Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-09-14
WHOLE NUMBER, 1854.
1--WE are enjoying ourselves

ments were ready.
"Theres Nab Townley over there,
John, and she looks lonely. Go and
wait on her" and the little witch
futtered off, leaving him no alterna-
tive but to obey.
The company were just taking their
places for the picnic, and Florry stood
quite still, looking an1iorsly around
for her escort, who had excused him.
self hals hour before, and had not
yet returned
Five minutes more slipped by, and
still he did not come. She felt griev-
ed and mortified. He had never been
SO neglectful to her before. What
could be the matter?
"Where is Mr.. Ducey?" some one
asked.
His protractsd absence was now for
the first time generally noticed.
eyes, where is he p from chorus
of voices.
What have you done with your
cavalier, Florry?' Mabel Townley
broke in. "You must learn to take
better care Of him i'll the future
"He is old enough to take care of
himself" said Forry, lightly, yet
with very red flush on either cheek.
Very true, whispered Mrs. Digby,
confdentially, to Tom Lacy. "He's
five-and-thirty, if he's day. To
think of such chit of girl as Florry
Castle marrying man old enough to
be her father-the very idea.
Mr.. Lacy, as in duty bound, agreed
with everything the enchantrcss said.
ave must find him" said somebody.
"He may have raet with an accident"
And a dozen of the party hastened
off in various directions through the
grove in search of Casper Ducey.
Cne of the girls found him at last, as
little scream attosted, and they were
all around him in a moment. He
was lying prostrate on the ground,
Just within the shelter of a little
thicket not far away, with his eyes
closed and his face looking swollen
and purple?"
"What is the matter?"
as he dead?"
''He is in fit.
Three or four of the girls screamed
in breath; the gentlemen looked at
him hard, then at each other, but
said nothing.
DR.. Granton glanced at the red,
bloated face, then ruefully at Florry.
Speak !" she cried, with very pale
lips; "is he dead?'
"He is-drunk !" exclaimed Jack
Blunt, one of the party, who did not
admire Casper Ducey.
She was silent q moment, standing
motionless as marble, staring into va
cancy, like one in g dream. Then the
pallor in her face gave place to hot,
angry flush, and her black eyes fash
ed as she answered, land this is
true ?" There was no denial, and she
went on: "Then he is dead to me. I
never wish to look upon his face again.
I want him to know how utterly I
scorn him after what has happened.
Give me pencil and bit of paper,
John; I will write q few lines for
him to read when he comes out of his
stupor. Then I wish you to take me
home
"You shall all hear it, she said
bravely. It is not love-letter.
She stood up in the midst of the
excited tbrong, whose eyes were all
fixed eagerly on her resolute little
face, and read what she had written:
Mr.. DucEy Il scorn and detest you'll
l never want to see you again!
FLORENCE CASTLE.
1t was brief, very concise; but it
answered Florry's purpose--it was to
the point. She bent over and drew
something from the breast-pocket of
his coat. 1t was small flask. Then
she rolled the paper up and thrust it
/ through dainty little ring which she
had slipped from her finger. Next
she drew the stopper, and, after en-
plying the contents upon the grass,
replaced it with the roll Of paper.
Then she put She flask back whore
she had found it.
'He will discover it there soonest"
size aaid, simply. "Colne, John, We
will go now"
The grove was deserted in few
minutes, and Casper Ducey, in his
! drunken slumber, was its sole occu-