Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-10-25
WHAT A PRETTY LITTLE HAND


am not bashful man. Generally
speaking. l am fully as confident and
forward as most Of my sex. dress we'll.
I don't tread on ladies dresses when
make my bow; have not the trick Of col
oring to the roots of my hair when I am
spoken to. Yet there was one period Of
my life when all my merits seemed to my
own eyes Insignificant, aud / felt very
modest. not to say bashful. 1t was when
l was in love. Then, sometimes I did
not know where to put my hands and feet.
Did mention that ir those same hands
aud feet consists my chief beauty. They
are both small.
Three years ago I fell in love. l did
not go into it quietly-weighing my
idols projections against her defects. /
fell in, head aud ears, two seconds after
the introduction.
MIR. Haynes, Miss Arnold" said a
mutual friend, and, Iol | was desperately
in love. She was fsiry-like figure. with
long, brown curls foaIing over snowy
neck aud shoulders, and falling down on
the waist of an enchanting blue dress.
Her large. dark blue eyes were full of
ssucy light, vet how tender and loving
they could look. (This | found out later
OF all the provoking. tantalizing little
coquetts that ever teased the heart Of u
poor man. Susy Arnold was the most be-
witching. | would pass a evening with
her and 20 home certain that one more
interview would make me the happiest Of
men; but the next time | met her, a cool
nod and indifferent glance threw down all
my cas- les She was very cautions. New
or u word did she drop TO make me believe
that she loved me. AID yet her hand would
liuger in mine. aud her color rise ii
looked my feelings, and her eyes droop. to
be raised again in moment, full of laugh
ing defiance. She declared her intention
To be an old maid, most emphatica.ly.
aud in the next sentence would add:
Il never did love. but if | should take
n fancy to anybody ! should love him
would say carelessly, Il never saw any
body yet worth setting my Thoughts up
on
tried thousand ways to make her
beiray some interest in myself. Propose
outright could not do. She had n way.
whenever tried it, Of looking in my face
with an air Of grave attention aud pro
found interest, that was equivalent in its
effects TO knocking me down; it took all
the breath out OF ne.
Uuc evening. while there. was seized
with violent headache. told her, wa.
subject TO such attacks, aud The gpsey.
putting on a grave face gave me lecture
on the subject of health, winding up
with
The best thing you can do is to get a
wife 10 take care Of you, aud to keep you
from over study. advise you to do tiff
you can get anybody To have"
."lndeed," said |, rather piqued. there
are too many refrain from a selection
for fear of breaking other hearts How
fond all these ladies are of mel | added
conc i'edly, tho cant see that am
particularly fascinating"
"Neither can |, said Susy, with an
air of perfect simplicity.
Cant you?" said I. al hoped
hoped" Oh. that dreadfully attentive
face of hersl That is. Miss SuSy,
Thought, perhaps-obl my head my headl'
and buried my face in the cushion.
"Does il ache so very badl,?' aad she
put her cool little hand among my cuils
felt the thsill her fingers gave me all
the way to the toes Of my boots. My
head being really very painful. WA,
obliged to leave; but all the way home,
the soft, cool toach OF those little fngers
fingered on my brow.
Soon after thiI il became necessary for
me to lcive the city on business. An of
fer Of a lucrative partnership in the South
in the Office OF a lawyer friend of mine
m,dc M decide to extend my trip aud zee
hpw the "land lay" One thing was Ger
tain, could not leave home for months,
perhaps for years, without some answer
from Susy. so. dressed in my fultless
costume, and full OF hope, went 10 Mr..
Aruold's. Susy Was in the parlor at the
piano alone. she nodded gaily as came
Ia but continued her song. 1t was, i've
something to tell you .
A, tbs words, Il love you, adore
youl' She gave ne such glance.
wss ready TO PROSTATE myself; but. sweep
Ing back the curls with laughing def
ance. she warbled, "But I'm talking Ia my
sleep"
"lhen." / cried you love me when
you sleep. May think SOP
"Ohl yes. III ,ou choose; for Rory
0'Moore says dreams go BY conlraries, you
know"
/ sat down beside her.
"AhV' said, signing, "Rory's idol
dreamed she hated him"
Yes said Susy, that was the differ.
snce between his case aud yours"
We chatted away foe atime. At last !
began
Miss Susy. came up this evening to
tell you that -"
How she was lis,eninpl A bright
thought struck me; | would tell her of my
journey, and In the emotion she was Ger
tain to betray, il would be easy to declare
my love.
"Mss Susy,' | said, III am going South
10 morrow
She swept her hands across the keys
Of the piano into stormy polka. | tried
to SEQ her face but her curls fell over IT,
wus prepared to catch her IL she tainted
or comfort her, ifshe wept. | listened foI
the sobs | iancied the music was intended
to conceal; but, throwing back hor eurl'
with q sudden toss, she struck tho last
chord Of the polka, aud said gayly-
"Going away?'
AYES. for some months"
'Dcar me, how di-trcssingl just stop