The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-06-05

| young girl, just fresh from the school
room. He carelessly resolved that she
should be conquered, not dreaming that
he had anything deeper at stake than
the amusement of the hour.
His frequent invitations to her to walk
and drive, his devotion to her on the
croquet ground, their tete-a-tetes over
the chess board, were soon noticed by
the other occupants of the house, who,
of course, did not fail to make their
comments.
A picnic had been planned to the
Falls, about twelve miles from the vii
lage. On the previous evening Rhoda
had wandered to the end of one of the
| long halls, and had seated herself in the
window, where the moon poured in a
flood of silvery light, bringing out in a.
shadowy baauty the leaves of the grand
old maple trees, which were reflected on
the walls, dancing in their own grot-
esque fashions as they were gently sway
ed by the light breeze.
+" have found you at last" said
pleasant voice. "Why did you run
away from us ?"
i" 1 accidentally strayed into this cor
ner," replied Rhoda, "and then 1 could
not resist its beauty"
f" 1t is charming" said Mr. Rivers,
seating himself "I have come to ask
you, Miss Rhoda, if / may have the
pleasure of your company in my car
riage, to the picnic, tomorrow.
" had half made up my mind not to
| CO." said Rhoda, I" for 1 promised poor
old Miss Dennis, that would spend a
day with her before leave, and now the
summer is almost past"
" Oh, it will never do for you to give
up the picnic !" exclaimed her compan-
ion; " the last gayety of the season.
Give the old lady some other day and go
with me tomorrow. Come, Miss Rho
da; you must say yes / think will
not take mo- for an answer
We'll" was the reply, Il will think
about it,"
Just then the pair became conscious of
a presence. There was rustic of starch
ed muslin, and they caught glimpse of
figure as it glided past, a little in the
distance, where another hallintersectedp
And how much of the conversation had
been overheard2 All of it, or only the
latter part These were the thoughts
that had passed through Rhoda's mind,
and she glanced up and encountered the
merry twinkle in her companions eyes.
|
'' There is the foundation for quite
romance; lover, deeply in earnest, and
an undecided young lady taking him in
to consideration, laughed Mr.. Rivers,
as they separated.
That he, Duncan Rivers, the spoiled
| pet of society, could be taken into con-
sideration, that any young lady would
not answer an immediate "yes," to
| proposition of marriage emanating from
him, had never entered that gentleman
head as one of the possibilities; there
fore, he could afford to be amused in
contemplation of the reports to which
the, conversation just related might give
rise.
The bright morning sun overturned
Rhoda's self-sacrificing intentions, and
charitably resolving to bestow upon old
Miss Dennis the first rainy day, should
one occur before she left Belleville, she
took her seat in Mr.. Rivers comfortable
little carriage. She was beginning to
recover from the shyness which she had
always felt toward her companion, in
consequence of the awkward mistake
she had made when she first met him
and now this drive through lovely
country, surrounded by the most en-
chanting scenery, had an eXhilarating
effect upon her spirits and her companion
was charmed with the wit and freshness
of her remarks, and wished that this
tete-a-tete drive might last all day. 1t
came to an end all too soon and the entire
party was established in the woods some
sitting in groups, some in two, and some
taking solitary walks, perhaps in quest
ofcongenial company. Mr.. Rivers had
unconsciously fallen into brown study,
from which he was rather rudely awak-
ened by one of the party, who stepped
up to him, exclaiming:
3" L was to be the first to congratulate
you ~
"For what 2" asked the gentleman,
somewhat startled by the abruptness.
:" For being the lucky chap who has
secured the prettiest girl in the compa-
n.y." was the reply. Sat least, we sup
pose you have secured her. We were