The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-02-08

years of his life abroad-therefore |
can not, of course, have been exactly in
love with him. Nevertheless, he might
have waited to see me before rejecting
me, | thought; and, although [ am
rather too short for dignity, and rather
too florid for ind gnation, | planted my
feet upon my carpet-bag, and bridled
my head, independent of the car-win-
dow against which my weak neck had
at first deposited it, in no contemplate
imitation of botn.
The train drew up at wayside sta
ton with shiver and shrek. We, that
is the man in the Panama hat and L
were en- route for the home of an old
lady-who would have been our par
ents' bridesmaid had they spared us
this unhappy complication by marrying
each other-whereat we were to meet
in respectable council over the irrepres-
sible conflict to which we stood
pledged.
The brakeman opened the car-door
rapidly, and exploded something, the
report of which, having no sound SINH
lar to the articulation of the words, was
to be interpreted as Palatine Bridge;
and, with a sudden determination that
this high mightiness whom | had been
brought up to consider as my legitimate
fate should never have the opportunity
t. reject me. as he evidently proposed
doing, gathered up my traps, left the
train, telegraphed to my maid, who
was to follow me in the evening, and
found myself seated in the stage rum
ming therefrom to Sharon Springs, i'm
mensely pleased with my own clever
ness, and facing the man with the clear
face and helping hand who had de-
luged me with water during my mo-
ment of imbecile weakness in the rail
way carriage. ..r
The rencontre vexed me momentari-
ly; but from this | recovered, especial
ly as, having on my feet pair of boots
excrutiatingly pretty, and new, and
tight, was obliged to ask him to get
out and walk up the very first of those
interminable hills forming the rocky
way to Sharon, in order that I might
relieve my great toe joint from the in
tolerable pain arising from undue pres
sure. Then, of course, one must be
civil when one has asked a favor, and
so we fell into pleasant converse, which
only terminated when he peculiar odor
for which these springs are chiefly re-
markable stole down to meet us and we
were both compelled to hold our noses
between our thumbs and fingers in de-
ference to the distinguished and undis-
eliminating courtesy.
| am not acquainted with very many
Teutons of degree, consequently met
few persons of my acquaintance al
Sharon; but the place is undeniably
jolly and enjoyable, and in all my pere.
grinations here and there [ seemed tc
meet my clever and kind fellow-travel
er, particularly at those moments wher
an escort seemed most desirable.
think we had been at the Springs 8
week when my mind suggested to me
that it would at least be convenient t(
know the name of the gentleman wht
was making himself-well, let us say
useful. ...s...
Several times during the day thi
suggestion occurred to me, but | dit
not seem to see exactly what was to b
done about it, until, standing in tn
evening under the blazing chandelie
of the daneing-parlor, | heard some on
speak my name in the crowd by tn
window, and ask who this gentlemal
was upon whose arm leaned.
Now, in the main, was an extreme
lywell conducted young woman. ha
even been known to pass a very sever
criticism upon those young ladies c
our acquaintance who would ALLOW
themselves to be addressed by gentle
men who had not been properly pre-
) sented. 4 chill ran down my back
and, trembling before the specter c
outraged proprieties until the sumac
berries in my corsage went also int
tremors and broke away from thei
slender stems, said to my companion
"Take me out upon the verands
pleasei'' .a.
There was peculiar sweetness abor
, the midnight air we breathed-som'
thing peculiarly impressive about th
midnight field of blue stretching aboy
US, spaneled over with flashing star
of-Bethlehem and golden buttercup
, through which the white moon traVele
there was something softly subduin
t in the tender night-dews falling abol
| US; but struggled womanfully again
t the influences that we're; and blurte
t out too energetically for euphony, to
, abruptly for good taste:
t "What is your nameP"
Campbell Clinton"
: There may be persons who can sciel
[ tifcally account for the phenomen
t sensation l experienced at hearing th
2 answer, but I can do nothing of Il
7 sort. The ground slipped unconscio
4 able from under my feet.
do not think actually reversed m
self in raid-air In the eXtranrdinal