The daily gazette., 1880-02-07
Fought .WttAI Her O,on Weapon
fFDEF W
ByM. D.

sInY yebas3ssg Byw. b. e.aas
| She was lovely little girl, possess
ing petite form, with dark hair band
ed back in massive, shining braid
from q classically face, am
slne-black eyes, that were usually lum
inous with misehieyous mirth. -,
| But all ! how I loved her, and how
many heartaehes 1 endured frop hel
love Of coquetry "a 81 -,
A., Verify, / believe the, spirit of mis-
chief reigns supreme in jetty eyes and
midnight tresses. fa .gt
met her first at, the house of'a mu.
tual friend, where we were both visit
ing during the sultry August days; but
we were not the only guests, for the
house WAS filed, almost to overlooking,
with merry company, who made the
spacious old mansion rign again with
their gay laughter and witty rapartee.
! Annie Sheldon. the bewitching little
lady whom / have attempted to de-
scribe, was in no wise behindhand in
contributing her share to ward the gen
eral amusement. tA
I When the shouts of laughter were
the merriest, and 4he applause the
loudest, they were generally called
forth by some dry drollery or apropos
retort of hers. l..,'.I..-,- "
The house of our mutual hostess
was not of the most modern build, for
1t had been the home of her family for
generations, and she felt sort of low
ing pride in keeping it unaltered but,
M Arf II al 4 Il. l.
stantial, and bore about it an unmis-
taxable air Of cheerfulness and com.
fort.
In front of the house spread a broad,
grassy lawn, dotted here and there by
a mound of brilliant-hued flowers, or q
rustic urn filed with emerald moses
and graceful clinging ivy. 4.
And here was the croquet ground,
and here for hours, daily, Twas chain
ed, together with my hapless brothers
in misfortune, while the young ladies
amused themselves by driving the balls
about in the most heartless manner,
totally regardless of what old g Esop"
30 wisely observes, 'Let play be play
to all concerned" - N
Annie, as if to aggravate me, invar4
iably ranged herself on the side Of my
opponents, and appe ar I'd to take a ma
licious pleasure in my evident annoy
ance thereat.
After an unusually vicious stroke,
which would send my unlucky ball fyri
ing to the furthermost extremity OF
the ground, she would watch me with
a merry twinkle in her eyes as, under
the scorching August sun, l industri-
ously loitered after it and replaced it
within the limits, though often, must
acknowledge, with flushed face and
an irrepressible feeling of irritation.
Her side invariably won the game,
for she was a good player and perfect
ly at her ease while /, though usnal-
ly considerhd fine player also, could
never make respectable stroke with
her dark eyes bent upon me, rendering
me nervous to the last degree.
. Then. when she had triumphed, she
would assume bewitching air of re-
gret and penitence, and making her
self so agreeable, that could not help
forgiving the girl, and finding myself
more hopelessly in love than ever.
But it was not only in the game of
croquet that she delighted to tantalize
me- alt
No, it was always so did we go for
a ride over the blue hills before break
fast, she would contrive that it should
fall to my lot to escort some other lady,
a short distance behind her, that |
might the better witness and appre-
ciate her desperate fiirtations with her
cavalier, while occasionally
she would dart an arch glance back at
me, as if to say, "You see / am not
quite caught yet, SIR"
And if we made up party to go
rowing on the bright river which
bounded, on one side, the grounds of
our hostess, and by any chance was
so fortunate as to secure her as com
panion, she would lean listlessly and ST.
lently back in one end of the boat, and,
her white hand in the water,
watch me furtively from beneath her
dusky eyelashes; but to all my at
tempts at conversation reply in dis
monosyllables.
But Notwithstanding her strange, al |
most unaccountable behaviour, there |
were times when she greeted my ap-
proach with smiles, and was so affable |
and charming that | knew it was no
dislike to myself which inhu- |
enced her, but only an inordinate love
Of mischief and coquetry.
However, matters could not continue |
in this way for ever.
What with her numberless flirtations !
and caprices was becoming desperate;
80, loving her as did, determined to |
win her at all hazards, and also, if pos
sible, cure her of her terrible propen-
sity for flirting for / knew that how
aver much l might be attached to, her,
could never be really happy with
Iiirt as my wife.
decided to try her first with her
own weapon, Irritation, and at, once
became quite cool and distant in my
to her, and very assidu-
1us III my attentions to Jennie Benson,
\ blue-eyed, golden-haired little
beauty, and most consummate fiirt,
who met my advances fully half way.
Annie did not seem to be pleased at
'he loss of her would-be devoted cava-
ier. II
l noticed that she did not appear