The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-10-23
ssLoW,,BUF SURE.
,rr BY E. B. W

Gt} x E--
"How on earth, Simpson" said 1 the
other day to arura friend ofmine whom
I was visiting-"how on earth did q
backward, dif6dent fellow like you ever
manage to say, 'Will you? to a witty,
saucy, sef7poised woman Like your
Eife?"
Ireally was curiousto know. Simpson
was such slow, sedate person, and his
wife was such a little fredy, that there
always seemed to me something funnily
ncongruous in their union. '''''-'
Simpson made his usual deliberate
pause before answering. "WeI, l
reckon my friend is a Hoosier--"I
reckon it was queer I ever asked her,
and the way it happened was queerer
still"
We had carried onss chairs ont into
the front yard, msordersto smoke in
greater comfort and Inow 6lted mine
back against a tree, knowing that the
story that was brewing in my friends
mind would not. be over in hurry. l
condense ;t for the benefit of those
readers who may not have as much
leisure and patience as 1 had:
"You see," he began, slowly clearing
his throat and crossing his legs, II was
always rather soft-like about Susie, from
the time Iused to SIT by her i'm school
and work herssumss8 She hadn't.a par
ticle of head for figures, and I had, so
we suited pretty well as long as school
lasted; and Susie, though she laughed
at me more than any of the girls, liked
me little, too; for it isn't in human
nature not to like the person that works
your sums. I know, because that was
about all the way I had of making
friends, when I was. q boy, and made,a
good many.s But when our school days
were over most of them forgot, but.
Susie never did, She was the prettiestS
and most popular girl in the country,
and had no end of beaux, but she al
ways had, God bless her! as bright a
smile for slow Ben as any Of them. I
knew I wasn't as brisk and lively as the
best OF them, and when I saw that she
didn't make any difference, it went right
though and through me, and I'd have
died for her any minute ;;but j couldn't
tell her:so. Seemed like was;sslower'
and dumber with her than anybody else.
"For this reason didn't often call
on her or ask her company to parties
and the like; but when I did she was
always so kind and pleasant-like that
I was happy for month afterwards.
We'll, there. was a:party one night at
Squire Coon's; and, as it wasn't far,
and Susie would only have to be bored
with me- going and coming, Iasked her
to 60 with me, and she said Certainly
and smiled as if twas the greatest treat
in the world. lle sTat7 sy..sl az -.
"As the 'Sqr,ire's was only half mile
from Susie's home, and there was a
nicesdrya path through the woods, I'VE
walked. II. was about, the, middle Of
October, and the path we took was
heaped with dry leaves thatTntade q
pleasant rustic under our feet. a
watery moon and a slim turnout OF
starsgayel iustElights enough to- make
the tree trunks on eithersside zofEthe
path look like anything else but what
they were.
"The only remark I remember to
have made on the way to the 'Squires
was that it was going to rain before
morning, and that hoped it would. I
little thought how much reason Ihad'
ta ha.aA EEsSss4 ass3 AZ.
Il don't reconect Inucn ABOUT sne
party, except that I sat most of the time
in particular corner, and watched, ,Su-
sic as much as dared. 7 Taa /
When the party had broken up.
and We were starting home, I noticed
that the sky was gtlickly clouded and
the night dark. The Squire, who vas
sitting on the front porch smoking
late pipe, called after u.s.. Better stay
all night, Benjy. it's goin' to rain' 9But
Te thought not. When we gotinto the,
woods, however, we began to find out
that it was dark and no mistake. The
farther We went, the deeper became the
darkness. I knew the path we had to
follow, every crook and curseS; In ity /.
But the carpet of dead leaves bottle led
me. I had to stop two;or three fines,
and grope about on either side, o make
sure that I was in the right tr ack: and
the last time found I was not in it
and. what was worse, could MT find it.
Il kept up the search rs long as pos
sible, dreading to tell Susie of the stu
gid hlunder I had committed. But the