Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-04-26

rloy, pertly, for never t,ok the sligh
est interest in flies, and grasshoppers. an
such disgusting creatures"
L looked at the little damsel in astonisl
ment; she tossed up her hands disdainfu
~; John eyed her as he would yer
saucy child.
Have some bread? ?'' he asked. COOL,
Thank you," said Floy, "perhaps yo
will have the kindness to pass NV t6ir
cup OF tea without drinking IL, MI. Dun
ham; you have disposed Of two cups Q
Yea that were On their way to me, already.
florence, despite her displeasure, coul
not avoid little hysterical giggle as sh
spoke. John, really coloring, begged he
pardon, and passed her cup. Then. b,
way Of Cancellation, he addressed a few
words of conversation to her.
what school are you attending a
present, miss-Miss Flora?' ?''
have completed my education, SIR >
in frigidly dignified tone.
reed L wish could say as much,
Miss Floy, is Johns Try rejoinder as witt
an amused smile he turns away from hel
to direct his conversation to Kate and me
When John chooses to talk, his converse.
ton Is truly delightful--even Floy sits en-.
tranced, listening to his animated descrip.
tions OF the new and strange countries he
had seen.
swell, what do you think of your scon.
quest nowr whispered Kate, a little
naiiciously,. as, tea ended, we enter the
parl0r together.
"Who wants to make a conquest of
such an old bear'' asks Floy, shortly.
But next morning, 10 and behold an
peared Miss Floy, ia her simplest dress
hSr pretty fair hair braided round her
head, and an air Of demure propriety
diffused all over her little person. She
greeted John with dignifed humility.
John, who had quite forgotten yesterdays
little passage-Of-arms, returned the greet
ing kindly, but took slight notice Of her
otherwise. She tried to talk profoundly
to him, and bored him terribly; and
when that evening she approached him,
bearing ponderOus geological work, one
passage of which she innocently asked
him to explain" John, l am sorry to
say, lost patience, and " snubbed" our lit
tie cousin shamefully.
my dear Miss Floy,'' he said, very
blandly, If were not afraid of Offend
ing young lady who has completed her
education, would advise you not to at
tempt at present work of this profound
nature. Kate has in her library a book
entitled Short Lessons in Natural His
tory for Youthful Beginners which il
you really desire to learn, you will find
both amusing and instructive"
"Thank you, sir" said Floy coloring
scarlet, and making him sweeping cour-
tesy, I'm sorry disturbed your sub
lime meditations, even for a moment"
From that time, FlOy, throwing aside
her little pedantic mask, resumed her
curls, her petulance, her sarcastic on
slaughts. One day, she wrote a parody |
OF his last article-very cleverly done It |
was, too, with most laugh-provoking car
left it in plain sight on his |
study-table. Her little sarcastic speeches |
were as singing as the wasps'- nest she |
hired our little Irish boy to deposit in his |
The good professor, though |
usually Indifferent to her attacks, mani |
tested at times the irritation of a great
dog when a fly tickles his nose too inces-
an'ly; at which time Floy's exultation
was excessive:
"Now, John, I'll take no denial, you
must go to the picnic with u.s."
20, my dear Kate"
You needn't talk if you don't want
to; but go you must. It's very bad fer
you te confine yourself to the society of
HES, and cOckrOaches, and such spesky
varmint'-isn't it, Floy, darling-mustn't
he goT'
g wouldn't urge him." said FLOW. with
4 naughty shrug, (" the flies, and cock
reaches, and the other pretty little crea.
lures, would shed more tears over his alb
sence than we are likely to, dare saw
John looked really hurt for a moment,
rs ne glanced across the table at his saw
age little opponent. Kate gave her cross
look that appalled, her somewhat.
"Come, John, you'll 90 with us.n
"Well, yes," John assented at last,
with sigh of resignation; but to Flov he
addressed neither word nor look during
'he remainder Of the breakfast.
Two hours later we were on our way
merry party of thirty or forty at the
east. A ride Of several miles brought
Is to Sylvan Falls, place whose Mild
md romantic beauty rises before me
low, like the memory Of delightful
iream. Plunging into the woods at
'nce, we followed the narrow path that
cd to the falls, the distant music of
which soon resounded in our ears. On we
often "Indiar file," over the
iarrow uphill and down-hill path that led
hrough the woods shouting and scream
ng as we ciambered over the huge rocks
hat often str0ve to arrest our way. The -,
A~.SAS " sAAS AoAAo = tOW AOeAuCI anu lOuuef, A
nd at length q sudden turn in the path
rought them to our view. Down what =,
eemed huge stairway hewn in the solid
ock, they plunged, bursting into white
lry of foam over the detached pieces of
ock which here and there strove to inter- q
ept their mad career. a
Here we paused to rest, admire the q
cenery, and eat our luncheon, for which
he most poetic mind was by this time
avenously anxious. With two excep- C
ons, we were all in the best of spirits.
me of these was John, who, never much e
his ease in such a gathering, began to
'el excessively "bCred," and took the {
arliest opportunity to slip of, unper- v
eived. The other was FlOy, who, for
lch a naturally bright little body, ap- d
cared uncommoEly dull; and after Q
while, she too slipped away, deserting I
'veral youthful admirers, who had been Il
ying to entertain her. The history of n
er subsequent adventures received
ON Kate. C
Floy, when she set out, had no inten- h
on of roaming to any distance; but. alb A
'rbed In her own rather sorrowfuI refjec- Z,
opo ba Ia~oI -, -