Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-03-28
LOVE ON ALOC.
'tfiss Becky Newton.
well, sir. ~
''Win you marry NE 2"
SNo wan,


chair, aud putting his feet up on tht
piazza, unfolded newspaper Mis-:
t Becky Newton bit her lip and went ol
| with her sewing. Sho wondered /
that WAS going to bo the las: Of it. Six
hsd felt this proposal coming FOR nearl,
q month, but the scene she had antici
pated WIS not at nll like this. She ha,
intended to refuse him, but It was !,
, be done gracefully. She was 20 remain
! firm. Notwithstanding his most eaeel
j entrent;es. She was TO have told hin
that though respecting his manly vortl
| and upright character, she could Heycl
be to him more than m appreai..;iv(
and earnest friend She had intended
to shed q few tears, perhaps, "a lie
knclt writhing in an agony of suppl
! cation at her feet. But instead he hao
asked her the simple question, without
| any rhetorical Embellishments. and or
being answered had plunged ut once
! into his newspaper, as though he ha>
merely inquired the time OF day. S,h,
, could have cried with yeSation
. "You will never have 4 better
/ chance" he continued after pause, a.
! he deliberately turned over the shee:
! to find the telegraph reports.
"a better chance for what ?" she
| asked shortly.
4 better chance TO marry young,
good looking man, whose gallantry to
the sex is only exceeded by his bra
very in their defence" Fred was
! quoting from his newspaper, hut Miss
: Newton did not know it.
And whose egotism is only exceeded
by his impudencc," retnrted the lady,
sarcnstica!iT.
Before long, continued Fred, ssyou
will be ont of the market. Your chan
| ces, you know ars getting slilamer
every day"
'.Sir -
1t won't be n great while before you
! are Ineligible. Iou viii grow old and,
''Such r'tdcness to Lady. sir, is
monstrolls,' exclaimed Miss Newton,
rising hastily. and flushing to the tenn
pies.
I'll give you final opportunity.
Miss Becky. Will yon mar;
Not if you were the kink of Eng
land, interrupted Mss Newton, throw
ing down her work. Il sm not ac-
customed to such insults, sir
And S" saying she passed to the
hou.a and slammed tie door behind
her.
She is never so handsome a. when
SHE Is in rage" thought Fred to linn
self. aft:2r she had gone. ns he slowly
folded up III, paper and replaced it in
his pocket. Il was q fool to goad her
20. l shall never win her in that way
But I'll have her." he exclaimed, aloud.
s'By Heaven. III have her, cost what
it may -
Very dIffei ent was the Fred Ecker
SON of the present. pacing nervousIy
up and down the piazza. from the
Fred Eckcrson OF few moments ago,
receiving his dismissal from the woman
he loved, with such calm and i.nper-
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 with
himself as III his pocket. Becky New
ton had an insuperabiA objection to all
empty wallet. The dauehtcr of {; wealthy
Lou sinna planter. reared ii luxury
snd the recipicF of a weekly allow
nDcr Of pm money sufficient Ia pay
Ered's whole bills for month, sh..
had 10 immediate idea OF changing h2r
sitution foT on" of less comfort and
independence. besides. II had been
intimated TO her that "a ncighhnring
planter of unusual nristocratic lineage,
had looked upou her with cnvetuus
eyes. To he sure he was old ard
ugly, hut he WAS r:ci, an.i in her pres
snt ,cerce,1ary state Of nlnd, Miss
Becky NcHt.,D Iih rot desire 10 aiipw
such a chHuca of ha,,nmiue a wealthy
widow slip l.y unim.uoveti
But alas for hu,aan nature. il
Becky rcs.ly a. st Indifferent 10 Fred
Ecke,sn3. ~ay id she run ~, stairs
alter taat ;nttryiey,, a;tl ta!5o t!ia
<;arci! I'll ont oi har ni"o eleas,. pillow
ahauIs hy CRYING ll,rsel: init Mysteries
aii ve4at;n,a, II was rot aiI Tiu1e
Becky Ncwton's Lcart Il feeling vci-E-
sure She would not some tiav na sorry
for what she l.n,i done. Snc had no
doubt ara co'li.i ha very happy ns
Fred Eckerstsits wife after ALL
'Brlt then. she cried. growing hot
with III" recollection. II never c,lulI
live With such lnap,--navor'"
When Fred Ickerson i.a,i walked of
SONG OF his fc.,lne5 on the piazza, he
The Mississippi, which f,cyret. within
five hundred Tn~ls ~ the hc.n$t', was
at the tiIae nearly a. liz, height of lis
annual "srrioe rise ia ;Iirt,;I
waters, rushing toward the see, nearly
filed i;s i,aaks. and III many places
had broken through, n" l,.vcea and
flooded the lower hands To- 1nan7
mile. \ crav.s~e ~ .!!ss tioscrip-
ton ha,t i'.ea Tuailr IL :i.a far
ther bank, reartv ufts, it, I'll.
hou<1. ard tii.s Nen:nn sn"nsi.,u COM
maasice, {. view 81 Va! ani giittcri"c
| iuiHn,i ss>a. not laid down nn the tna!,7
The main current oi the stream bore
u?r., IT.; coifee-coiorci hosu:n an ca0r-
nous mlsS at f1oatiDg timber. 'rblc:,
WAS dashed along IN the boiling flood,
rendering navigation Wh.,i!s inpoS:;-
bic. The waters were Sill sising. and
! the frapuont crashes lar nn.l near told
of III" undermining power ii tie cur
rent, as s>"sions of ti.f. sandy banks
sno'nrrh-'i and disappeared. carrying
| with them the trees WhIel, uverhul8
| the stream.
Now, it happrnni TINT h cfIriun1
coincidence. Miss Newton ais, +, wed
| tn lork at tho river She dried her
| tt,.:rs. and putting on her hat. slipped
. ont hT t;,- h2ck lonr II avoid Fred.
| and >oou found herself It t;,a s,..t nf a
/ huge cotton-wo:H! tl.'e a., the hank be-
! low the house. Throwing l,sr self rlpon
! the eEa,as, and lnlle,l by the i,nhsiipr
Of the rapid ti"ntl beneath her. she
soon fell Ta.t asleep. Had she pos
sessed any power OF foreseeiny the fu-
! turc, i wulld have been the last thing
; she would have done. fer although j,
was very pleasant l,.s,Gpins ASLEEP
! there IN the silallo, witt, the soft sun
light III e,..ring through tn" leaves
| overhead. tine awakening was not at al
to her mind 4 terrible crash made
chaos OF her dreams: the ground slip
ped from beneath her; the tall cotton
wood toppled and fell: and Miss Becky
Newton found herself suddenly i'm
me.snd in the cold flood, with hel
mouth full OF muddy water. In mo
meat more, somebody's : arm was aroun6
her and she felt herself lifted up ant
placed somewhere in the sunshine
though precisely where, s!.e was as ye
4 10 - L.,