The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-06-03
rERs1s rEYTos,s PLOT.


There were very active preparations
going on in Judge Peyton's country man.
sion; all was hustle and stir, for there
was to be grand party there that even
ing. Servants were going to and fro
with nimble feet, and the necessary con-
fusion reigned which is engendered by
sweeping, dusting, cleaning silver, and
securing everything, from the door,
knobs to the silver spoons, but above all
the din might be heard the judges harsh
voice.
..Persis Peyton, it is no use talking!
you must and shall stop receiving the
attentions of that good ras-
cally, cowardly. drinking Dunlap! Stop,
I say! do you understand ?"
'tBut uncle, his people are among the
most respectable in"
ellis people are not he, and he is not
his people! I am sorry for his fathers
sake; but he never had the right kind OF
training; don't remember when he was
a little shaver, not more than so high,
how he used to steal my favorite Con-
cords before they were ripe, and plug my
watermelons when they were green? If
I'd caught him I would have given him
thrashing that would have been the
lAk1uR VI Oub l. u4AA fsha OoAA
sequently he has gone from bad to worse,
till he is no fit associate for q niece of
mine; and once for all, I will not allow
him, after this evening, to set foot in my
house! If he does, I'll-I1l-" and here
the Judge stopped for want of breath,
and proceeded to wipe his face with an
enormous crimson kerchief which really
looked like light tint of red when
fxy< <1a do Af
which the perspiration was pouring.
Persis. ST shall have to be careful
evening"" And with the persistency OF
her lover whenever an opportunity
offered and her uncle was not by. "All
old people are apposed to anything like
courtship among the younger ones, and
seem to forget their own youthful days,
brought-a few college chums home with
him who are little gayer than the clod
hoppers about here, uncle thinks they
a list mentally of Dicks qualities and
good looks, not dreaming that she was
dwelling only on the roseate and not or
tuo leHueH poiutS VI hlcudIu Ouulap
character.
Every day hath its end, and this one
did not prove an exception to the gen
eral rule. Evening came, and with il
the guests, who thronged the grand old
mansion. Persis enjoyed herself to the
utmost; what young girl with any claims
to good looks, and possessed of the
buoyant spirits that always accompany
perfect health and youth, would not bei
The evening seemed to be passing off tc
entire satisfaction of everybody, until
being in. the dressing-room in the latter
part of the evening, she heard some one
on the veranda just outside the window
saying:
Trevor; she is as transparent as are the
rest of them; without any egotism, ]
might say she was perfectly infatuated
with me; just carried away, my dear fel.
low!' and as he spoke he gave such q
slap on Trevor's shoulders that they
must certainly have given way had they
not been especially firm. s'I'Il tell you
what, though, boys, I will give sort OF
private rehearsal fer your especial bene.
fit, and You shall see for yourselves. ]
can assure you it will be quite as inter-
esting as the first act or SO to any play,
and the announcement will be stunning
and ought to bring down applause from
any house, or as in this instance, from
the trees"
ssWhat do you mean, Dick? I never
was good at guessing my examples,
to say nothing of enigmas," said Jack
Trevor.
''Well, then, in plain English, have
arranged an interview with Miss Peyton,
to take place in the arbor just as the last
Lancers are forming. I chose the arbor
as it is SO shaded with trees, shrubs and
vines as to furnish a complete hiding
place for you boys"
"Oh, ah! that's what you mean, is it?
Rather hard on girl, but I don't know
that have any objection to caves
dropping if the rest have not" said
Trevor.
II second the motion, was echoed in
bass by several others.
''What is the subject to be, Dunlap?
First elements of love? Modern young
lady, or what?"
"Oh, anything you choose. The sub
ject will be varied. You should have
seen her blush, though, when pro-
posed an interview. She thinks mean
to propose; all but that! A halter don
suit me unless it is studded with more
money than old Peyton has. She's a
pretty girl, though, to pass a few idle
hours with, and it is so deucedly dull in
the country here"
Persis sat but moment inactive; in
another she was on her feet, and in
stinctively she turned to that womanly
consolation, the mirror; but she drew
back; the reflection did not look like
Persis; the color was all faded from her
cheeks; there were dark circles beneath
her eyes, and hard lines about the
mouth.
s'Did blush? Was I foolish enough
to let that vile apology of man see that
I cared for him? Yes, yesl I see it all
nowl So there is to be farce, and you,
Miss Persis, are to be the star. are you?''
she said to the figure in the glass. But
why shouldn't Mr.. Dunlap be the prin-
cipal actor, and the one to bring down
applause from the trees? Surely the
author of such nefarious scheme should
be much better actor than trans
parent girl like you'll Let me think; the
denouement must be stunning to satisfy
Mr.. Dunlap's fastidions taste. Yes.
Well, / think I have it. ] think the
audience will be satisfied"
A few moments later, and she was
vending her way to the servants hall.
"Why, honey, where's ye gwine?' said
a rather thick voice. as Persis ran
against trim looking mulatto girl.
"Oh, Hannah, is that you? You are
the very one want to see. You know
those coral earrings of mine Won liked