Daily Republican., 1884-04-24
LITTLE MISS BETTY,
by ALFRED YOUEGE.

by ALFRED YoUNGE.
They called her the old maid of th'
family.
All of her sisters were married there
were three Of them.
And they all married well.
Belle married old Judge litcarn
Lucetta b.came Mrs. Doctor Lefferts
and Pauline bestowed her dowerlesl
loveliness upon the merchant.prince
Trotter Bogg, ESD.
So the three girls were out of thu
way, well out OF tho way.
They had all espoused dignity and
position, more or less relieved by
But not one of the three husband.
had been a Romeo they all loved theil
beautiful wives and you may take my
word for it that there we're not fOuI
more beautiful girls in all the land
than the four daughters Of Farmer
Thorn, loved then with more or less
according to their natures.
But not one of the martial trio was
either young or good looking.
Little Betty thought them over with
> shudder.
Judge Pitcarn was every day OF
seventy, very much respected and quite
Doctor Lefferts had seen hall
. century at the very least, and had
pitched his tent in a sick]y neighbor-
hood, which yielded him a handsome
income, while Trotter Bogg, who was
In the neighborhood of forty-five, was
q fright to look at with his puffy-red
face, but was as rich as CrGsus.
There they were and holy show
they were, as dashing Tom Edmunds
whispered to Betty.
Now, Betty was heels over head In
love with Tom, but he had the repu
tation Of being "ne'er.do-well," and
though he had distant prospects OF in
heriting his Uncle Edmunds' property,
If he behaved himself, the prospect
was alarmingly distant since the colonel
was hale and hearty and enjoyed life tc
the full.
He was fond of Betty, too, and paid
her marked attention upon every occa
sion.
Now, Tom was handsome as Adonis,
md ten thousand times more fasci-
mating than that pusillanimous young
chap.
His love for Betty Thorn was his one
trait, and women who had
no axes TO grind were wont to say that
if he married Betty she would make a
nan Of him.
But Farmer Thorn and his good wife
mad no idea of suhjecting their little
girl to any such risk, and sternly set
heir faces against poor Tom.
They were scarcely decent to him If
he came to the house, while he fairly
lte up his bachelor uncle, the colonel,
f ever they got hold Of him.
"They want me TO marry an old
man, too," thought Miss Betty, indig-
lantly; "but | never will. If can't
nave Tom, I'll live and die an old
maid !"
So she stole her meetings with Tom,
md consequently felt very happy and
,orrespondlngly guilty.
Matters had advanced thus far when
suddenly it became noised abroad that
Colonel Edmunds was about to send
lis scapegrace nephew out into the far
w est to seek his fortune.
Poor Betty mentally declared that
she should never survive the sepa-
.ation.
And when she met Tom for the first
lime after hearing the calamitous news,
she cried
"Oh, Tom, is it true ?"
els what true, dear ?"
"'That you are going out West ?"
Yes, it is true
She commenced to sob hysterically,
and taking her in his arms he essayed
to soothe her.
"Then you do love me, darling?" he
lsked, tenderly.
"No, don't say l love you," was
he choking reply, "but, oh, dear me,
don't know what l shall do without
7ou!"
Handsome Tom smiled in spite of the
oad that weighed upon his heart.
"Why not run away with me,
larling 2" he suggested.
care you going to run away? she
lsked, in surprise.
"Well, no, not alone; but would
'un to the ends of the earth If you
would run with me-
"That would break my mothers
,eart, Tom, dear"
Would it"
dyes"
"And you don't care to be respon-
'ible for such a fracture on my ac'
ooh, you bad, hateful fellow! I
lon't like you one bit, so there'
This pertinent conversation took
,lace under the twinkling stars, on the
asst night of Toms stay at home.
The following day Betty was sitting
n her room in highly hysterical con.
lition, trying to calm herself for the
earful ordeal of the final farewell,
when the Edmunds' family carriage
lrew up before the farmhouse and the
,allant colonel alighted.
Mrs. Thorn came flying up to her
laughter. :,
"Betty," she said, in an excited
the colonel is down stairs
md wants to see you. Tom has gone
"Tom gone gasped the girl
eyes, l think the colonel only waited
until he got that boy out of the way to
come and offer himself to you,"
" Mother p
81 mean it. You will see '"
Perhaps you can imagine Miss Betty's
ceilings as she slowly descended the
vide old oak staircase and passed besi-
into the presence Of the
colonel.
He received her with almost affec-
ionate regard, and held her two hands
II his, evidently waiting for her to
peak the first word. But she was too
,roud to give him the satisfaction Of
snowing that she cared that he had sent
Ter lover away from her with never a
asst goodbye.
So she did not speak, but hung her
l. had lilyo n frout .k aaa6 H,War