Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-05-25
THE SANDAL WOOD BASKET.

Soft, silky brown hair, with shifting
lights of gOld-eyes where the deep
wine-bright sparkles melted into black,
and fresh, youthful complexion, pink
and white, like mountain daisy--that
was Metella Hayes, sitting under the
old hazel copse shadows, where trails of
silver-blossOme clematis threw their
graceful tendrils from tree to tree, and
the scarlet lobelia blazed like torch
Of fire i'll the green gloom of the wood
land paths. And Ralph Midway, lean
ing with olded arms against the old
moss cnameled tree trunk, looked ut
her, secretly thinking that he had new
er seen so fair little creaturel
"What are you musing about so in,
tentlyp' asked Metella, suddenly glanc-
ing up, and desisting from her dreamy
occupation of tracing the shape of a
fallen leaf on the moss at her feet,
with her parasol end. Midway colored
and smiled.
81 cannot tell you jus; now, Mettie."
"And why notp'
"Oh--because--"
because is a woman's reason"
"And mans too, sometimes Oh,
Mettie, take care"
For a quick motion of her restless
hand, catching in the vine stems beside
her, broke from the slender wrist a lit
tie bracelet of carved sandal wood.
The perfumed bits of wood rolled all
about, and close to Medway's feet came
the pendant, a pair of tiny baskets
carved with oriental cunning.
"Never mind" said Mettie carelessly,
as he stopped to gather the fragments
at will never be good for anything
again, and l was tired of the old thing
long ago. Please don't trouble your.
self, Mr.. MedwayW
81 will not, then. But, Mettie
these fairy baskets, they are too pretty
to be thrown away. Come, let us bt
sentimental for once, and separate
them from their tiny ring. You shal
wear one and the other, a bond unit
ing our two hearts; and il | am evel
sick or in trouble. | will send the gage
to you, silent token thereof
"And if ever ! send mine to you p
laughed Metella, attaching the toy II
the watch chain at her throat.
81 will come, obedient to its sum
mons, if seas wider than the Pacific
mountains, loftier than the Sierra Ne
vada, separated us!'
Both spoke jestingly, yet an under
current of serious earnestness thrilled
in their voices.
"ls it a compact, Metella|
eyes, it is a compactp
"And now," said Ralph Midway
bending over her, with inexpressibl
tenderness in his mein, 81 will tell yo'
what l was thinking about, Mettie
for"
"Dear me-l hope haven't inter
rupted a tete q tete."
1t was Mrs. Pyle's voice, soft, silkel
and hollow, and Mrs. Pyle stood befor
them in her pretty widows cap, will
its fluttering streamers of white Grape
scarcely purer than her own waXen com
plexion.
"Shall go away?' she hazarded, IL
harming indecision.
go awayl Certainly not" said Met
tie, vexed at the bushes whose billOw.
scarlet she could feel creeping over he
face, and starting to her feet. "Why
it is almost six and | must get bacl
to the hotel, or mamma will think
am lost"
She sprang lightly to her feet, an,
hurried away through the long lines o
red sunset light that made rosy lad
der, streaming through the treetrunkS
while Mrs. Pyle looked deprecatlngl
up into Medway's face.
al have driven her away-and yo
will never forgive me-"
"Pray do not feel so conscience
stricken, Mrs. Pyle" he laughed.
"But she is so lovely, and it is 8
delightfully."- romantic ouS here. An
1 don't blame you for admiring her.
should admire her, il | were a mar
1 don't wonder she is engaged already
young as she is."
"EDgagedp
eyes; didn't you know il? To he
cousin, rich old bachelor in Nev
York. Mettie Hayes is just the gil
who would prefer being AN old man
darling to a young mans slave pal
ticularly if the matrimonial chain
were pretty well studded with Jewels.
al had not heard of it."
"NoP Well, l suppose NIettie didn
want the rumor to spoil the pleasure c
her summer here. Dear little MettiC
she is a bit of a flirt; and, after al
who can wonderP"
Honeyed words, underminding tn
happiness of two young lives-barbeC
cruel commonplaces, carrying the
sting straight home. If Mrs. Pyle ha
been a man, Ralph Midway woul
have knocked her down then and there
but she was bewitching little widow
.