Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-05-22


Well, what do you think of your CON
quest now?" whispers Kate, a little ma
liciously, as, tea ended, we enter the par
lor together.
who wants to make conquest of such
an old bear?" asks Floy, shortly.
But next morning, 10 and behold! ap-
peared Miss Floy, in her simplest dress,
her pretty fair hair braided round her
head, and an air of demure propriety diff
fused all over her little person She greet
ed John with dignified humility. John,
who had quite forgotten yesterdays little
passage-of-arms, returned the greeting
kindly, but took sliglt notice of her 9th
erwise. She tried to talk profoundly to
him, and bored him terribly; and when,
that evening, she approached him, bear
ing ponderous geological work, one
passage of which She innocently asked
him to explain" John, am sorry to say,
lost patience, and "snubbed' our little
cousin shamefully
My dear Miss Floy," he said, very
blandly, If | were not afraid of offending
a young lady who has completed her edu-
cation | would advise you not to attempt
at present a work of this profound nature.
Kate has in her library a book entitled
Short Lessons in Natural History for
Youthful Beginners which, if you really
desire to learn, you will find both anus
ing and instructive"
Thank you, sir" said Floy, coloring
scarlet, and making him a sweeping
courtesy, Pm sorry disturbed your sub
lime meditations, even for moment
From that time Floy, throwing aside
her little pedantic mask, resumed her
curls, her petulance, he sarcastic on
slaughts. One day she wrote parody OF
his last article-very cleverly done it was,
too, with most laugh provoking carica-
tures-and left it in plain sight on his study
table Her little sarcastic speeches were
as stinging as the wasps' nest she hired
our little Irish boy to deposit in his coat
pocket. The good professor, though
usually Indifferent to her attacks, mani
tested at times the irritation of great
dog when a fly tickles his nose too incess-
antly at which time Floys exultation was
excessive.
Nov, John, III take no denial; you
must go to the picnic with us"
90 my dear Kate"
You needn't talk if you don't want to
but go you must. It's very bad for you
to Conine yourself to the society of flies
and cOckroaChes and such 'pesky var
mints'-isn't it, Floy, darling-mustn't he
go?"
Il wouldn't urge him." said Floy, with
a naughty shrug, the flies, the cock
reaches, and the other pretty little crea-
lures would shed more tears over his alb
sence than we are likely to, I dare say
John looked really hurt for moment,
as he glanced across the table at his saw
age little opponent Kate gave hera cross
look that appalled, her somewhat.
Come, John, you'll go with u.s."
''Well, yes" John assented at last, with
a sigh of resignation; but to Floy lie ad
dressed neither word nor look during the
remainder of the breakfast.
Two hours later we were on our way-a
merry party of thirty or forty at the least.
A ride of several miles brought us to
Sylvan Falls, place whose wild and
romantic beauty rises before me now, like
the memory of a delightful dream
Plunging into the woods at once, we fol
lowed the narrow path which led to the
falls, the distant music of which soon re-
sounded in our ears. On we stumbled
often Indian file" over the. narrow up
hill and dOWn-hill path that led through
the woods; shouting and screaming as we
clambered over the huge rocks that often
strOve TO arrest our way. The music oi
the falls grew louder and louder and at
length sudden turn in the path brought
them to our view. Down what seemed a
huge stairway hewn in the solid rock they
plunged, bursting into white fury of
foam over the detached pieces of rock
which here and there strove to intercept
their mad career.
Here we paused to rest, admire the
scenery, and eat our luncheon, for which
20 H--t tI ir,D
TayenouSly anxious. With two exceptions,
we were all in the best of spirits One OF
these was John who, never much at his
ease in such gathering, began to feel ex-
cessively bored" and took the earliest
opportunity to slip off, unperceived. The
other was Flov who, for such a naturally
bright little body, appeared uncommonly
dull; and after while, she too Slipped
away, deserting several youthful admirers
who had been trying to entertain her
The history of her subsequent adventures
| received from Kate.
Floy, when she set out, had no intention
of roaming to any distance; but, absorbed
in her own rather sorrowtul reflections,
she wandered on insensiblv. Poor little
coQuette, She now suspected, | think
that she was becoming entangled in the
net she had cast for another, and was by
no means so insensible to Johns coolness
as she would have had Us imagine. 1t was
not till she had wandered some distance
that feeling of loneliness oppressed her
and she turned to retrace her steps. But
that was no light matter; it was easy, very
easy. to lose one's-Self in these old woods.
Amid all the crooks and turns and deyi-
Gus pathways, the poor child soon found
herself bewildered and began to cry in
sad earnest. Then she called for help,
but no voice answered her Plunging
desperately at last into path she had a
vague hope might lead her in the right
direction, she followed it for some dis
tance, pauSing, all at once, with violent
start, as in little thicket on the side OF
the hill she saw-John Durham.
Floy's feeling was one of intense relief;
the next instant she sprang back into the
shelter of the trees. III follow at a dis
tance," she muttered, but not let him see
me f>r the world-the pompous old
prig!'
Still she could not, for the life of her,
help putting out her little head to see what
the "pomp0us old prig" was doing. With
his hat lightly extended in his hand, an
expression of mingled rapture and ankle
tv on his face, he was stealing cautiously
toward the edge of the bank. There, eyi-
IDENTITY, in the center of that wild rose
tapestry, swinging so gracefully from tree
10 tree. had settled the prize he was so
anxious to secure. Floy watched him, a
look of mingled amusement and contempt