The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-09-12
LOVE ON Il LOG.

'.Miss Becky Newton"
"Well, sir"
"Will you marry me ?"
"No, L won't"
Every well, then don't, that's all"
Mr.. Fred Eckerson drew away his
chair and putting his feet on the piaz-
"a, unfolded a newspaper Miss Becky
Newton bit her lip and went on with
her sewing. She wondered if that
was going to be the last of it. She
had felt this proposal coming for near
ly month, but the scene she had an
ticipated was not at all like this. She
had intended to refuse him, but it was
to be done gracefully. She was to
remain firm, Notwithstanding his most
eager entreaties. She was to have
told him that, though respecting his
manly worth and upright character,
she could never be more than an ap-
preciative friend. She had intended
to shed a few tears, perhaps, as he
knelt in agony Of supplication at her
feet. But instead he had asked her
the simple question, without any rhet-
Orical embellishments, and on being
answered, had plunged at once into
his newspaper, as though he had mere
ly inquired the time of day She
could have cried with veXation.
You will never have a better
chance" " he continued, after a pause,
as he deliberately turned over the
sheet to find the latest telegraph re~
ports.
"a better chance for what ?" she
asked shortly.
"a better chance to marry young,
good-loOking man, whose gallantry to
the sex is only exceeded by his brave
ry in their defence" Fred was quot
ing from his newspaper, but Miss
Newton did not know it.
"And whose egotism is only exceed
ed by his impudence," retorted the
lady sarcastically.
Before long" continued Fred, "you
will be out Of the market. Your
chances, you know are getting SLIM
mer every day"
"Sir !"
at won't be a great while before
you are ineligible. You Will grow old
and wrinkled, and"
Such rudeness to a lady, sir, is
monstrous ~ exclaimed Miss Newton,
rising hastily and flushing to the tenn
Piles.
'IIl give you a final opportunity,
Miss Becky. Will you mar"
Not if you were the king of Eng
land (" interrupted Miss Newton, throw
ing down her work. 81 am not accus-
toned to such insults, sir" And so
saying she passed into the house and
slammed the door behind her.
"She is never as handsome as when
she is in a rage" thought Fred to him
self after she had gone, as he slowly
folded up his paper and replaced it
in his pocket. Il was fool to gOad
her so. L shall never win her in that
way. ButI'll have her." he exclaimed
aloud. "By heaven! III have her, cost
what it may"
Very different was the Fred Ecker
son of the present, pacing nervously
up and down the piazza, from Fred
Eckerson of a few moments ago, re-
ceiving his dismissal from the woman
he loved with such a calm and imper-
turbable exterior. For he loved Becky
Newton with all his heart. The real
difficulty in the way, as he more than
half suspected, was not so much in
himself as in his pocket. Becky New
ton had an insuperable objection to an
empty wallet. The daughter of a
wealthy Louisiana planter, reared in
luxury, and the recipient of weekly
allowance of pin money sufficient to
nav Fred's whole bills, for a whole
month, she had no immediate idea of
changing her situation for one of less
comfort and independence. Besides,
it had been intimated to her that a
neighboring planter Of unusually aris-
tocratic lineage had looked upon her
with covetous eyes. To be sure, he
was old and ugly, but he was rich, and
in her present mercenary state of mind,
Miss Becky Newton did not desire to
allow such a chance of becoming a
wealthy widow to slip by unimproved.