Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-08-09

ture could be more self-denying and gen.
erous. A wltching little thing she was
her dark eyes, now sparkling with mis-.
cnlef, row tender and loving; her shell.
pink bloom, the little pert nose, and the
pretty dimples playing at hide-and-seeb
IN the cheeks and corners of the small
| decided mouth were all as so many arrows
In Cupid's culver. Sad to say, however
with all her generous goodness, truth
compels us to confess that Mysie did flirt
not, however, deliberately or maliciously
nor did she break hearts to crafty spirit
OF petty vanity. But sometimes uncon.
sciOusly, sometimes from the love of froliC
inherent in her buoyant, laughing nature
Mysie did occasionally make deeper
wounds in masculine hearts than she need
have done. With an Enthusiastically deer
affection she could not trifie, always Civ
ing decided answer, like an honorable
little woman as she really was; but If she
was not convinced of the genuineness OF
a suitOr's attachment, she could seldom
resist the temptation to probe his feelings
by spice of coquetry on her part. And
woe to any male fiirt who dared to ap-
proach Mysie Collins; she was sure to
| avenge on such a one the mischief he had
wrought elsewhere. Belonging to this
latter class was Tom Jones, soldier
home in the village for two months fur.
Tough, and who quickly fell into the train
of Mysie's admirers, thinking that he
would very soon be at the top of the list
in the estimation of his inamorata. But
Mysie had heard sundry well-authentica-
accounts of female hearts cOolly trified
with by this same gallant Tom, and, as
usual, set herself to topunish the offender.
nnlylnoo talr; hos
many encouragements to farther proceed
ings, soon ventured to waylay the little
lady as she was returning from CARRYING
home some work, and begged the favor
of walk with her that evening. Accord
ing to the etiquette of rustic courtship,
such proposal is generally understood
as preliminary to an offer of marriage.
Mysie smiled, and dimples chased each
other most bewitchingly over her spark
ling countenance, as she replied demurely:
"But the boots l have on must go to
the shoemaker's this evening, and /
shouldn't like you to walk there with me;
and if 60 there after getting grandmoth-
er's tea it will be too late for walk after
wards"
"But you are going home now, Miss
Collins" said Tom, auguring favorably
from her shyness Il" If you will let me
have the boots as soon as you are at home,
L will take them for you, and come back
for you for our walk by the time you have
finished tea.'
"But grandmother won't like to see a
soldier in the house." returned the un-
conquerable Mysie; "if you will be so
kind as to take the boots for me to be
mended, just come round under our little
back window, and will throw them out
to YOU"
10 this Tom eagerly agreed, and
skulked round to the back of the house,
while Mysie went in straight to her grand
mother and told the whole story, winning
from the old lady grim chuckle of ap-
proval at the thought of the military fiirt
getting dealt out to him the due reward
of his past iniquities.
Look, grandmother! exclaimed N.Y.
sic, as she changed her boots, holding up
the dirty ones for Mrs. Elster's inspec-
ton "aren't they delightfully."- muddy I?
Oh l stepped in all the worst puddles l
could find coming down the lane, and Pm
sure 1 can't find any paper fit to wrap
them in; so Tom will have to take them
Just as they are. Oh! won't he be in a
hurry to take me for another walk?"
She ran upstairs, and leaning out of the
little window, beneath which her suitor
stood waiting, said in a whisper:
'.Catch them, MIR. Jones; you must ex-
cuse there not being paper around them,
hadn't any just at hand" And so say
ing, after some pretended hesitation, she
threw out the boots, one of which, mis-
sing one of Toms outstretched hands,
went plump against his arm, leaving a
thick patch of mud on the handsome uni
form.
"Oh! what pityv" said Mysie sympa-
thizingly; "but don't come back here
for me, Mr.. Jones, wait for me at Chips
Pond"
Mysie drew back out of sight, had her
tea comfortably, and after tea went for a
walk with her cousin Ned Wharton. In
the course of the return walk late in the
evening, they took the opportunity OF
calmly sauntering by Chips Pond, where
stood the enraged Tom, whom Mysie
passed with an innocent nod and sweet
smile, as if perfectly unconscious of hav-
ing been the cause of his spending the
whole evening on the "dreadful post of
observation" in vain.
But at last Mysie's own time came. A
friend of hers had married sergeant in
the marine artillery, and Mysie was in
vited to spend week with them. Hav-
ing arranged her business affairs she
went.
Her friend Mrs. Duncan was living at
Wilmington, where corps of the Royal
Marine Artillery was stationed. During
the first evening of Mysie's visit, friend
of Sergeant Duncan's came in to spend
the evening with him. The new conner
was tall, stern-looking man of about
thirty-five; handsome and intelligent, but
apparently quite unused to appreciate the
charms of female society. He chatted
with the sergeant the whole evening, then
wishing him and his wife goodnight,
turned TO 60; but suddenly starting back,
just laid his big brown hand on Mysie's
moment, paused, and said abruptly:
"I'm coming again tomorrow" He
seemed to have exhausted his words, for
he instantly left, without speaking more
to either Of the astonished three. As soon
as he was gone, Mysie's nirth burst out.
"Who in the world is that ?" she asked,
as she paused in the midst of her laughter.
Somebody much too good for you to
play with, my girl" answered the SER
geant. "There isn't girl in Wilmington
who wouldn't catch at word of kindness
n -