The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-07-30

|HIH"HNI NIHNI NNHtN NHFf 'Hf "EHNHN =
Ne acHiif afarmsuts ~ weuli msnafs
n " n flnss conversation VIII aHse,
rhfs ! hit = prey W ths m9'hsft shase
rrnfFfsstlsHsi pfwefs Hefe ~ he fn0sf
Oppressive thafsetef Tfe same tfing
u.si ~ ofouf when We fiatei ruins ard
pisrea tagrihsf wtlth We dd nearly
every day, san feit M isaf N W.
fivairy Aurif evidently iked ne, ard
slwsys appeared delighted n ser re DE-
Eiaes, I never fof mnment Supposed that
she e0uif prefer a penniifss SaFAh0nd n
= man u means ard recognized ftfretia
hlliiy.
An this Il merely Introductory And,
though the preceding statements hsve =
tendency n make a short story l0nF, siih
! was necessary, m have nti hfinfe,
that the precise nsiuro u my Intimacy
with Dick should be- sfi firth before I
oould ash The question, sought ! not to
have done ltf"
One dag we prevailed upon the ladies
10 make a visit " a. Peters In order 70
make the excursion partahe SOMEWHAT ~
the nature ofA picnic, ], was agreed that
we shOuli take our lunch with ua and eat II
or the immense roof of the church. In
order 10 make sure Of occurring Susie fnr
myself, | prevailed upon Mrs. Hoot, 10 In.
vlte the Rev. Leonidea w. Smiley, who
was then In Rome, 10 accompany ne; IN.
tending 10 lnyclglo thai worthy divine
into acting "a m escort 10 the widow. !
never thought what would become Of
Dick II thus len without n lady com.
panlon, nor were my suspicious srouscd
by tho sarcastic smile with which he
praised my f%orethought In inviting the
clergyman.
"Hany accident should %happen-if you
should break your neck, for example" no
r~cmArked-"it would be so handy 10 have
n clergyman rcadyi'
The day appointed for the picnic, Of
course, arrived. Never shall ! forget the
sensation with which descended the long,
winding, inclined plain which leads up 70
the roof Of the church. had determined
TO offer myself to Susie in the course OF
the day; and, though | had no doubt as
10 the result, yet The novelty and i'm
portance Of tho step | was about 10 take
made me somewhat nervous had,
ton. an undefincd and wholly unnc.
kpowledged feeling TINT abe was not,
alter all, precisely the sort of wife foI
me. She knew absolutely nothing
Of business, ard was about no Ignorant oI
the duties pertaining TO the position f0i
which | intended her or a girl could well
be. Nevertheless, | had so strong a fancy
for tho gay little butterfly, that | felt th,
impossihillty Of existence apart from her
For veal or woe she held my fate In her
hands, and | determined TINT those deal
little hands should BIO mine, come what
might.
Before we had our lunch we were Il
ascend the dome. Al this stage of Affairs
succeeded in placing the widow In charge
Of The Clergyman, and, with Susic, began
the ascent OF the countless staira. Dick
however, followed 80 closely behind us
In order, "a ho pretended, to keep Susie
from falllng-ihat I could find no oppor
tunlty to ask her the question which wa
on my lips. Az last we reached the Ian
torn, and only the great copper bali re
NAMED to BIO explored. As Mrs. Scot
declined 70 enter tho ball. | waited will
Susie until her mother had gone out upor
The outer gallery, vaInly hoping that tn,
long 'sought.tor moment had arrived. Blu
scarcely had her mother disappeared wher
The young lady announced the in
teniion of climbing into the ball, whore
upon the oillcious Dick ran IN the lror
ladder to assist her, When thew had hotl
succeeded In entering that stlAlng den
where no man of sense wei willingl,
placed himsclf-she cried out shat no on,
else was 10 come up on anv account, 70
she was afraid that the ball would hreal
loose under any additional weight. | wa
thus forced to stay al the foot of the lad
der white they remained in the ball, On
gagged during what seemed TO me an in
tolerable length OF ttme--in an animate,
conversation, conducted In a tone so Low
that Z could not hear a single word tina
was said.
When they finally descended, Susie
face was ilushed-by the heat Of tn
place, she sald-while Dick looked I'm
commonly grave, atd gnawed his mus
tache with q nervous, dissatisfied all
Had he been any one else-the Rev, MI
Smiley, for example-I should have be
lioyod that he had offered himself /
Susie and been rejected but, helng slmpl
the rcnniless vagabond that he was, IN
idea Of any such conduct on his part wa
too ridiculous to be entertained for q mi
menk
At last we turned to descend to the roo
and | saw that the moment for me 10 G,
press my intentions toward Susie had ri
rived. Lingering dexterously In the res
! until the widow and the clergyman wer
safely out Of sight. l led Susie out upo
the gallery under the pretext Of shown
her o part of the landscape which sh
had not noticed. As we leaned over III
!, railing, | looked around TO make sur
that Dick wal out of sight, and then b
!, gnn; "My dear Miss Susan, | have som,
| thing to say to you,"
She looked at me q moment with stal
! tied eyes, and then, putting her hands L
gether, with an imploring little gestur,
cried, "Oh, please DON'T
9 "Dont whatS' asked /, quite puzzle
. by her conduct
"non't please say anything; | mea
don'tl-Ohj just look what q pretty flowo,
How | wish / had itt'
The child was evidently confused an
frightened. | was about TO explain nj,
SELF more fully, when Dick appeared upo
/, the scene, carrying upon his arm q shaw
! belonging to some OF the party, and askc
what was the matter.
, THAT beautiful little pink flower, ther
7 on the dome she answered--"if l coul
Z only reach 1t"
: "You shall have IT, he replied an
, then, tossing n end of the shawl to m
with the request thas l would hol
on to Il, he seized the cher end, and wa
over the railing and sliding down the slit
perry surface Of the dome before | we
knew what was his intention.
The flnwer was growing on a little prt
2 lection not more than twelve ieet belo,
us. Dick. however, had placed himself
! q horribly dangerous position; for, a
though he could remain for a time res
ing with foot ON this projection.
was impossible for him 10 regain The "a
lery without The aid ofthe shawl 10 whic
he was clinging. He paid not 4 pafticl
Of attention 70 my percmptory demAn
that he should come back at once, bi
quietly Selling the flower and putting
I temporarily in his bosom, no looked up :
2 Susie, who was watching him, silent Wit
terror, and said. "You. know what
asked you Just now, VIII YOU promise :