Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-09-08
LOVE ON A LOG.

Miss Becky Newton
well, SIR
'Will you marry me"
mo, l WON'T
Very well; then don't, that's ALL
Mr.. Fred EckersoD drew away his chair, and
putting his feet upon the piazza, unfolded a
newspaper. Miss Becky Newton bit her lin
and went on with her sewing. She wondered
If that was going to be the last OF it. She had
felt this pr )posal coming for month, but the
scene she had anticipated was not at all like this.
She had intended to refuse him, but 1t was to
be done gracefully. She was to remain firm,
Notwithstanding bis most eager entresties. She
was to have told him that though respecting h Is
manly worth and upright character, she could
never be to him more than an appreciative and
earnest friend. She had intended to shed few
tears, perhaps, as he knelt in an agony of sup
plicatlon at her feet. But instead, he had ask
ed her the simple question, without any rhetorl-
cal embellishments, and OH being answered, had
plunged at once into his newspaper. as though
he had merely inquired the time of day. She
could have cried with vexation.
.You will never have better chance he con-
tinued, after q pause, as he deliberately turned
over the sheet to find the latest telegraph re-
ports
ia better chance for what {? she asked, shortly.
"A better chance TO marry young, good look
ing man, whose gallantr5 to the sex is only ex-
ceeded by his bravery in their defence
Fred was quoting from his newspaper, but
Miss Newton did not know II.
'And whose egotism Is only exceeded by his
lmpudence,' retOrted the la'ly sarcastically.
Before loDg,' continued Fred ~ al be out
of the market. Your chan,' I'd know are
getting ts,g simmer every day
1T won't be great while fore you are In
eligible. You will grow OH IA wrinked and
Such rudeness to a lady sir, Is monstrous,
exclaimed Miss Newton, Using hastily and
| flushing to the temples.
.l'll give you a final opportunity, Miss Becky
Will you ma
Motif you were the kiny of England inter
| rupted Miss Newton, throwing down her werk
Il am not accustomed TO such insults, SIR
And so saying, she passed into the house land
slammed the door behind her.
She Is never so handsome as when she Is II
. a rage thought Fred to himself, after she hai
gone, as he slowly folded up his paper and re
placed IL In his pocket. Il was fool to goat
her so. shall never win her in that way. BIZ
I'll have her. he exclaimed aloud. sly Heav
en-, I'll have her, cost what it may
Very different was the Fred Echorson of tn
present, pacing nervously up and down tn
piazza, from the Fred Eckerson of few mo
ments ago, receiving his dismissal from the VIC
, man be loved, with such calm and impsrturabl
exterior. For he loved Becky Newton with al
, his heart. The real difficulty in the way, as h
J more than half suspected, was not so much will
himself as in his pocket. Becky Newton ha
, an insuperable objection to an empty Wallet
. The daughter OF a wealthy Louisiana planter
reared In luxury, and the recipient Of veekl
allowance of pin-money sufficient to pay Fred
whole bill for month she had no immediat
idea of changing her situation for one Of les
comfort and Independence. Besides, 1t ha
been intimated to her that neigborlng plante
of unusually aristocratic lineage had locke
upon her with covetous eyes. To be sure b.
was old and ugly, but he was rich, and, In he
present mercenary state of mind, Miss Beck
Newton did not desire TO allow such chanc
ofbecoming wealthy widow to slip by uniu
proved.
But alas for human nature! II Becky wa
| really so Indifferent to Fred Eckerson, why di'
| she run up stairs after that interview, and tax
the starch all out Of her nice clean pillow sham
, BY crying herself into hysteric, ou the bed?
was not all wrath, not all vexation. not all p
(. que. There was somewhere deep down /
! Becky Newton's heart feeling very much aki
I / to renorse. She was not sure that she woul
0 not one day be sorry for what she had done.-
She had no doubt she could be very happy a
! Fred Eckerson'e wife, afler all.
! sBut thep,' she cried, growing hot with Ii
| recollection, she was so rude and so insulting
l never could live with such a man, never =
When Fred Eckerson had walked of some
his feeling oil the piazza, he concluded to tax
| q look at the river. The Mississippi, whic
flowed within five hundred yards of the hcus
g was at that time nearly at the height of its al
d nual sspring rise.' Its turbid waters, rushin
swiftly towards the sea, had nearly filled Ii
y banks, and In many places had broken til, oug
y the levees and flooded the lowlauds for man
In miles. A crevasse Of this description Lad bee
made In the farther bank, nearly opposite u
house, and the windows Of the Newton maj