The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-07
A WOMAN. AFTER ALL.

dhC Ou SiIbO iAANSNAS
Dorothy. / want to see youl
sweet little face without it."
Thou shouldst not speak so
Charles; it is wrong"
"Why, little Dorothy? Tell m,
why"
Thou knowest favor is deceitfu
and beauty vain. We ought t.,
bear testimony against the vanit,
of personal looks"
"Ought we? Then tell me why
it pleased providence to make you
so beautiful, my little cousin
Hush, Charles, 1 will not per
nit you to speak to me in this man
ner." and little Dorothy Hicks
the Quakeress, put on the graves
air and struggled valiantly to turn
the corners of her mouth dowi.
when they wanted to turn up.
"Don't look so serious, little girl
You positively alarm me-" Ano
Charles Maynard burst into a hearty
laugh that echoed through tn pop
lar trees in the old garden. "NoW
tell me, Dorothy-f insist upol
Snowing, as q member of your fam
lily, l consider / have q right to b.
informed-are you going to marry
6roadbrim?"
'Friend Ephraim is an estima
BILE man, Charles; thou must not
speak of him thus"
Look, Dorothy. There he is.
1 will quote no proverbs, but thu
rim of his hat just turned the cor
aer Us I spoke. Now don't look a,
if you intended to go back to the
aouse, for you are not going. ! Ii
tell you secret. When wa
lown to the river this morning J
.ound boat with tempting pan
of oars lying in it, and | made VI
my mind that Dorothy and he,
wicked, worldly cousin from the pop
uIous city of New York were goins
for row in that very boat thi
evening. 1t is neighbor Hancock
boat."
yes. But, Charles, I fear it is
my duty"
"No, it isn't. You know you
don't want to spend this lovely
evening in the house entertaining
Broadbrim, and you want to g,
with me and watch the sunset Oh
the river"
Dorothy looks doubtfully towaro
the house and wistfully toward th.
river.
"Femme qui hesite est perdue,
Dorothy said, which means ''if W,
don't hurry, Graycoat will come oul
and catch us y Charles takes Dor
othy's hand in his, and in a mo-
ment they are on their way to tht
sh lore.
"But, Charles, see that cloud il
the south. If there should be .
storm"
'sBut there will not; come, jump
in"
The oars were lifted into the oar
locks, Dorothy takes the manage
ment of the rudder in her hands
and soon they are gliding over th'
smooth surface of the water, leaving
a track of silvery bubbles behinl
them. tits a lovely evening. Th,
misty shadows OF twilight are gath
ering in the east and west, th'
clouds, blood-red and purple, ar
casting. rosy light all over th'
broad river; d fresh breeze blowing
round their faces, and waves splasl
against the sides of the boat, iik
low, monotonous music. Charles i
talking about his home, tellin:
Doroty about his aunts and cousin
The has not seen for long time
| and amusing her with stories of hi
college days, and his efforts to max
luis way in his profession, whicl
were SO unsuccessful at first. Nei-
ther Of them notices that the breez
grows fresher, and that the darl
cloud in the South has spread owe
1.-THE horizon, and is covering
with darkness.
Presently low, muttering grow
of thunder startles them from th
dream into which they had fallen.
ssTurn back, Charles, turn back !!
.>.snsl I1<x,xs% ~ sssk| Z, q <1v,,, 80.