Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-05-10
SalsB ann ghstfRsB.
LOVE ON A LOG.

mo, l won't"
every well then don't, that's ALL"
Mr.. Fred Eckerson drew away his chair,
and putting his feet upon the piazza, un-
folded newspaper. Miss Becky Newton
bit her llp and went ON with her sewing.
She wandered if that was going to be the
last of it. She had felt this proposal COM
ing for month, but the scene she had an
ticipated was not at all like this. She had
intended to refuse him, but it was to DC
done gracefully. She was to remain firm,
Notwithstanding bis most eager cntreaties.
She was to haye told him that though re-
spectipg his manly worth and upright cha
recter, she could never be to him more
than an apprcciative and earnest friend.
She had intended to shed few tears, per-
haps, as he knelt writhipg in an agony of
supplication at her feet. But instead, he
had asked her the simple question, without
any rhetorical embellishments, and on be-
ing answered, had plunged at once into bis
newspaper, as though he had merely asked
the time of day. She could have cried with
vcXation.
"You will never have n better chance"
he continued, after pause, as he deiiber-
ately turned over the sheet to find the Ia
test telegraphic reports.
"A better chance for what 2" she asked,
shortly.
a better chance to marry young, good
looking man. whose gallantry to the sex is
only exceeded by ais bravery in their de-
icnse.'
Fred was quoting from his newspaper,
but Miss Newton did not know it,
And whose egotism is only exceeded by
his impudence,' retorted the lady sarcasti-
cally.
Before long, continued Fred, you'll be
out of the market. Your chances, are get
ting simmer every day.
Sir II
II won't be great while before you are
Ineligible. Yop Eil! grow old and wrin-
kled and
Such rudensss to a lady, sir, is mon
strous,' exclaimed Miss Newton, rising
hastily, and flushing to the temples.
IN give YOU q final opportunity, Miss
Becky. Will you mar
Not if you were the King of England
interrupted Miss Newton. throwing down
her work. | am not accustomed to such
insults, SIR
And so saying, sho passed into the house
and slammed The door behind her.
She is never 50 handsome as when she
is in Il rage thought Fred to hipsef, after
she had gone, as he slowly folded up his
!; fool to goad her so. shall never win her
in that way. But I'll have her. he eX.
claimed, aloud. BY heaven III have her
cost what it mayh
Very different was the Fred Eckcrson of
the present pacing nervously up and down
the piazza, from the Fred Eckerson few
moments ago, receiving his dismissal from
the woman he loved, with such calm aud
imperturbable exterior. For he loved Bee
ky Newton with all his heart. The real
difficulty in the way, as he more than half
suspected, was not SO much with himselfas
i'll his pocket Becky Newton had an insu.
perable objection toan empty wallet. The
daughter of wealthy Louisiana planter,
reared in luxury, and the recipient of q
weekly allowance of pin-money sufficient to
pay Fred's whole bills tor mouth, she had
no immediate idea of changing her situa-
tion for one of less comfort aud indepcnq
ence. Besides it had been intinlated to her
that ncighboriug planter of unusually
aristocratic lineage had looked upon her
with covetous eyes. To be sure, he was
old and ugly, but he was rich, and, in
her present gercenary state of mind, Miss
Becky Newton did not desire to allow such
chance of becoming wealthy widow to
slip by unimprovcd.
| But alas for human nature! IT Becky
was really so indifferent TO Fred Ecker
son, why did sue run up stairs after that
| interview, and take the starch all out OF
her nice clean pillowshams by crying her
self into Mysteries on the bed 7 1t was not
all wrath, not all veXation, not all pique.
| There was somewhere deep down in Becky
Newton's heart feeling very much akin
to rcmorse. She was not sure that che
would not one day be sorry for what she
had done. She had 20 doubt she could be
very bappy rs Fred Eckerson's wife, after
| all.
but then" she cried, growing hot with
! the recollection, he was so rude, and so in
sullingl / never could live with such Il
man, ,--neyerr
! When Fred Eckcrson had walked Of
some of his feeling on the piazza, he con-
cluded to take a look at the river. The
/ Mississippi, which flowed within five hun
! dred yards of the house, was at that time
nearly at the height Of its annual "spriug
rise." Its turbld waters. rushing swiftly
| towards the sea, had nearly filed the banks,
and in many places had broken through,
the ievces and flooded the low. lands tor
many miles. a creyasse of this dcScrip-
| ton has been made in the farther bank,
nearly opposite the house, and the win
dows Of the Newton mansion commanded
view of vast and glittering inland sea,
not laid dowp on the maps. The main
current of the stream bore upon its coffee
| colored bosom an enormous mass of hoat-
| ing timber, which was dashed along the
boiling flood, rendering navigation wholly
impossible. The waters were still rising,
and the frequent crashes far and near told
of the undermining power of the current, as
sections of the sandy banks succumbed and
disappeared, carrying with them the tree
which oyerhppg The stream.
Now it happened that, by a curious CO.
| coincidence, Miss Newton also resolved To
| look ai the river She dried her tears, aud
putting On her hat, slipped out by the back
door to avoid Fred. and soon found her
self at the foot Of huge cottonwood tree
| on the bank below the house. Throwing
herself upon the grass, aud lulled by the
bubbling of the rapid food beneath her,
she soon fell fast asleep. Had she possess
ed any power of foreseelng the future, il
would have been the last thing she would
have done, for although it was very plea
san. dropping asleep there ip the shade,
with the soft sunlight tiltering through the
leaves overhead, the awakening was not at
all to her mind. a terrible crash made
chaos of Ear dreams the ground slipped
/ n htr tho fall antfnn xVnaH