The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-10

/ curry concerning her niece. MISS liatght went
| as near d white lie as. her conscience would
permit, and pretended to believe that Madge
\ had gone out. II meantDttt OF the rooui," she
told her conscience afterwards, when that re-
| lnorselsss monitor reminded her OF what she
| had said
| Miss Laight and Walter Montgomery speed
| lily became friends, but the genbleman fet that
| his progress In making acquaintance with the
niece Was exceedingly slow much slower than
| masculine nature could be content with,
where any feminine oIjeet SO very pretty and
| elegant, was concerned! -
| The neighbUrh0Ua was outlet one, still beo-
| pie had their amusements, small entertain
nents, picnics, excursions and the like, and
was charming, and Miss Rotfisay's visits were
always signal for Festivities. The magnates
at once took possession of Waiter Montgom-
cry. They knew g I, about him, as people al
and the freedom Of the corporation ct The. Sc
lect was presented to him without delay. But
successful as he was In, winning golden opin-
ions, asked speedily. to regard himself as
Especially those which contained marriage
able daughters). end made much OF generally,
| Miss Rothsay kept him upon an Ice Of distant
courtesy which would have frozen his blood,
only that it reused him ho such pitch OF irri-
tatfon 1t kept evshy drop In his veins up to
boiling heat;
| OF course they met constantly. Madge was
always the her5ihe when she appeared In the
neigtiibUt uoa, ard The dignitaries chose to
elevate Montgomery TO the position OF hero or
ie,tne premier. But 1t was evident there was
| to be no romance between the pair. Every
body was 50 accustomed 10 acknowledge
Madge's supremacy that even the young
ladies would not have dreamed of complain
Ing had she takeil possession of thehew conner,
and 1T speaks VOLUMES In favor OF those young
| women they admired Madge SO hugely that
1t would have seemed TO them the most nat
ural thing y the world that the handsome
heart. ct cetera at Madge's feet, and she accept
| the Gift.
| Nothing Of the sort happened. Madge
treated Mr.. Montgomery as II she had been a
| lands who had strayed into her kingdom with
credentials to perfect, that she was bound to
treat him courteously; though she found 1t
| rather q bore.
But destiny did not propose TO allow Miss
Rothsay to punish Walter Montgomery too
| far or too long, for ttat which had been NO
! fault OF his. gA ~4
The voting lady had been out for solitary
walk one afternoon, aud seen fit to desert the
| highway, and return by some fields which she
knew possessed stiles and gates, that would
| render the passage easy enough, Unfurtufl-
ately Farmer Feverells black bull had chosen
! that very day fol- prDtnenade, and had Sc
lecteti the exact route Madge took. only Ia the
proper pasture, and finding himself. free, saw
lit to 60 mad. and dash recklessly at any OBJ
ieet he heheld, as Tito bis eyes everything from
stump to sheep looked like red rag,
SO as Malge approached FROM one quarter
quoting Tennyson for what know, they say
| young women do SO, though heaven forbid
that [ should have to listen the bull came
tearing down the hill which she was about to
thing, top at all events, he made great
noise Madge and the bull caught sight Of
each other at the same instant. Madge gave
one scream, and the bull one below; then they
both stood STILL Madge, because she was too
frightened to stir, and the bull. perhaps de-
Gliding whether he should most enjoy tramp
ling her under his hoofs, or tossing her on
his horns, which looked as big as young trees
to Maage's terrified gaze.
Then, from third point in the compass,
appeared god e.r n,dchifo, no less than Mr.
Walter Montgomery, with a tolor-hoS under
his arm, and great white sketching UNI
brella, as large as half-grown tent, over his
shoulder. ..E..,..@..&
ran, SO frightened, that she neither recognized
him nor his voice-had just sense enough left
to do as she was hidden
But she was too blind to know which way
she ran, and she got nowhere near the style
She climbed rail fence with as much agility
as If she had been an acrobat end 4 really
beg your pardon, but | cannot omit facts
there was display OF such pretty ankles that
it was pity Mr.. Montgomery. should have
been too much occupied with the bull to notice
them.
When Madgn found herself on the other
side OF the fence. she got her courage back
and was furious with herself for having beer
so alarmed. Mr.. Montgomery suddenly
opened the great white umbrella In the bulls
face, and the. animal, with one. ear-piercinIe
below, turned tail and scarnpered off with the
speed, If not with the grace OF deer.
There is nothing which tefrifes man o,
beast like the unknown, and Madge's enemy
being t1nacui1aiuted with umbrellas. was as
Id nj
| would be il the sun were to set at MONDAY
With the lack of generosity common to NOR
tails, Mr.. Montgomery paused an instant t.
smile at the ridiculous figure presented by his
vanauishea combatant then he crossed the
fields and jumped the fence in his turn.
Madge saw him coming. and tried with al
her might and main to look composed, but she
felt miserably conscious that the attempt was
less successful than her vanity could have
wished.
II hope you are not hurt, !" he said; ,,.
rather have been-I feel like an idiot to have
had, such q fright for nothing
Scarcely for nothing, | think he said
smiling little at her pettish manner.
"There certainly would have been reason
enough II you had not good naturally comt
to my rescue, she answered, tec0letting that
the least she could do was to show some signs
of gratitude for his prompt assistance. ri
| ain very much obliged to you
ITO my umbrella, YOU mean," he interrupt
ed, gayly lam awfully afraid of bulls MY
self but I have so often tried that umbrella
dodge with animals that [ knew what the
effect would be-
II shall never go into field again without
being armed with the hugest one the land cal
supply" returned Madge, with rather dis
NAL effort at initiating his gayety
He laughed and she tried to laugh likewise
but suspiciously hysterieal sob in her voice
struck his ear, and he perceived that she, still
looked very breathless and pale
'Yo must sit down and rest for few mo
ments, he said, with certain calm authority
in his tone. which, at g more collected mo
ment. you'd have reused Madge's ire, but just
now slR could not be angry, or indeed find en-
ergy to offer the slightest opposition
He gave her his hand rather took pos
session Of hers-and quietly seated her on d
green hillock with her back against tree.
How must have run, said Madge, begin.
ming to feel in q less excited and more natural
state ofsnind and body, so that TESTING grew
easier. Fl think | must have been an excel
lent model for modern Atalanta'
He was careful not to laugh too heartily
and wise enough to say:
RI was SO much occupied with the bull that
| could not look. The first I saw of you, you