Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-11-19

ont l Jest bundled her off quick.
It'll do her good. She's u gal like
all Others"
"Twenty milesw I repeated. "She
will probably then be gone for five
or six days?"
olive or six weeks, more like"
was the reply. 81 told her she'd
have to stay, most likely, till we sent
for her, and that wouldn't be till after
harvestln' was all over. The men
and the horses are mighty busy dur
in the hot weather"
81 say, Fred" l said that evening,
as we sat Oh the piazza smoking our
cigars, "I've been thinking that I'll
60 back to the city tomorrow or next
day. TO tell the truth, it's getting a
little dull and monotonous, and"
'sDull and monotonous! What has
got into you? Why, it is only day
or two since you were going to stay
month yet. You're just the queer
est chap"
"I've been told that often enough
to know it by heart, Fred. l think l
shall go up by tomorrow nights
train, unless you shall 90 too if l wait
over a few days"
"Not l. l shall stay another fort
night, at least.'
"All righl. 1t is settled, thcn.-
Walk up to the station with me, and
you can senl my trunk along some
day when the wagon is going off,
The next evening we arrived at a
little rise in sight of the station some
time before the train was due, and
we sat down on 4 rude stone wall
overlooking the valley.
''By the way" said Fred, suddenly,
81 didn't show you this, l believe
She looked so charming, l couldn't
help it,
And he opened his portfolio, which
he invariably had with HIM, and
showed me sketch he had made of
Miss Perry the day she was masquer-
aiding, which had thus far proved so
disastrous to me. 1t was a personi-
fed lily of the valley, with the deli
cate features Of her whose name of
Margaret somehow grated Oh my ear,
and, as "Miss Perry was too formal,
l had taken to calling her "Puss."
81 say, Fred, l want this"
"Nonsense! You'd better let me
keep this and you take the original.
"a wise man is content with what
he can get" responded briefly, as l
put it in my satchel.
Fred gave me a curious look, which
| did not interpret till later in the
season, and made no objection to my
appropriating his sketch.
The sun was sinking behind the
mountain, the valley we had just left
having been for some time in deep
shadow.
"W here are your canvas and col
ors?" | asked "There's an effect of
chiaroscaro that would draw praise
from the most conservative critic"
Fred needed no second hint; and,
as he painted away, l observed the
beautiful effect, and made occasional
jerky remarks on a variety of sub
jects, presently saying:
wig was! She Is, indeed, a lily OF
the valley, both lily aud valley being
i'll their respective ways charming in
a superlative sense"
The whistle sounded just then, and
| started in haste for the train, leav-
ing Fred busy on his picture, hardly
looking up when he said goodbye,
and prophesying my return in few
days.
Several times, after my return to
the city, | came near doing so, won
dering if it were not cowardly IN me
to strike my colors at such a moment,
and if ''Puss" did not expect me to
come over the mountain to see her.
Nearly two months had elapsed
and | had heard nothing from Fred.
| was on the point of putting change
of linen in the satchel, and taking a
two days run in search of him, and
to see if Miss Perry had returned,
when l received letter which, to
say the least, indefinitely postponed
the matter.
| give only those parts my readers
will be interested in:
"MY DEAR BoY:-Congratulate me
that is, with an if. She won't name
the day, nor positively promise that
she ever will; but it is so well settled
in my mind, that | shall order the
Suit as soon as I arrive in town,
which will be some day next week, if
| can tear myself away sc soon.
GLOW did | do it? Blest if l know!
| never dreamed of such a thing till
you dropped that remark you did
when | gave you the sketch of the
lady in her masquerade dress, and
that'a wise man is content with what
he can get which flashed through
my brain the intelligence that you
had been rejected, or were satisfied
you would be. Why, never could
conceive, for | always supposed you
to be the favored one, but I didn't
puzzle over the conundrum very long.
From that moment / gave myself up
to the task of winning her, and went
at it rough and tumble. l never
went into anything before SO reck-
lessly, because never before had I
been so seriously in earnest.
"But you don't care for details. If
none but the brave deserve the fair,'
| have at least earned the trophy l
shall henceforth wear so proudly on
my breast.''
Before Fred returned from the
country, | was on the Atlantic. l
had again behaved in a cowardly
manner, and deserted my colors when
vigorous movement Oh my own
part, instead of resulting so, would
have had a decidedly contrary result.
But was both blind and stupid
| could neither see nor understand
what had taken place, nor how it all
tended to my advantage did l but
follow it up. That knowledge did
not come to me till many months
afterward.
On the water and pressed to the
brlm with work, | had supposed I
ShOulI fnrrat tho l;ttlo oo,,t,,, -.;,I