The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-04-12
NANNIE.


MAMIE.
l cannot set down in so manv words
Just when or how it came to be under
stood between my partner, John Still
man, and myself, that was TO marry
his daughter, Mamie, when she was old
enough. have a vague impression that
she was in long clothes at the time we
first talked of it.
Her mother died when she was little
girl, and old Mrs. Stillnan took her home
to the family house at Owls Corner, one
OF the prettiest little villages ever had
the good fortune to see. But Mamie
was Is when I first met her woman.
and this was the scene of our meeting.
John had sent for me to come to Owls
Corner on certain July day, promising
TO drive over to the station aud meet me,
as my elderly legs covered the ground
but slowly. We had retired from BUSH
ness, rich men both, some five years be
fore, and correspoRded regularly. But
l had been abroad, and this was INV
first visit to Owls Corner in ten years.
I remembered Mamie rs a romping
child, fond of swinging on the gates,
climbing up grape-arbors ana imperiling
her neck fifty times q day, John always
saying on each occasion:
"She's little wild, but she'll get over
that"
I waited at the station Tor half an hour,
then, seeing no sign of John, l started to
walk home. 1t was midday, and fearfully
hot, and, when I had accomplished half
the distance, l turned off the road and
started through a grove that gave me
longer walk, but thick shade. I was
resting there on broad stone, COM
pletely hidden by the bushes on every
side, when heard Johns voice:
''Where have you been 2'
There was such dismsy and astonish-
ment in the voice that I looked up in
surprise, to find that he was not greeting
me, but a tall, slender girl coming to-
ward him. Such sight She was dark
and beautiful, dressed in thin dress of
rose-pink, fault'ess about the face and
throat, but from the waist down clinging
to her, one mass of the greenest, blacklist,
thickest mud and water.
SIN the duck pond" she answered
with a voice as clear and musical as a
chime of bells Don't come near me-"
You are enough to wear man into
his gravel"
8 There, don't scoid," was the coaxing
reply; little Bob Ryan fell in face
down. 1t did not make any material
difference in his costume, but was afraid
he would smother, so I waded in after
him. The water is not over two feet
deep, but the mud goes clear through to
China, l imagine. It is rather a pity
about my new dress, isn't it ?"
"a pityl" roared John; you'll come
to an untimely end some day with your
freaks. As if there was nobody to pick
a little brat out of the duck pond but |
you'll"
There actually was nobody else about. |
There, now, don't be angry. I'll 60 up to |
the house and put on that bewitching |
white affair that came from New York !
last week, and be all ready to drive over
to the station with you, at what time ?"
About three. Lawrence is coming
on the 2:1O."
And 1 had come on the 1910. This
for the failure TO meet me. l
kept snug in my retreat until John and
Mamie were well on their way home
ward, wondering little how many young
ladies' in my circle of friends would have
so recklessly sacrificed new dress to
pick up beggar's brat out of the mud.
When l, in my turn, reached the
house, John was on the porch waiting
Tor Nannie's temperance. He gave me
4 most cordial welcome, or rather a
luncheon, called Mamie, his mother,
md a man to go for my trunk, all in one
breath, and seemed really rejoiced to see
ne.
Presently slender girl with truly
+. bewitching" white dress trimmed with
Iashes of scarlet ribbon, and smoothly
braided black hair, tied with scarlet
BOWS. came demurely into the room and
vas introduced. Never, however, in
hat first hour, could the widest imagi-
nation have pictured Mamie Stillman
yading into duck pond. But the half
nv, half-digni6ed company manner soon
vore away, and Mamie and l were fast
riends before dinner. She sang for me
n q voice as deliciously fresh as birds
arol she took me to see her pets, the
lew horse that was her last birthday gift
rom papa," the ugly little Scotch ter
Ter with the beautiful brown eyes, the
abbits. Guinea hens, and the superan-
uated old pony, who had preceded the
ew horse.
In a week / was as much in love as
yer John could have desired. Mamie
vas the most bewitching maiden had
yer met, childlike and yet womanly,
rank. bright and full of girlish freaks
md boyish mischief, and yet well
dueated, with really wonderful musical
-ifts and full of noble thoughts. She
vas a perfect idol in the village, her
riends and neighbors thinking no party
complete without her, while the poor
airly worshiped her.
John allowed her an almost unlimited
upply of pocket-money, and she was
aYish in all charity, from blankets for
Id women, tobacco for old men, to
andes for the children, and rides on !