The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-12-13
MISCELLANY. :.
THAT HoRRID MISS LEIGH.

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Tom LuttIells AIRED styentV-f0ur, was a
thoroughly good felloW--7good-
good-looking. and heir to good property.
but he had one sorrow, he was engaged to.
q girl he had never seen. ssssszsAssI "a. sssz
Some ten years before adispute had dsaris-.
en- about "a certain Hillihgden estate in
Leicestefshife. to which Mr. Luttfelf-
Toms fatherLa aud a cerfain Carnworth
Leigh both laid claim. Litigation seemed
inevitable, and the legal fraternity began
to prick up It's eafs,, wheff one morning
Mr.. Luttrell received the following note:
DEAR LUTFREII.: You and have been
good friends all our lives; and there is no man
living for whom have q greater esteem than
for yourself. Cannot we, Them settle this
wretched business without troubling these in
fernal lawyers?s Ny uncle, Hangllton Leigh,
had a suit that listed him twenty years, md
killed him in the end. Now, listen to me:
my daughter Nellie viii have al Pyegot at
my death, except Barfiefd, which goes to
jacks boy. w hy shouldn't she marry your
boy Tom? Let the property alone for the
next ten years; then Nellie win be eig FseeHs
and Tom four-and- d-tWentY--if they like TO mar
ry then, well and good; if either should de-
cline to- carry out the arrangements, 4et the
property go to the other. This is a rough
idea of my plan, which Jackson and your
lawyer could soon pait .irfa shape.s What do
- 80 tRNwoRrH Lfrsffi.@
To this proposition Mr. + fattreIl agreed,
and Tom found himself an engaged man
at fourteen. Seend after this Mr.. sEeigh
was obliged to leave England fof dis
health and for Famanyy years lie resided on
the continent. So it happened that Tom
and his future bride had never met.
About month before the time fixed for
his decision, Tom betook himself to a
small inn in tie Villages ef,S;ettl ebourne.
near Stockford nonlinally to fish, but IN
reality to escape from his father,s argu-
mentS, and tesget "a little time toshimseH
for quiet reflection, while. be solaced his
wretched soul with atobaee6.A .srs9s~zs. p
One day as he lay lazily smoking by the
silver Beck, something fell sfr6fa d high
bank above him, and dropped lightly on
the water, While q. girl voice exclaimed !:
"0h, my gracious, my hat s''ss zhsssssaI
Tom. looked and saw a very vnea6 little
hat floating, boat-like, down the streams
Bother the young woman, he grun-
bled; :" ! suppose nov. she'll expect me TO
fetch it'' tisRz
As he rose he looked tipsto the spot
from which the voice had proceeded, and
saw girl whose beauty surprised him.
She stood bareheaded on the. bank, gazing
with look Of comic tis1nay after the fast
receding hat, and Tom bad an opp ortunity
of examining her critically, from the little
head with its crisp brown hair, disardered
by the wind, to the slim ankles Which heI
position revealed rs she stood above him
Running some yards down the bank he
stepped out on an old willow, which pro-
trnded over the stream. and waited in the
hope that the current would bring the hal
within his reach. He was not disappoint
ed, and in d few minutes more he was
again on terra tirma with his prize. 8
I" must make friends with this young
person, he thought, as he carefully dried
the dripping feather with his handker.
The fair stranger had watched his efforts
from her elevated post, and smiled sweet
~ onhim she climbHd the bank with his
recovered treasure. She had evidently
been sketching,F for her materials Wert
scatteredin picturesque confusion aroune
her. s8asiTff szss ~ e sseE #s1ssss
=" hope it's not much damagedsn saiC
Tom, as he looked rather ruefully at thu
result of his manipulations. I'm afrai6
the feathers in a bad way
Oh, it. doesn't matter In the least
thanks. How kind Of you to take SC
much trouble. But for you | must have
walked home bare-headed. - ss1
!" wouldn't put it on just yet, 2 Ton
sad. Let it lie ih the sun a little anC
ory, while you go on with your work. =
But suppose it starts off again, anc
there's no one to recover 1t for me?" sh'
suggested. ~
Let me guard it, then, and you car
work in peace. You are sketching, see
may lookf'' as3
oh, yes; but lisa miserable failure
I'm atraid,' she said, laughing, as sh,
handed it to him. Tom examined it. and
being a bit of an amateur himself. proceed
ed to criticise and. finally. to Instruct. II,
found his girl very charming; She seemed
SO delightfully."- free from all CONVENTIONAL
ty, without at all resembling his bette nor
the " fast girl 2 8 = Sc
They grew quite confidential as the les
son proceeded, and were amazed when, OF
consulting their watches, they found tina
1t was 6:30 O'Clock.
must fly" shesaid, g or shall be lat
lor dinner, and Sir John can't stand that.