New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-04

lin turned back, like q rose leaf, over a
little line Of white teeth, as she breathed
somewhat hurriediy in her nervous excite
ment. He ga " all this calmly, quietly, and
save the natural uneasiness OF sly. re-
ticent man, fear without quickening his
pulse.
II knowed it," he said. simply,"i heerd
We as KEN up.'
Miss Nelly was furious at his grammar,
| his dialect, his GOODNESS. and still more at
the suspicion that he was an active member
| of her invisible c.ague.
"Ah,' she said, still smiling, ''then ! think
l heard you-"
Il reckon not he Interrupted. gravely.
IL didn't stay long. l found the boys
| hanging round the house. and allowed at
first I'd 60 in and kinder VAIN you, but
they promised to keep still. and you looked
SO comfortable and wrapped up in your
music that l hadn't the heart to disturb
you. and KEN away. hope" he added,
earnestly, ''they didn't let on ez they heered
| you. They amt bad lot-them Blazin'
Star boys-though they're a little hard at
times. But they'd no more hurt We than
would a-a-a ca,!' continued Mr.. Haw-
kins. blushing with faint apprehension of
the inelegance Of his smile.
"No, nor' said Miss Nellie, feeling sud
denly very angry with herself, the Fool,
and the entire male population Of Five
Forks. mo! l have behaved very tool
ishly l suppose-and if they had, it would
have served me right. But l only wanted
to apologize to you. You'll lind everything
as you left it. Good day.
She turned to go. MT. Hawkins began to
| feel embarrassed. I'D have asked ye to
sit down." he said, finally, ''if it he'd been
place fit for lady. l oughter done so
any way. don't know what kept me from
| - RI o,,,'t I fvo<
sort o. dumb ager-it's the bitches, l think,
miss-and l don't seem to hev my wits
| about me-"
| Instantly Miss Arnot was all sympathy
her quick woman's heart was touched.
| Can lean anything be done :" she
asked, more timidly than she had before
| spoken.
| .'No-not unless We remember suthin'
| about these pills He exhibited box
! containing about half dozen. Il forgot
| the direcuion-I don't seem to remember
much any way, these times-they'r e Jones'
vegetable compound If ye've ever took
'em yell remember whether the regular
dose is eight. They amt but six here. But
perhaps We never TUX any" he added, dep
recatingly.
.'No," said Miss Nelly, CURLY. She had
usually keen sense OF the ludicrous, but
somehow Mr.. Hawkins eccentricity only
| panied her.
"Wil you let me see you to the foot of
the hill = he said again, after another en-
| barrassing pause.
Miss Arnot felt instantly that such an act
| would cOndone her trespass in the eyes of
the world. She might meet some of her in
| visible adnirers-Or even her companions
and. with all her cratic impulses. she was,
| nevertheless, a woman, and di0 not entirely
despise the verdict of cOnventionality. She
| smiled sweetly and assented, and in another
| moment the two were lost III the shadow OF
| the wood.
Like many other apparently trivial acts
| in an uneventful life, it was decisive. As
| she expected, she met two or three of her
late applauders, who, she fancied, looked
sheepish and embarrassed; she met also her
| companions looking for her in some alarm,
| who really appeared astonished at her es-
cort. and, she fancied, q tritle envious of her
evident success. l fear that Miss ArnOt, in
response to their anxious inquiries, did not
state entirely the truth, but, without actual
assertion, led them To believe that she had
at very early stage OF the proceeding
completely subjugated this weak minded
| giant, and had brought him triumphantly
| to her feet. From telling this story two or
three times she got finally to believing that
| she had some foundation for it; then to a
vague sort Of desire that it would event
| uaIIy prove to be true. and then to an
!
| summation. That It would rebound TO any
satisfaction Of the Fool she did not stop to
| doubt. That it would cure him of his folly
| she was quite confident. Indeed, there are
| very few OF us-men or wOmeE-WhO do
| not believe that even hopeless love for
ourselves is more conducive TO the salvation
of the lover than a yequited affection tor
| another.
! The criticism OF Five Forks was. as the
reader may imagine. swift an conclusive.
| When it was found out that Miss ArnOt was
not 1.-THE Hag" incorporating as young
| and pretty girl, to the ultimate deception OF
| Five Forks in general and the Fool in par.
| ticular. it was a. once decided that nothing
but the speedy union of the. Fool and the
| 'pret.y schoolmarm" was consistent with
| ordinary common sense. The singular good
fortune OF Hawkins was quite in accordance
| with the theory OF his luck as prOpounded
by the camp. That after ''the Hag" failed
! to make her appearance he should ''strike
| a lead" in his own house, without the
| trouble of ''prospect;n,,' seemed to these
casuists as wonderful but inevitable law.
! To add to these fatefu1 probabilities. Miss
Arnot fell and sprained her ankle in the
ascent of Mount Lincoln. and was con.
| fined for some weeks to the hotel after
her companions had departed. During
this period Hawkins was civilly but
] grotesquely attentive. When, after a rea.
sonable time had elapsed, there still
| appeared to be no Immediate prospect of
the occupancy of the new house, public
! opinion experienced singular changeein
regard to its theories of Mr.. Hawkins con.
! duct. 1.-The Hag" was looked upon as a
| saint-like and long suffering martyr to the
! weakness and Inconsistency Of the Fool.
| That, after erecting this new house at her
! request. he had suddenly "gone back on
I her: that his celibacy was the result Of a
| long habit of weak proposal and subsequent
! shameless election, and that he was now
| trying his hand on the helpless schOolmarm.
| were perfectly plain to Five Forks. That
| he should be frustrated in his attempts, at
! suddenly found herself inve sted with a rude
cnivalry that would have been amusing
had it not been. at times. embarrassing;
that would have been impertinent but tor
| the almost superstitOus respect with
! which it was protfered. Every day some.
BODY from Five Forks rode out to inquire
the health of the fair patient. ''Hez Hawk
| ins bin over yer to day" queried Tom
| Flynn, with artful ease aud Indifference, as
he leaned over Miss Nellys easy chair on
the veranda. Miss Nelly, with faint pink
| flush on her cheek, was constrained to
answer mo" 'Well. he sorter sprained
his foot agin rock yesterday" continued
| Flynn, with shameless untruthlulness.
"You mustn't think anything o that. Miss
Arnot. He II be over yer tomorrer: and,
meantime. he told me to hand this yer
bokay. with his regards. and this yer
| flowers he had picked en- route, against
such an emergency, and presented respect.
| fully piece of quartz and gold which he
| had AIKEN tina, morninp from his own s1uice