The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-02-27
Love on a Log.

|
ing. She wondered if that was going 10
be the last OF it, She had felt this pro-
| posal coming for nearly a month, but the
scene she had anticipated was not a, 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 entreates. She was to have
told him that though respecting his manly
worth and upright character, she could
never be more than an appreciative and
earnest friend. She had intended to shed
y few tears perhaps, as he knelt in an
agony OF suppicaton at her feet But in
stead, he had asked her the simple ques-
ton, without any rhetorical embellish-
ments, and on being answered, had
plunged at once into his newspaper, as
though he had merely inquired the time
of day. She could have cried with vexa-
| ton.
"iou will never have better chance -
he continued after 4 pause, as he deliber-
atcly turned over the sheet to find the
latest telegraph reports.
"A better chance for what ?" she asked,
shortly
| ga better chance to marry a Young,
| good looking man. whose gallantry to the
sex is only exceeded by his bravery in
their defense" Fred was quoting tlom
his newspaper, but Miss Newton did not
know it.
"And whose egotism is only exceeded
Thy his impudence." retnrted the lady. sar-
caslcally
Before long" continued Fred, "you'll
be out OF the market Your chances, you
know, are getting simmer every day"
"Sir!"
''lt won't be a great while before you
are ineligible. You will grow old and
wrinkled, and
"Such rudeness to lady, sir, is mon
srous,' exclaimed Miss Newton, rising
hastily. and flushing to the temples.
"Fll give yon final opportunity, Miss
Becky. VIII YOU mar
"Not if YOU We're the King of England "
| interrupted Miss Newton, throwing down
her work. "a am not accustomed to such
jnsnls. sir
And so saying, she passed into the
honse and slammed the door behind her.
"She is never so handsome as when
She is in rage" thought Fred to him
self, after she had gone, as he slowly
folded up his paper and replaced it in his
pocket II WAS Il fool to goad her so.
shall never win her in that way But III
have her" he exclaimed, aloud. 'sBv
Heaven, I'll have her, cost what it may p
Very different was the Fred Eckerson
Of the present, pacing nervously up and
down the piazza, from the Fred Eckerson
| ot 4 few moments ago, receiving his dis
missal from the woman he loved, with
such calm and impcrtul bable exterior.
| E,i ua inull Raal-y Nn,uto,, III =,
| heart. The real difficulty in the way. as
much with himself as in his pocket. Becky
Newton had an insuperabe objection to
AN empty wallet. The daughter of a
wealthy Louisiana planter, reared in
luxury, and the recipient of a weekly al
lowance of pin money sufficient to pay
Fred's whole bills for a month, she had
40 immediate idea of changing her stua-
ton for one of less comfort and independ-
ence. Besides, it had been intimated to
her that neighboring planter of unusu-
ally 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 mercenary state of mind, Miss
Becky Newton did not desire to allow
such chance of becoming wealthy
widow to ship by unlmprOved.
But alas for human nature! If Becky
was really 50 Indifferent to Fred Eckerson.
why did she run up stairs after that in
tcview and take the starch all out of her
nice clean pillows -shams by crying herself
into Mysteries on the bed 1t was not all
wrath, not all veXation not all pique.
There was somewhere deep down in Becky
Newtcn's heart, a feeling very much akin
to remorse. She was not sure that she
would not one day be sorry for what she
had done She had no doubt she could
be very happy as Fred Eckerson's WIFE
after all.
'Bu. then" she cried growing hot
with the recollection, she was so rude
and so insulting! never could live with
such man, never"
When Fred Eckerson had walked off
| some Of his feelings OH the piazza, he con-
cluded to take Il look at the river. The
Mississippi, which flowed within five
hundred yards of the house, was that time
nearly at the height Of its annual ''spring
Use" Its turbid waters, rushing swiftly
towards the sea, had nearly filled the
banks and IN many places had broken
through the levees and flooded the low
lands for many miles. A crevasse of this
description had been made in the farther
bank, nearly opposite the house, and the
windows OF the Newton mansion com
manded view OF a vast and glitterng
inland sea, not laid down on the maps.
The man current OF the stream bore upon
ltscoflee- -colorcd bosom an enormous mass
OF floating timber which was dashed
along in the boiling flood, rendering navi-
CATION 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 trees which over
hung the stream.
Now, it happened that by curious
coincidence, Miss Newton also resolved
to look at the river. She dried her tears,
and putting on her hat, slipped out by the
back door to avoid Fred, and soon found
herself at the foot of huge cottonwood
tree on the bank below the house. Throw
ing herself upon the grass, and lulled by the
rapid flood beneath her, soon tell fast
asleep. Had she possessed any power of
foreseeing the future, it would have been
the last thing she would have done, Tor
although it was very pleasant dropping
asleep there in the shade, with the soft
sunlight filtering through the leaves over
head, the awakening was not all to her
mind. A terrible crash made chaos Of
her dreams; the ground slipped from be-
meath her; the tall cottonwood toppled
and fell and Miss Becky Newton found
herself suddenly immersed in the cold
tood' with her mouth full of muddy water
In moment more, somebody's arm was
around her and she felt herself lifted up
and PLACED somewhere in the sunshine,
though precisely where, she was as vet
too bewildered to know. Getting her
eyes open at last, she found Fred Ecker
sons whlskers nearly brushing her face
'Well!"
"Welli"
"Where am p" asked Becky, shiver-