The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-01

along the green enclosure. She had not
gone far when she met her rustic ad-
mirer. Ben recognized her in an in
slant, although clad in habiliments suit
able to this mundane sphere, and not
looking quite the child she had appeared
before, but really pretty girl of about
sixteen years of age, and not at all re-
sembling the scraggy, painted individ-
uals who accompany these institutions
as rule.
When our hero saw her his heart took
sudden mighty stride into his throat,
and when she approached and spoke to
him, be felt as if he should choke to
death with delight!
Ben's angels salutation was in this
wise:
"Good gracious, Ben Duncan what
are you staring at ?"
Though startled by her familiarity,
which, though unexpected and decid-
edly brusque, was not coarse, and the
light laugh which accompanied the
words was musical and like a child's
merriment, Ben's gallantry did not for
sake him as he replied, ardently:
"At you, most beautiful angel"
This was most novel beginning, but
Mile. Angela De Leon, which was her
high-sounding title on the play-bills,
laughed again merrily and said:
81 know you liked me; 1 saw you ad-
miring my performance this afternoon"
"Did you ?" said Ben, eagerly; "but
how did you know my name?"
"Oh, some of our fellows went to buy
some supper at your fathers bakery
and they saw and heard all about you"
"Did they ?" responded Ben. "Well,
there wasn't much to hear, was there ?''
"Yes; 1 heard your father was very
rich, and you are to have it ALL"
Ben laughed.
"Yes, and my father is going to give
up the business to me-" he added, conf
dentially, "and then"
"What, the bakery p' interrupted the
angel. "Isn't that awfully slow kind Of
living? ."
mo, indeed" said Ben; "there is a
kind of excitement about it at times"
Excitement about bakery II
laughed the angel. impossible Il
you call that exciting, what do you
think of my life? Such wild riding and
jumping and dancing! Oh, it is gIori.
GUS I wish you could try it,"
II wish you would try mine ~ said
Ben, with a tender glance aud persua.
sive accent which made the angel laugh
again.
Soon, however, they became very con
fidential, and the angel told Ben muct
of her past history; how her parents haC
belonged to a circus company, and sht
had always lived among these people
aud been taught to ride, etc.; but some
times, she confessed, she felt tired o
this rowing life and would like to settl
down quietly; and then she gave Ben
tender and sly glance, which be re
turned with an ardent one, and in hi
turn told her he was a lonely bachelor
and sighed for some one TO love him
etc.; and then more tender glances wer
exchanged, and shortly after Ben pro
posed walk, aud she consenting, Bel
walked her past the bakery, but he di,
not invite her to enter. Fancy his par
ents' wrath should their sanity portal
be desecraUed by the feet of Mile. An
gela De Leon Ben asked his angel
opinion of his home, and that youn
lady expressed herself highly delighte
with the outside, and intimated that th
inside might be even better; but poo
Ben dared not take the hint. They re
turned to the circus barely in time fo
the evening performance, which pu
: Mile. Angela in state of iutterin
: trepidation. Of course Ben went i
: again, and again watched her as she re
appeared in her gossamer drapery, an
was even more completely bewitche
than before.
Again he fingered after the perform
ance, and she rewarded him a secon
; time with a tete-a-tete. Ben told be
how his heart had been in his throat b.
tween pleasure and fear as she fle
! through the air, and, in fact, he addet
it had left him altogether and she alor
= possessed it!
Mile. Angela received the declarltio
with equanimity, remarked that it ws
; rather sudden, but that she, too, ha
experienced as sudden and spontaneol
g an affection for him, and, although 81
was not yet quite prepared to relinquis
her present occupation, whenever th;
> time should arrive, when she would |
willing to do so, no man would suit b,
Il as well as Ben Duncan, Jr., and as 81
e spoke she thought of Ben Duncan, Sr.
bank account; nor was she at all di
8 pleased with the honest, good-lookir
e youth beside her, whose love was gen
d inc, Notwithstanding its sudden insp
e ration.
b Before they parted, Ben had promise
n to make his appearance at another pc
g formance the following day given at
e adjoining village, which promise
IS kept, and then his gossamer fairy float
: away from his path of life and left hi
q disconsolate.