The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-24

"Well, it seems there's no help for
me-" sighed the young man with help
less resignation. EPm at your mercy
help yourselves"
Give us your penknife, and we will, Z
said Lizzie Boyd, taking him at his
word.
| With;a laugh and shrug of his broad
shoulders he placed his knife in her
hand, and Miss Lizzie proceeded to busi-
ness.
(Which will you have, Annie ?"
aOh, the one nearest his heart, OF
course"
Miss Boyd audaciously siezed a button
on the left breast of his coat, skillfnlly
severed it from the broadcloth and at
tackled another.
| The nonsense was at its height when
Ro1ert Lacy chanced to look up from
the bevy of girls by which he was sur
rounded, and encountered a flash Of uT-
mitigated scorn from the dark eyes Of
Miss Horton, who stood talking with
Judge Lee, at the upper end of the
room. Till that moment it had not oe-
Cured to him how absurd such trifing
must seem to a spectator and stranger,
and his own lip curled involuntarily as
he said to himself, "What a fool I am
making Of myself I don't wonder she
sneers. Suppose she thinks me a con-
founded puppy" / "
The result of this mental soliloquy
was an attempt at releasing himself from
the fair hands so mercilessly robbing
him. This, however, was no easy mat
ter, and it was late in the evening when,
after promising Lizzie Boyd to spend
the next evening with her, and Annie
Adams to "call in the morning and make
the acquaintance of cousin Isabel" he
found himself alone for moment IN the
conservatory. He stood in the shade of a
large orange tree, just inside the door,
when Miss Horton, again with her
cousin Charley, approached it slowly,
and. he heard Charley say:
Il see Bob Lacy has escaped from the
girls for wonder. I'll hunt him up and
introduce him if you like" =. .
Don't please" was the answer. "I'm
not prepared to fall down and worship
his buttons. so l should find no favor in
his eyes. Oh, that such insuferable
conceit should wear the guise Of patriot
ISM" And as she spoke her eyes fell
upon the subject of her remark, who,
having no desire to hear himself dis
cussed at further length, passed out of
the conservatory with nod to Charley,
and glance at her flushed cheeks.
He had heard each word distinctly,
and was inwardly raging, while with
courteous smiles he took leave of his
hostess. eff there's any expression l
hate to see upon womans face"
thought he on his walk homeward, otis
a scornful one. None of your pepper
boxes for me. 1 wish hadn't prom
ised Annie Adams to call there to-mor-
row. I'll 60 though, just to show my
Lady Disdain' how little I care for her
contempt
He did care, however. He had never
before been so deeply mortified. He was
indignant, too, at having. his. patriotism
called into question, for his love Of coun-
try was genuine. Lieutenant Lacy went
to sleep that night with the conviction
that Miss Horton was the most thor
oughly disagreeable girl that he had ever
seen.
The next morning was as lovely as
June mornings are apt to be, and Annie
Adams and her cousin Isabel enjoyed its
beauties out of doors. There was to be
Sunday school picnic the following
day, and the girls had promised to make
bouquets and wreaths for the tables
they accordingly pressed Charley into
service, and while Mrs. Adams was in
the kitchen intent upon the manufac-
ture of good things, the young people
were in the garden loading themselves
with flowers When the girls aprons
and Cha. ley's basket were filled to over
flowing, they repaired to the side piazza
and commenced work ''in good earnest"
as Annie expressed it. Which were
flying most rapidly, tongues or, fingers,
it would be hard to say, when they were
startled by peal at the door bell fol-
lowed by. summons to the parlor to see