced an aching void within,
which chops and fritters had no power to
replenish.
| opened chambermaid's heart with a
half-dollar, and the treasures other knowl-
edge were 4vealed to me. The beauty and
her party were to remain a fortnight
Among hei companions there wereno males
except youthful responsibility. -Erulte-
mas!
Later in the morning l heard the tink-
ling Of the parlor pianoforte. Music has
soothing charms for me, though | have not
a savage breast. ] drew near, and found
Miss Tarlingford trihing with the keys
those keys which lock together so many
chains of human sympathy. She rose, and
gave out demonstrations of impending dis
appearance. interposed.-
"Pray, continue. | am famished for
music, and came specially to listen"
s.lt is hardly worth while"
allow can you say so! 1t is | who
know best what | need"
81 will play for you them
And she did. This was wonderful
Usually, long and painful struggle pre-
cedes feminine acquiesence, on such occas-
ions. Repeated reftlsals, declarations Of IN
canac;ty. partial consent vouehsafed and
then waywardly withdrawn, poutings, head
tossings, feebler murnurs Of Discrimination,
and final reluctant yielding form the fash
ionable order of proceeding. The charm
Of it all is, that the original intention is the
same as the ultimate action. Whence,
then, this folly? Having been many times
wretchedly bored by this sort OF thing, |
was now correspondingly gladdened BY the
contrast.
Miss Tarlingford played well, and ! said
so.
.Pretty WELL" she answered, FRANKLY;
"but not so well as could wish"
Shock Number Two. 1t is customary
in good society for tolerable performers to
disavow all praises, (seeretly yearnlng for
more.) and to assail with invectiye their
own artistic accomplishments Here was
young lady who played well, and had the
hardihood to acknowledge it. Ihls rather
took away my breath, aud vacuum began
to come under my waistcoat.
For three blissful days Miss Tarlingford
and were seldom separated. Her sister,
a pale, sedate maiden, Of amiable appear
ance. and her brother, small, rude boy,
of intrusive habits and unguarded speech. 1
consented to undergo, for the sake OF con-
yentional necessity. To the mother OF the
Tarlingfords additional respect seemed due
and was accorded.
Three blissful days Of sunshine, meadowy
rambIes, forest explorations, the majestic
tranquility of Nature spiced with the sauce
Of Irritation, or something stronger Some
times we took our morning happiness on
loot, sometimes our midday ecstacy served
up on horseback, sometimes our evening
rapture in an open wagon at two forty.
The puerile rarlingford, interfering al
first, was summarily crushed. Aspiring to
equestrian distinctions, he wrought upon
maternal indulgence, until, net without ms
givings, maternal anxiety was stliled, ana
With injunetions that we should hover pro
tectingly near him, he was sent forth,
thorn in our sides In half an hour ht
was accidentally remembered, and wa tounc
10 Be nowhere within view; SO we pursued
our way, well pleased. lie had dropped
quietly off, at the first canter, into miry
slough, and had returned soDbingly, cover
"a with modification and mud, to the arin
Of his parent Keen questioning at Dime
was the result.
!, "Why did you 50 neglect hing deman
ded fond mama, adding, repre- 'chfuily
..The child's life might have been saerl