The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-24
nish her dinner with tolerable com.

finish her dinner with tolerable COM
posure.
When the hour arrived for starting for
the picnic the next day, Miss Horton,
knowing that Lieutenant Lacy would be
likely to be there, longed to decline
going, but she was ashamed to show any
feeling upon the subject; and accord
ingly started off in the buggy with
Charley in apparently high spirits. The
company went in vehicles of all descrip-
tions. Annie took her Sunday school
class in the "Y onker wagon the carriage
not being large enough to contain them
all Upon the road Isabel and Charley
4 passed another buggy, driven by Lieuten-
ant Lacy, with Miss Boyd at his side.
Isabel was yexed. at herself for blushing
as she returned his bow, and yexed at
him for the CLEAN of triumph she de-
tected, or fancied she detected, in his
eye. The result was a degree of stateli-
ness in her manner throughout the
morning, which rendered her perfectly
unapproachable, as the village beaux de-
clared, after various fruitless attempts at
making themselves agreeable to her.
The picnic ground was in a grove, sit
! uated at the junction of a pretty brook
famous for trout; further up its course
with the :Pond," a beautiful little sheet
of water, whose smooth surface lglittered
like silver in the unclouded sunshine OF
this summer day Many of the gentle
men had brought fishing rods with
them, and in theFcourse Of the morning
it was proposed to make up a party to
follow up fhe brook in search Of trout,
which fn case they were SO fortunate as.
to catch any were to be cooked for din
ner. The knot of young people planning
the excursion were all talking at once,
and making a perfect Babel with their
voices, when Katy Lee came up and in
quired the subject Of the debate. n
-"We're going fishing" was the answer
given by half dozen. Won't you go
with us?"
II can't. My scholars are all little
ones, and must look after them but
do invite Miss Horton, she is stranger
here, and we ought to do all in our
power to make her visit pleasant to her"
"Invite my Lady Disdainn" exclaimed
Lieutenant Lacy. "Well, if she is. to be
of the party, 1 shall send my compli-
ments and regrets, for of all the naughty,
self-sufficient women it's been my mis-
fortune to meet in this mundane sphere,
she is the most disagreeable."
An awful hush fell upon all around, as
he ceased speaking and Miss Horton,
who had been kneeling unpacking a
basket, and thus been overlooked, rose,
and with a low, ''Thank you," glided
through the dismayed group, and out of
sight among the trees before a word Of
apology could be offered. ... ~ .
Robert Lacy could have bitten his.
own tongue off as he recalled his hasty.
words. He regretted having. allowed
himself to speak in such terms of lady,
even more than having been overheard
by the lady in question. He saw, too,
that he was now down, and Miss Horton
up, in the game of "see-saw" they seemed
fated to play with each other, and his
feelings, as he shouldered his fishing rod
and walked off toward the brook with
Lizzie Boyd, were none Of the most en-
viable. 't
Isabel, on the contrary, was highly
elated at being once more in the ascena
dency, and resolved by no word or deed
to lose the advantage she had gained. |
She was very fond of children, and soon
won the hearts of the little folks by the
energy with WHICH she devoted herself
to their entertainment. She gathered |
wild flowers with them, swung them,
and ran races with them ; played "oats,
peas, beans" and "Uncle John is very
sick" until they were tired, and then
gathered them around her and told |
them fairy stories that held them SPELL
bound. -.N..& .~ l. /
When the fishers returned, hot, tired,Sl
and unsuccessful, they found her sitting
under tree, with sprays of elder bios
SONS in her hair, singing the "Mistletoe |
Bough," to an eagerly attentive audience,
one of whom, a little golden haired |
child, was nesting in her arms. AS
Lieutenant Lacy's eye caught the pretty