The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-11-08
'Bus1rp ENGAGED
iCONTTNTrED I

he haG done nothing else all his life,
''tallc Miss Crowlie. Richard, bring
Sophy. AIy wife and I always trudge
i'll together, like Punch and Judy"
| saw moro Of Sophy's long lashes
that day than of nay own plate. To
my great surprise, / was actually fall
ing in love with the girl, and that at
express speed. Dinner passed away
like dream, and the chair beside
me was vacant The cherry voice of
my host aroused me:
Come up here, my dear fellow.
Hugh-Sir Hugh Sagramore-had to
leave us, as they have q party at
home"
] saw we were alone.
''Hark ye, my dear Purlliss!'' con-
tinued nay host ''I'm going to
speak to you like bluff old fellow as
| am. Fathers have sharpish eyes. l
observed your manner to-day. and l
think l can make I shrewd guess
what has given us the pleasure of
your company. You know my plain
way, and will pardon me if antici-
pate what should certainly have been
allowed to come from you. You are
interested i'll my little Sophy?''
My dear sir" answered, prompt
ly, Il am greatly indebted to you for
your correct estimate of my feelings.
[ am, indeed-to adopt your own
pression-interested in Miss So
phia, and, with permission of those
to whom she is 50 deservedly dear,
"Diclz, my boy, ;say not another
word'-my kind (future) parcnt-in-
law graspcd my hand-:swin her.
Take her. She is yours L give my
girls each their eight thousand
terest for my ife-principal after.
So much for that You will inform
Your uncle to-morrow?'
''Certainly, my dear sir. But
ahem .-the-young lady,
"Pshaw! forgot that" said my
impu!sive host. "Well, [ think YOU
may be pretty sure. Still, as You
say, it might be as we!l-just excuse
me Il moment. -. And he hustled out
Of the room.
[ had hardly collected my ideas,
"All right. Some moro wine?
No? Well, then, just go and see
how You like your new orchids in the
conservatory. There's the door
[ Went. in. 1t was growing dusk,
but l could detect II fairy form NOV
ing among the shrubs. followed it,
and gently took the little pendant
hand. It was not withdrawn. What
| said, [ certainly shall not write.
Let everybody propose for himself.
The murmurs that responded to mine
were emlnently satisfactory. My
happiness was only cqualled by my
astonishment at the whole matter.
Both We're profound.
y little difficulty now arose. 1t oe-
hooved me to plead for an early day
for our union. had been so slightly
acquainted with the family, that I
had positively never exchanged Il do
zen words with this beloved OF my
soul. 1t might be almost said, I had
not known her at all till within these
three hours. How, then, can I titlv
Introduce the subject OF my intense
impatiencc? Shall leave it to my
plainspoken papa-in-law? No. Here
goes.
''And now, dearest .Sophy, (ah,
that sweet name y
"Swcet enough, bat it's not mine, :"
retorted my atfianced lady.
"Not-yours!" ] stammered, q
strange misgiving stealing over me.
"Certainly not" was the reply,
and, as she turned to the light, [ be-
held the face of Miss Crowdie.
''I-I-ah-why, what is this?"
said I.
The young lady burst into stears,
and hid her face in her hands.
Mamma t-told me-you w-wished
to speak TO me, she sobbed.
[ hate to see a woman weep; and
she wept SO prettily.
MY dear,AIiss Crowdie-''
''C-call me Su-hu-san."
"Well, Susan, dear, let me wipe
of that falling -" I was gliding
into the Cd song, and, also, strange
as it may seem, into u degree of in
terest for the fair weeper hardly COM
patible with my previous engage
ments.
| scarcely know how it CHANGED
that one of her pretty brown silkon
curls had got entangled on my but
ton. While engaged in disentan-
Cling it, and murlnuring words of
comfort more or les coherent, Mr..
Crowdie's broad face appeared at the
window. To my surprise, he merely
laughed merrily, adding:
s.hinI- ,,.n,,L .-1., C.. -.