Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-01-28

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BY ANY RANDOLPH.
Nav Carroll had juSJ passed the
borders Of her eighteenth year. She
was sitting in the window, while
Mrs. Carroll energetically clicked
her knitting.ncedles and piled her
tongue at the same time.
"My dear said Mrs. Carroll" |
think You ought 70 trei very highly
honortd. II a man like Squire
Peck wood had proposed fer my hand
at eighteen, should have felt proud
But. mother, Squire Fleetwood IS
old enough to be my father pleaded
May.
@Asifa few years, one way or the
other, made any difference" ,
"And he has had two wives al
ready" ,,
"Eyerybody will tell you, child,
that he was a model husband"
"lt's altogether too much IKE
Blucbeard," shuddered May.
There's no telling how soon |
might be called upon to make way
tor the fourth Mrs. l'cckwpod.'
SIS that all you have to bring
against Squire Pcckwoodr demand
cd her mother,
"No. mother, it is not, Ae Is ay'
a%ricious, fault finding, whimsical, n.y.
pochondriac-"
"Mayw
"You asked me, mother"
"But you know very we'll your
fathers heart is set on this marriage.
Why prejudice yourself against it,
when the matter is rs good as set
tledY"
Yes; May Carroll did know very
well that the heart Of obstinate
Deacon Carroll Tas set oh seeing
his only daughter the wife Of Squire
Obed Fleetwood, and that was what
made her spirit grow faint within
her. For there Nas still another
reason against this iIl.suited match-a
reason which May had not ventured
to speak of to either father or moth.
er-and it was this: May had al
ready given her little heart away tC
David O~hesters0n, the student in
lawyer Kelso's Office, whose brains
were his only capital, and who car.
ried bis fortune in his frank face
and strait 1.-THE figure.
II have promised DAVID she
thought with l%luttering ~palpitation
at her heart, Sand / will die sooner
than prove false to him. But, oh!
what shall | do to ward off the suit
of this horrid fat old Squire Peck
wood?"
AS these thoughts passed through
her mind, Mra CarrQlFs voice in.
terruptcd their current,
"May, child, what are you dream
ing about Twice we asked you a
question, and you have started at
mo as if | were empty spaceT
81 beg your pardon, mother; what
did you ask5"
"Mother you knew hat he Was
going to take you over to the Peck
wood farm this afternoon, to see the
house of which y0n are SO soon to
be the mistressp ~
81 knew it, mother"
Then, my goodness gracious.
why aren't you dressing yourself7'
III am dressed, mother"
ain French calico and a white
apron! Go up stairs and put on your
black silk dress Immediately and wear
the garnet set your father gave you
last birthday"
May obeyed unwillingly enough;
but when she came down stairs
there was q new brightness in her
eye, au unwonted color on her cheek.
Squire lockwood, who was awaiting
her appearance in the big easy chair,
with u purple faced cOntentment
chuckled to himself at her fresh
young beauty, and Mrs. Carroll
mentally came to the conclusion
that May had resolved to 'behave
like a sensible girl"
She was moro mistaken, however,
than she had any idea Of. Cupid,
the mischeivious little imp OF true
love, had been invisibly c~ounselling
MademoiScIle May in the quiet and
seclusion of her own apartment M
stairs, and May had profted by his
hints.
Pm sure we girls would have
little enough chance in this world. /"
pouted May Carroll, "If we didn't
have recourse to our wits once in a
while!n
She was all smiles and dimples
and winning words, as Squire Peck.
wood trundled heavily along by her