Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-12-06
ALEXANDRIA, La, SATURDAY, DECEMBER G. 1873

moping-and met Miss Augusta Wesley.
the poor cousin of the rich Annie. at home
with ga headache
lie spent two or three hours tete-a-tete
with Miss Augusta, who beamed OH him
with sweetest smiles, obscurely alluded to
the misadventure of the morning, which
she suspected. and not obscurely intimated
that Mr.. Temple would have better luck
in-dnother quarter. After which she cast
down her eyes, blushed and pulled flow
er to pieces.
When Jack Temple came home he said
to himself:
g She is certainly very handsome. What
| if were to-"
He broke of, and muttered with a satiri-
cal laugh,
mol suppose 1 am fortune hunter
after all. If can't get the heiress, won't
try the other ~
| On the very next morning an event oc-
CURED which nobody could have foreseen,
unless it was Miss Jemima, who stated
subsequently that she had foreseen it. 1t
was thunderbolt. and was preceded by a
visit from Mr.. Tom Ashton, touching
which gentleman word or two is here
necessary. Tom Ashton was not such a
bad fellow-he was only 'hard-up," very
hard-up indeed. He had been wealthy,
but cards gradually absorbed him. No
one wins in the long run at this amuse-
ment; and finding, at last, that he had
nothing to live on but the g interest of his
debts" Mr.. Ashton cast his eyes upon the
broad acres of Annie Heath, paid assiduous
court to the heiress, and on this morning,
after an elaborate toilet which set off his
handsome person to great advantage. had
visited OakhIll, firmly resolved to propose.
Annie was labOring under ennui, as
usual, and welcomed him and his gay talk.
This cheered the'aspiring bachelor; he de
ployed his brightest smiles and most senti-
mental graces; hemade a touching speech
he extended his jeweled hand with impul-
sive ardor to take that of the lady, when
suddenly there appeared at the door of the
parlor-erect, triumphant, malicious-Miss
Jemima.
"What is the matter, aunt ?' said Annie,
calmly.
This is the matter!''
"What?"
"This :" screamed Miss Jemima, rafting
a paper in her hand.
''But what is it?''
Another will of your uncle's, leaving
his property to Augusta!''
| ".
Solomon Heath, ESQ.,, a rusty, crusty
and growing old bachelor, with the eX
preston "no women about me ~ habitu
ally upon his lips, found one morning to
his immense surprise that he had adopted
Annie Heath and Augusta Wesley, orphan
nieces.
He then proceeded to quarrel with then
for the rest of his life-especially with
Annie, who was what is called high spir
tied - and as uncle and niece had had M
alteration little while before his death
Miss Jemima. maiden aunt, who had also
come to live at "Oakhill, said:
II would not be surprised if the proper
ty goes to Augusta, though he likes Annie
the best"
The will gave the great Oakhill estate
however, to Annie, with pittance to Au
gusta. What Miss Jemima had now found
was second will, made on the day of Sol
omon Heath's death, reversing this dispO
sition, leaving Annie nearly penniless, ant
giving Oakhill to Augusta.
The rich had become poor, and the poor
had become rich.
Mr.. Ashton put his hand in his pocket
not offering further to take Annie's-ant
soon afterwards retired. The news spread
On that evening seven different acquaint
ances told Jack Temple about it.
Temples face glowed, light-heartet
laugh came from his lips, and on the very
next morning he went over to Oakhill.
He talked with Annie in the drawing
room for an hour. Anybody who nigh
have been listening would have heart
these words spoken at the end of the in
terview:
81 love you more than words can tel
YOU !-tru to care little for me-0nty q
iittle-if only after while, and do mo-
send me away forever"
Having said this, Jack Temple broke
down. He saw through sort of haze
face full of bushes, and heard voic'
with tremor in it murmur:
81 can not-I do not care for you as
ought toto be your wife. And-no
will not say that. know that rich O
poor am the same toyou."
Then the maiden broke down also, shed
ding few tears. When he went away
Jack Temple was in more hopeless con
dition than before-the second discarda
was worse than the first.
/ Annie Heath was going slowly to hel
room when Miss Jenima, who for som
unknown reason cordially disliked her
met her on the steps and stopped her.
. $50 your fine admirer has proposed y
sic cdlu-cldlliiiS.
) please let me go, aunt"
Madam is grand"
! ~ am annoyed aunt J"
) Annoyed! You will please learn, miss
: that you are no longer mistress here"
! 81 know it very we'll"
You are nobody nobody"
81 know it," Annie said coldly, her an
ger rising little.
"Then please behave yourself as such.
r The girl turned and looked at her will
great scorn, and said
AT least do not worship the risinj
: sun and turn my back upon the setting
, 1 suppose am different in your eyes, be
: ing poor"
e And she made Miss Jemima a loy
: curtsy so very aggravating that the elder
Z ly lady would gladly have scratched he
E eyes out.
t Alas and alas! 1t was true, too true
the report, namely, few weeks afte
: this that Mr.. Ashton was engaged to b
! married to Miss augusta Wesley!
Let us strive not to think too hard Of tn
gay and laughing Tom. He liked Ami
{ a great deal the best, and was very muc