The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-04-19

..Not I. sir. nor buy rope to hang
myself with, neither"
Mr.. BurCh laughed, and as he walked
away he said tn himself, Il guess the
heifer will console him for his loss"
David did not. indeed, buy a rope to
hang himself hut he slipped his neck
into the matrimonial moose in the course
of a few months, and moved into his
new house precisely as he had planned
to do-the only difference being that
JEANNE Burn. was his bride instead of
Sailie Dearing.
Sallie. m eanwhile, was not left entire
ly without consolation, for, if she had
lost lover, she had gained a friend,
and that friend was no less than Mr..
Burch.
She was much surprised one day, on
opening the front door in answer TO the
summons Of the great brass knocker, TO
behold him standing on the step, and
his horse paving at the eate-about as
much surprised as you would be If the
square, should dismount from its ram
!; pant steed and pay you visit.
lie extended his hand smilingly, and
ina aired for her father and mother, up
on whi h Sallie invited him in, He
said he had been trying to obtain some
of the old English strawberry plants
He had the Hovey's Seeding and the
Bartlett, and in fact almost every other
variety; but the old English had become
very rare. and he was told that Mr..
Dearing had it
Upon which Mr.. Dearing said that he
had, and that Mr.. Burch was welcome 10
some And then they fell into a long
conversation about horticulture in gen.
eral. and Mrs. Dearing treated him to
glass of her elderberry wine. So he
stayed an hour Or more, and though he
addressed but few words to Sallie, his
hazel eyes were upon her even while he
talked to her father. And so upon one
pretext or another he continued to come
until at last he came without any pre-
text at ALL
The old people valued his society1 on
their own account not little, but more
because, as they said. the companion
ship of a gentleman like Mr.. Burch was
such an advantage to q young girl like
their daughter AS for Sallie, she re-
garded him as dear brother, or at least
she thought she did, until her old friend
Mrs. Burdock k-the same who was scan
dalized by the "pink ribbons destroy
ed the allusion.
1t was one afternoon in early June,
whe: Mr.. Dearing slept in his armchair
his wife darned his stockings and Sallie
sat stitching away upon some pretty
piece of nonsense-which truth to tell,
she was much addicted to doing-that
Mrs. Burdock stalked in like some gaunt
and grizzly Fate. After discourslng
short tine about the lateness of the
season, the prospects for crops-Mrs
Blacks rheumatic and Browns broken
leg-she came at last to the subject up-
permost in her mind, and which had
been the real motive Of her call,
so Mr.. Burch is going to be married.,
she remarked, looking keenly at Sallie.
That young woman gave little start
which caused her to prick her finger and
stain her work with blood, and, let us
hope she derived momentary salts
faction from the fancy that the cambria
was Mrs. Burdock, and the needle
dagger She did not. however, lock up
nor make any reply, but her mother
said, in the most comm onplace way in
the world:
Is he +? Who is the lady?
That I hain't found out, but he's
fxin' up his house with the beautifulest
new things. l made an arrant there and
saw 'em myself. It must be the Qeen
of Shelby at least and Mrs. Burdock
cackled at her own wit. 'He's been to
Boston three times in one week-only
think of tha. she addei.
What followed Sallie did not hear
she felt confused and bewildered, an d
was thankful when she could steal away
to her chamber. Then she reproached
herself for feeling distressed at the news.
sWhat is it to me, thought she,
whether he is married or not He has
been the kindest and dearest of friends.
and hoped things might continue as
they were, but had no right to expect
it. Well, whatever happens, I shall al
ways reverence him as the noblsst man
in the world-nobody can deprive me of
that comfort
Like many other young laiies, Sallie
was a little given to superlatives, as
may be seen.
The next dav MIR Burcll CALLED smil-
ing as handsome as ever. He confirmed
the truth of Mrs Burdock's s statement
with regard to refittiug his house, and
paid Sallie the compliment OF asking the
ber eft of her taste in completing the ar.
rangements.
will you put on your hat. and go
with me now2' he asked.
Certainly she said, and tried to add.
with pleasure but the words got no
further han her throat.
She remembered how she had once
gone over another house with another
bride groom, but it was not that mem
ory which caused her to sigh as she
crossed the threshold at Riverbank.
Indeed. Mr.. Burch, you had little
need Of any taste but your own,' she OBJ
served.
They had nearly completed their
survey Of the house. and were now stan
ding by a recess filled with the choicest
plants.
Then you are pleased2' he asked,
Il am charmed
1t still lacks one thing without which
even Paradise was no. omp!ete,' he said
its Eve