The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-10-23
PEKASSET GOSSIP.

PEKASSET GOS%RP.
"Why don't he come - said Lillian
Bourne, peeping earnestly between the
coughs of the monster lilac-bush who's,
purple plumes waived to AMI fro in tho
evening breeze. 6 Oh, why don't he
come! | can't possibly he mistaken.
He said on Tuesday evening at seven.
and it's twenty minutes past, by grand
fathers big clock; and oh, dear" with
sigh that stirred the bunch of rausie~
pinned on her lift shoulder, there i~n' t
a soul in sight -
BY all the signs aud symptoms, Lii
lian's little pink ear should have burned
that evening, for they were ali talking
about her at Miss I.orin,ia La' KIN "a
party in Dover street.
"Oh, shes a horn c"4,o'to," :" said
Miss Lorinda. "'Two lun1~ Of sugar id
YOU say, or one, Betsy: Young? She
can't help IT, 1t, in h,r nature. N,n't
yon remember, Mrs. PcpperticIl, whit a
tiirt her mother was before her: But
she'll never play last and loose with Gil
bert Dawson again-that I'll 90 bail :"
"Oh, do tell us all about it, Miss Lar
kins '" said the Widow Peabody. with
her mouth full of chicken salad.
"We ell, if YOU won't repeat it
"Repeat it. We. Never. So long
as we live was the reply that went
around the tea-tabe in one accent.
"Of course" added Miss Lorinda, cit 5
all quite private and confidential, between
ourselves. But it was at the Medburv' :
party. What business the Medburys
have to give parties, with bought ice
cream and two violins and a harp, don't
know. Every one is perfectly aware that
there's a mortgage on the place and that
her drcss-maker's bill amt paid But
that ain neither here nor there | was
there, in my dyed green gown trimmed
with Aunt Liddy's old English lace, and
was alookin' at the big orange tre" in
the conservatory-that' another of Mrs.
Medbury's sinful extravaganc"s-when |
see Lily Bourne in her whit frock, Oh the
other side of the bank Of flowers, a-gig-
Cling and awhisperin' with Squire Ruins
Darling"
"My.." calculated the other adics,
with open mouths.
And up came Mrs Mcibury all in a
smile-she smiles twice as often a. before.
since she got them new false teeth and
whispers in her ear. And says Lily, out
loud, says she. "Oh. cant! I'm en-
gagged to Mr.. Darling -
"No,'' cried Mrs. Peppertield
81 heard it with these very ears sol
emny answered Miss Lorinda
Engagedr' shrieked Mrs. Young.
whose own dimpled niece was even then
laying siege to Mr.. Darling's adamantinc
heart
Engaged" :" repeated Miss Lorinda
Larkins.
"And she keeping company with Gill
bert Dawson ~ exclaimed the widow
Peabody, breathlessly.
81 But she won't never tri1e with him
no MORE" added Miss Lorinda, with ILL.,
disguised exultation. " for | met Gilbert
Yesterday afternoon, and | asked him
about his mothers rheumatism, and what
the New York doctor said about it; and
he never took no notice of my question.
You know that absent way young men
have when they're in love. Excuse me,
Miss Larkins,' say he, bat I'm little
in a hurry a-lookin' right over the top
of my head, as if | wasn't ther" at all
If you're goin to Miss Bourne'S, says l.,
there amt no such terrible hurry. Says
he what do you mean:' And he looked
at me sharp enough this time. llain't
you heard ? She's engaged to Squire
Darlng,' says l. And says be, 1t can't
be possible Saws |. Il heered it from
her own lips and all Pckasset's taikin'
about it, saws l. The idea Of a young
creeter like that sellin' herself for money
and fine house. For everybody knows,
says |, that that's all that Rufe Darling's
got to recommend him; and he's Old
emo Ugh to be her father into the bargain,
says l. And he inst turned his horse and
kerridge around, without ever having the
politeness to say good-by,' and druv' off
like Jehu in the opposite direction"
"YouDg men amt accountable when
they're in love-" sighed Miss Polonia
Johnson, who was suspected OF being the
poetess who wrote several love sonnets in
the Pekasset Weekly Oracle.
"I amt one that NEEDLES with other
folks affairs" said Miss Lorinda, vi
ciously biting off a piece Of soda biscuit
and butter; but | shall never encourage
nlrtlng WIN any man, WhIie YOU re ell
gagged to another. It's clean ag'in my
principles :"
And before the next days sun had set,
everybody in Pekasret knew all about
Miss Bourne's engagement to Squire Ru-
fus Darling.
"Don't mind it, Gilbert" said old Mrs
Dawson. "Do not let girls silly ca
prices break your heart"
He lay on the sofa in the pretty little
keeping room," where the floor was car
peted with blue, because blue was Lillian
Bourne's favorite color, and the walls
were papered with punches of white and
gold lilies, because the lily was her name
flower.
Fringes of pale mignonette hung on
the window boxes, and a canary chirped
Qleefully in the sunshine; for Gilbert had