The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-04-23
Misfellaueuns.
SWIMMING FOR LOVE.


we do with him nowg" .
Miss Gardner applied the remark to n
wretched crab, which we had discovered
In our peregrinations along the beach, and
had succeeded, after half an hours pa
tlent labor, in extricating from between
the huge stones.
"rm sure don't know" said I. "Can't
we put him into the boatY'
"Oh dear, no. He'd crawl all around.
Besides, we've got the boat half full of
shells and things already"
"well, then, we've got to leave him be-
hind" ,...
mo, VIC mustn't. Iwant to keep him.
I'll tell you what. You run up to the
house and get basket-that's dear"
Miss Gardner turned her blue eyes to-
ward me In way that was not to be re-
sisted. She had never called me q dear
before; and became SO exhilarated mt
the sound that Immediately clapped my
hat over the unfortunate crab, told the
young lady to put her foot on 1t, and
started away barcheaded, toward the
house at the top Of my speed.
Ihad run q dozen yards when the con-
viction that I was making fool Of my
self made me stop and look back. Miss
Gardner sat on the boat, laughing merri-
ly, with her bewitching little foot on the
rim of my hat, and waving me on with
her hand. So dashed forward again.
For two months had been pOndering
what mysterious attraction 1t was that
drew me toward this girl. She was very
pretty, but this was no enchantment In
my eyes. In fact, 1 was very chary of
pretty faces, and never approached one
without certain degree Of suspicion.
Ny first meeting with Miss Gardner was
unpleasant. felt that almost dlsliked
her. She had such grand hauteur, and
seemed To feel such serene indifference
to my presence that my self-love was hurt.
But at that time was victim to an un-
bounded admiration for my cousin Nellie,
a fancy which, rs the summer wore on,
melted away under Miss Gardner's mag
ne,ic influence like snow beneath the sun
beams.
She had come TO us In early June In the
capacity of school teacher, when the
meadows were green and covered with a
golden dust of dandelions. She carried
her reserve into the school room with her
too; and yet the children, by potent
spell, were drawn to her Mt once. Whit
burg had about as wild set Of boys rs
any village in the country, but don't be-
lieve there was one Of them who would
not have gone through fire and water for
Miss Gardner.
In consequence Of this, the female por-
ton of the community called her "stuck.
up;" and little Polly Smith, whose moth
or kept the post Office at the Corners, told
me quite confidently one day that she
thought Miss Gardner was awfully con-
ceited, "and put OH great many airs for
a school-mistress." But when came to
know Miss Gardner better, found a
bllthesome heart under this cold exterior.
and discovered after all she was rs merry
a mink when occasion required rs any
other girl in whitburg. So by degrees 1
learned to like her, and 1t soon became
quite regular thing for Nellie to ask her
to Join us In our afternoon strolls. Alas! !!
before the summer was gone, poor Nellie
herself was left out Of our calculations
entirely.
Ihad dim suspicion-I know not how
It came, or upon what II rested-that Miss
Gardner had passed through the ordeals
Of what the French call an affair OF the
heart. About the middle Of July, my
conviction was verified by the appearance
of dark complcxioned cavalry captain,
who registered his name on the tavern-
books as plain John Smith. This inter-
loper OH my rightftil domain no sooner es-
tablished himself, than he commenced
counting the school-mistress with all his
military might and ferocity. His advent
brought home to me the knowledge that
| had deeper feeling for Miss Gardner
than mere regard. met them one NOON
light night, returning from drive along
the beach; and as they rolled past, a
great throb of my heart told me that
hcnccforward there was 20 be struggle
for victory between myself and the caval-
ry captain.
Thus matters stood at present, and 1
turned them over in my mind as waded
through the clover-tops and crossed the
long meadow below the house. Il was a
sunny, dreamy August day. The clms
along the road dropped their branches
listlessly In the heat, and the sun shone
like silver shield. The captain had
gone fishing and had taken the advan.
tagc of this glorious opportunity to ask
,b.. Heel. a., -. ,.,x-i,,.,