St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-04-20
N ANNIE.

lust when or how it came to be under
stood between my partner, John Still
man, and myself, that I 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. StilIman 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 busi~
ness, rich men both. some five years be-
fore, and corresponded regularly. But
I had been abroad, and this was my
first visit to Owls Corner in ten years.
I remembered Mamie as a romping
child, fond of swinging on the gates,
climbing up grape-arbors and imperiling
her neck fifty times day, John always
saying on each occasion:
"She's little wild, but she'll get over
that
WAITED at the station for half an hour,
then, seeing no sign of John, | started to
walk home. It was midday, and fearfully
hot, and, when 1 had accomplished half
the distance, l turned off the road and
started through grove that gave me a
longer walk, but thick shade. I was
resting there on broad stone, COM
pletely hidden by the bushes on every
side, when 1 heard Johns voice:
"Where have you been?'
There was such dismay; 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 a 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 voice as clear and musical as a
chime of bells. "Don't come near me-"
"You are enough to wear a man into
his gravel"
There, don't scold," was the coaxing
reply; "little Bob Ryan fell il face
down. It did not make any material
difference in his costume, but I was afraid
he would smother, SO I waded in after
him. The water is not over two feet
deep, hut the mud goes clear through to
China, I imagine. It is rather a pity
about my new dress, isn't it ?"
IA pity!" roared John; you'll come
to an untimely end some day with your
freaks. As if there was nobody to pick
little brat out of the duck pond but
you'll" ..s.-..
"There actually was nobody else about.
There, now, don't be angry. I'll go 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 2:10."
And I had come on the 1910. This
accounted for the failure to meet me. I
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 /, in my turn, reached the
house, Jehn was ON the porch waiting
for Nannie's reappearance. he gave me
a most cordial welcome. or rather
luncheon, called Mamie, his mother,
and man to 60 for my trunk, all in one
breath, and seemed really rejoiced to zee
me. .s..~ .-~s..fs. .. sd
Presently slender girl with truly
/" bewitching" white dress trimmed with
dashes of scarlet ribbon, and smoothly
braided black hair, tied with scarlet
bows, came demurely into the room and
was introduced. Never, however, in
that first hour, could the widest imagi-
nation have pictured Mamie stillman
Wading into duck pond. But the halt
shy, half-dignifed company manner soon
wore away, and Mamie and were fast
friends before dinner. She sang for me
in voice as deiciously fresh as birds
carol she took me to see her pets. the
new horse that was her last birthday Gift
from papa" the ugly little Scotch ter
rier with the beautiful brown eyes, the
rabbits, Guinea hens, and the superan-
nuated old pony, who had preceded the
new horse.
In week was as much in love as
ever John could have desired. Mamie
was the most hewitching maiden I had
ever met, childlike and yet womanly.
frank, bright and full of girliah freaks
and boyish mischief, and yet well