Smyrna times., 1876-06-21


leave it; never shall be willing to lie in my
grave and know other girls are walking in
tho lane these summer nights, with the
sweet wind blowing over them, and the
the"
Bessie stopped in confusion. What was
it she had been about to say?
Perhaps the young minister was not
aware that he still held Bessie's hand but |
Bessie was. She essayed to withdraw it,
and then the grasp tightened. She blushed |
red and redder; she felt an arm stealing
around her and then, looking defnantly |
up, there was the ministers's face bending
before her. She knew what he was about
to say. She didn't want to hear it; not
yet, at any rate, did she want to hear it.
But she did hear it. That arm held her
close, close to plunging heart that voice
was murmering in her ear; those lips, they
sought her own; and her own-yes, indeed,
Mistress Bessie-half eager, half unwilling,
were answering them--were answering
them And suddenly, almost as if she did
not know what she did, she had lifted her
hand, with the willow switch in it with
which she had been playing and had dealt
the horse beside them Il swift little blow
that started him into rear and bound,
tore the bridle from Mr.. Beckwith's other
hand, wheeled Mr.. Beckwith shortly about,
and sent the horse off at gallop. There
was nothing for Mr.. Beckwith to do but to
hasten after the hoase-so valuable a crea-
ture, and not his Own-and then there was
nothing for the wayward, wicked Bessie to
do but to sit down on stone and cry, and
go home at. last all dew-bedraggled, and
dash past the family room like a wrath, up
the stairs to her own nook, boiling the door
with resounding echo that might have
dispelled any fear of the supernatural.
She sat down in her dark room then alone,
dazed, but safe. She loved him-yes, she
loved him, she was afraid: but he was
minister, and she didn't want to love a
minister. She was half promised to him,
but in her thoughts there in the dark room
she defed him to exact the promise.
"What in the world is the matter with
the girl 2 said her mother.
But the father only nodded his wise
head, and bade the mother leave her alone.
l He looked at the absurd little portrait of
his shOrt-waisted aunt Dorothy, of whom
Bessie was the image and supercription,
0 and remembered the story of her courtship
as he had heard her tell it. 1T will all
g come right, mother" he said.
It's all wrong now," said the mother.
u And those tantrums will be the death of
c me if they don't come to an end soon."
r 1t was just at this season, as it happened
5 toward the close of the bright September
r days, that flaming handbills were posted up
at every corner and OH every empty fence
{ proclaiming the approach of Eden's Great
Scriptural Show and Gymnastic Entertain
= ment, which the villagers were not, how
: ever, de!uded into supposing anything
other than circus. Miss Bessie, Of course
, read the handbills in common with others
> and straightway announced to her astoun
ded family that she was to be a patroness
of the great Scriptuial Show to the exten
= of single ticket
- Go to the circus !" came the astonisheC
" chorus of remonstrance.
= " 1t isn't a circus said Bessie. /" It's
> Scriptural show. There are texts from thu
Bible on every cart
"They take the livery Of God to serve
~ the devil in y exclaimed her father.
" g don't see any such necessity" she re
d joined. "It's an opportunity for studying
not 1pflI I,tg l., II
> bills say"
"Much natural history in those dancing
a women and riding mon!''
81 "Oh, as for that part, shouldn't thinl
e there could be anything more interestin
than the sight of those people springin
through the air from their trapez," said tn
u well-informed young person, " and shown
IL what fine bodies they can make for them
u :! selves. Like pictures of the heather
rs godsr'
" NOnsenser said Mrs. Allan; "nor
! sence! Your heads turned. You a dea
- cons daughter ~
,e "Yes, my child" said her father. "
so agree with your mother here I've neve
ycN AluSAj i'coSlcJ OuI L lSel lHdL
must deny you this. You can't go to tn
circus"
~ "You," said her mother, "that tn
," minister has paid attention tor
J." That settled it. Nothing but irons coul
i'd have kept Bessie from that circus aftc
ON those fatal words. She confided to Georg
Knight at once her intention of going
the circus, and when the mighty sho
he came into town she watched her chanc
ha and harnessed the filly herself into Ii
lly little open wagon, and set off with Georg
he Knight, unseen and unmissed for tim
nd to visit the beasts and the gymnasts of I'll
Ses forbidden entertainment.
Vill "What the minister can see in th,
GIRL" said old Miss Sparks, looking throue
aid the window as the wagon whirled by, "
~ can't see. She's an engaging rogue, that
W. true, but 1 shouldn't want to marry her
ter But as nobody wanted to marry Miss Sparl
n