The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1868-11-13
HATES PROPOsAL.

laughed Mag Reynolds.
III wager my pearl ring tina,
you II back out Of it at the last
moment" cried Sue Devclin, slipping
the ring of her finger, aad holdiu {
IT up to view.
Done,' exclaimed kaie, and
here is my gold locke, in tho balance
against your ring" She uufastencd
the locket from the chain around her
throat, as she spoke, and the ring
and locket were laid in the hands OF
Mag Reynolds, to be held until
claimed by the winner.
"Oh, of course, you say you will,
but then, we know you won't, they
said, in chorus.
Kate Adams thrust her hands in
her apron pockets, pursod up her
mouth in defiance, and replied
dare, and wha, is more, ',oli
ask him between this and tomorrow
afternoon
Five young ladies were standing
in vine.clad arbor, Ia tho garden a,
Judge Adamss residence. Four of
them had dared the judges daugh.
ter, Kate, the widest romp that ever
wore CATERS and tore dresses, to take
advantage Of the privileges leap. year
affords, and propose to Dick Walton,
a rather stately, and, as the girls dc.
cIared: altogether unapproachablo u
young gentleman, then visiting, for
few weeks, her father. As the
girls matured their plans, they failed
to see pair of gray eyes looking
down upon them, nor did they hear
the suppressed laugh which proceed
ed from the tangled shrubhsry.
But how arc VIC to know ? "
queried the girls,
Meet me here at half past five,
tomorrow afternoon, replied Kate
and then, with merry leave taking,
they separated for their respective
homes. Kate walked slowly toward
the house, revolving in her mind the
best mode Of attack Should she
beard the lion in his den, or should
she come upon him unawares, in some
corner2 She concluded that the lat
ter was tho better plan. As her
form disappeared in the distance, the
vines parted, and a young gentleman
stepped through the aperture, into
the arbor His eyes twinkled mis-
chievously.
AHA bonnie Kate, you'll get
caught in q trap Of your own setting "
and he laughed outright.
Among four children, Kate was
the only girl, aud was spoiled in con
sequence. Not one of her three
brothers could ride, hunt, fish, or
whistle better than she. And yet,
when she was in the parlor, there
was not one Of her young lady
friends one whit pretticr, or more
accomplished, than Mistress Kate.
She danced beautifully, had mag
nificent voice, aud played and sung
supcrbly; but, at the bottom Of it
all, she was natural born coquette,
and Air,ed wickedly with her male
friends. Dick Walton, after three
weeks residence under her fathers
roof, had become desperately smit.
ten, but, knowing her flirting pro.
pensi,ies, declined adding himself to
her already long string of disconso-
late adorers.
Once, in particular, when her
father desired her to look uneom
monty well, because of certain cl-
derby parsonage, whom he wished to
call "son in law" she astonished
them both, by appearing before them
with her arms akimbo, and a cigar
between her lips. The old bean was
so disencbanted, that he then and
there declined the honor of an ALI
ance with Miss Kate, which so en-
ragged the father, that he ordered the
the sutton from the house.
That same day, the young lady
began her operations on Dick, but
he eluded her. IL she found him in
the parlor, no found some pretcxt to
leave tho room. If, by chance, she
met him in the garden, he imme.
diately fed to the house. To go to
his room, she did not dare. So,
wearied out, she went to bed, deter
mined to try again the next morning
She did not, for moment even, sup
pose no would answer her. She sup.
posed he would turn up his aristo-
cratic proboscis, and leave tho house
in disgust Kate did not like the
latter idea very well, for way down
in the bottom. most part of her heart,
lay Dicks image.
The next morning, she rose and
dressed herself with scrupulous care,
She had some misgivings about 1t,
though. 1t did not seem half so
easy then, us i, did the day before.
She let pass many good e?s"-suni-
ties, and it was one O'Clock or the
fatal evening, before she mustered up
courage to " do the rather delicate
business. Her father and mother
we're gone away, her brothers were
taking a comfortable s'ssta, or gone
bunting; the lion " was loIling on
the sofa. Kate crcpt softly to the
door. There the enemy was, GER
tainly not at all formidable looking
Perhaps she thought SO, for she
walked calmly in. Tho proprietor
Of the sofa looked up, and bowed po
litely, b.: there was roguish twin
kle in his eyes, and he seemed to b'
trying to conceal smile, for the cor
ners OF his mouth twitched, and h
made a motion to knock Oh an imag
mary fly, which he thought had sc:
tied on his nose. But Kate did no
o..ssss .h;.. Cor .ho was industrious
ly studying the pattern OF the ...r,;
"Mr. Walton" said Kate.
That's me" said the oceupan, o