The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-02-06
CAUGHT MTHE ACT

CAUGHT in THE ACT
Once, during the summer solstice
(says lady correspondent Of Bead2e',
MonM!y,) when everybody that was
anybody Except myself had gone
out of town, I was left to my own
devices during the day and Ben s
society in the evening, for what
amusement L could find in hot pave
ments, shaded houses, and libations
Of cewater, for the space Of two
never r-to-bc-forgotten weeks.
All the neighbors had de-
serted us; and I had watched trunk
after trunk, and carriage after car
riage, starting for various destina-
tions. Our next door neighbor, Mrs.
Beverley, had gone with the two
children, and faithful black Rose, at
the very beginning of the summer
Fittings; and as Mrs. Beverley was
my especial admiration, and the
children my favorite amusement,
wondered how [ could possibly get
through the weary days without
them. Little HDory," Short for
Theodore whose fathers eyes had
closed in this world without seeing
the face Of his little son, was an AMI
mated sculpture of the purest marble,
lighted up by dark orbs that seemed
to make winter the ivory skin; and
his sister, two years older, was the
most bewitching little romp that ever
spoiled white dresses, or set ut naurth
all the rules Of propriety.
Assfor the gentle, sorrow-stricl1en
mother, whom scarcely any one ever
got glimpse Of, had fairly stormed
her into a sort of liking for me-
scaled her castle on various pretexts,
and carried off the children so fre-
quently, that the fact of existence
became too apparent to be ignored.
All the family laughed at my passion
for Mrs. Beverly, and all that per
tanned to her; every one acknowledged
that she was lovely and attractive,
but completely wrapped up in her
children and the memory Of a happy
past. My feeling for her, however,
amounted to perfect enthusiasm; and
we had become very good friends
some time before her departure. She
had not gone among the '',harm-
ing" Miss LIS, and BIS, an Es.'s,
with their rainbow-hucd dresses; bat
OFT among the green hills of New
hampshire. where aunt and cousins
waited to welcome her and her chill
dren to pure air and green pastures.
She would be gone all summer. and
had nnghlnGly requested me to keep
an eye on the house while I remain
ed near it. 1t is needless for me to
say that l kept two eyes perseverance
ly fixed upon the domicil whenever
opportunity offered; and held end
less discussions with Ben. as to
whether all the doors and windows
were properly fastened-for con-
stltutional dread of burglars was one
OF my ldlosyncrasies, and | had fire.
quently bcch t"monstrated with for
looking upon iiem as supernatural
be.ngs-lnasmaoh as, from the
nature Of mys-. ',as before retiring
! evldc..-iy exptoGaa them to lodge
IN bureau draw; .. and store them
selves away in small boxes.
Mrs. Beverley had frequently
spoken to me Of Il brother, whom, as
the co"ntry people say, she seemed
TO ""tt great store by" and who was
now studying profession in Il dis
tGnt city: He was tojoin her IN New
hampshire, and return with her on IL
VISIT; and she had expressed strong
desire that we should see each other.
was quite persuaded that she hoped
great deal from this seeing; and |
must confess that the fact Of his
being Mrs. Beverley's brother threw
halo OF strange interest around Mr..
Essclton.
often found myself thinking Of
HIM and wondering what he. was hike
or rather, what be would strike me
as beng like; for. of course, his sister
had drawn her own impressions of
hlm Tor my benefit, and e these i'm
presslons were corrcC! b" must be an
unccmmonly nice tC ~. His pho
tograph was decidedly handsome