The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-10-04
4 SOCIETY ITEM.


"Did We see the Cyclops Courier,
Miss Abigailpn queried old Simon
Sharpe, in quite fever of excite
ment.
He was leaning over the little green
painted gate, coatless and blue-shirted.
just beyond Miss Abigail Byrnes paused
in her task Of tying up heavy-hcaded
August roses tall, angular figure,
clad in II brown-and-white striped print
and big yellow sun-bonnet Very bony,
scant Of smiles and hard Of feature was
Miss Abigail, but gentle and generous
as a child's was the heart under the
ugly calico gown.
NO. she replied, Il haven't seen it
what's the newspn
He responded with counter question.
"You remember Roger Kearneyg'
.To be sure. He went to the city to
start big store. What Of himpn
'srhey be a-saying down at the Cor
ner that Just now when he had got his
big store built, stocked and flourishin',
he has gone and been burned clean out,
every yard Of silk-stuff and ivory but
tons.
He paused, hreathless.
Miss Abigail clasped her thin hands
and elevated her pale brows in dismay
mot at the peculiar English and curl
GUS rhetoric OF her narrator, but at the
startling information impaired. LANDS
sake5!'' she calculated. "You don't
say so!'
Simon nodded vigorously.
eyes, he affirmed, with the apparent
savage relish observable in even phleg-
matte natures when the misfortunes of
another is the subject of discussion,
'lost everything, they say! Hadn't no
insurance, neither. H'ain't saved a
spool o. thread. Not as much as hook,
eye nor darnin' needle left!''
Miss Abigail promptly tied the strings
Of her sunbonnet afresh and let down
hergowit, which had been pinned care
fully up. 'I'll just run over to Mrs.
Evans, /" she declared, ''and borrow the
Courier. She takes it. News don t
taste good at secondhand, anyhow
And she went.
Leaning out of picturesque, vine
wrcathed window up at the rambling,
white country house of which Miss Abi-
gail was mistress looked pretty Doro-
thy Stratton.g M an
where on earth is Aunt going?" she
asked herself bewilderedly as she caught
sight Of the tall. flying figure. '.Leav-
ing the roses only half tied up, too!''
But just then a stray sunbeam lit the
stone on Dorothy's finger to dazzling
flame. She forgot all about Miss abb
gals hurried exit as she turned it now
this way, now that, and ended by kiss
ing It in burst of rapture.
You dear, dear little ring!n she said.
1ou see 1t was quite novel to her vet
her engagement and her ring. 4.
This was only August. In May she
had not dreamed of the existence of
such person as Mr.. Paul Carlisle.
lie had come down to- Blue-Berry
hlll IN June, a popular and successful
young sculptor, seeking rest, isolation
and country quiet. And the very first
thing he did-he who could have chosen
last season from half % dozen brilliant
society belles-was TO fall head over
ears IN love with Dorothy Stratton.
She captured his erratic artistic fan
cy, and she pleased his instructive sense
Of refinement.
She was so 1.-THE and graceful, with
such round marvellous curves of throat
and arms. And she held her small.
s,ioe-black head with such charming
dignity. And what could be more win
some than the face with its clear, color
less skin and liquid gray ewes, and
crimson mouth? 80 .4,-e-g4
just how June and July passed
neither Of these happy. foolish young
people could have hIeidly explained.
ana the precise manner in which he
naa spoken at last, 1.-The shy confusion of
ner answer, the parting with regrets,
nppes, love nnutterable. was still d mere
mystic enhancing, delicious remem-
But there was the ring, glittering,
tangible reality. So what wonder Doro-
my turnedsit up and down, and under
heart? lssSN ~
Over At Mrs Evans Miss Abigail sat.
her sunbonnct united and pushed back
on her head, her spectacless perched on
her aeeommodatingly rigid nose, deep
IN ne perllsal Of the Cyclops Courier. I
leo bad, eh?'h queried Mrs. Evans,
prlskly topping gooseberries. -
Yes" " assenfed Miss Abigail, ssafter
,h..5 az ms years of saying-eh.a what !
what ; iThat?' asked Mrs. Evans,
Startled at her guests tone. She was
staring straight at the sheet she held,
nef eyes very troubled and her mouth
grinllyset IS
Dear, dear, Miss Byrneslu exclaimed
niIs. Evans, in feeble alarm, '.do telll''
put her visitor made no reply, only
Fonse0 herself with an effort, tied her