The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-07

last, In the early mornsug, sat down on
a bench in Union Square. By that
time 1 was no longer in love. "You're
a horrid little goose, and nobody would
marry youI" Those words ranked in
nv soul, and with clenched hands and
eyes bent on vacancy 1 was meditating
a deep revenge. ''But how?n said L,
in the style of the melodramatic hero
s.but how? That is the question" Just
then-fzz! went something under the
bench on which / sat, a small boy
hooted at me. and I remembered il
was the noisy, detestable Fourth of July.
The military were already gathering in
knots about the park: the drum and
fife stung my tired ears, and wandered
of toward the East River. A steamer
that looked rather inviting was just
casting her cables, and, half in dream,
/ stepped on board.
Every half-hour or so the boat went
humping up against some dock, and
people hustled on and Of. At one ol
these stoppages the man at the gang.
plank yelled "Hicksville Landing q
and 1 thought I'd 60 ashore. Striking
into shady country road, l followed it
beguiled by the distant CLINT of a lake.
Moodily 1 was searching an answer te
that riddle, Revenge but how?'
As if by magic an answer presented
itself. There peeped out from the
bushes skirting the road pretty little
head running over with dark ringlets
and pair of blooming cheeks, which
proved to belong to q marvelouslJ
pretty girl. An air of rusticity about
her emboldened meas she trippeC
along-to respectfully address her.
'.Am / near any hotel ?''
so no." she answered; ''the hotel;
at Hicksville Centre. That, " pointing
to the lake, sis Hicks Pond. The pic.
mic is down there"
"And you've been at the picnic?"
eyes. o, we always have picnic
on the Fourth. Ike Carter was a-chasin
me, so cut through the woods
"Very rude of Ike Carter" L re
marked.
30, he's always doin' somethin' o.
other" the young person responded
vaguely.
"Where," 1 asked, can I get lun
cheon ?"
"Why, come to the picnic" she said
cordially. "There's lots to eat there.
"But may L know to whose politenes:
l am indebted P''
"O," she answered, after mo
ment's perplexity, ''you mean what's
my name? Lizzie Crabb. Father
farm is at Hicksville Corners"
There were certainly solecisms in hel
speech, but they might be corrected,
thought; and what lovely face! Here
was revenge! I would marry this girl.
I'd walk into St. Marks every Sunday
with my wife by my side. Eleanor
should see that somebody would marry
me, and that somebody very beauti-
full creature, too. My superior social
standing, and above all, my position on
the Comet would, of course, make the
matter easy to arrange. 1t seems in
credible that young man of sound
mind could be so impractical and SC
absurd. All! there's the very point.
Was l of sound mind?
Lizzie took me to the picnic, and
ate sandwiches and pushed our &C
quaintance. Presently short, thick
set country fellow with a fat face, red
hair, and freckled skin came up, AID
asked. familiarly:
"Who's your friend, Lizzie ?'
''Mr. Graham, from New York, u
said Lizzie, boastfully emphasizing the
proper noun.
The freckled fellow, who wore pink
calico shirt and silk hat, showed nc
inclination to leave us.
'sSay, Lizzie" said he, "come to the
swing, and I'll pnt yer up real high
''No, thank you," Lizzie responded,
rather shortly.
'.All right said he, and turned on
his heel.
That's Ike Carter" Lizzie whis.
pered.
80, the fellow who chased you?'
Eyes. Ike's always up to some.
thin'," which expression being followed
by pout and . shrug, l interpreted as
unfavorable to Ike.
II must tell you," said to Lizzie,
''that am sub-editor of the Comet"
"The which," she inquired, pleas
antly.
Iwinced little, but comforted my.
self by thinking how easy it would be
to train that rustic tongue.
We then took long walk, far away
from the noisy crowd, for Lizzie's in.
nocence, and perhaps her lack of breed
ing, made her quite unconcious of i'm.
prOpriety in wandering off with q
stranger. Heaven knows that, as fol-
me, my head was too much in the cloud:
to admit of any conduct not strictly
chivalrous.
When we came back, Ike Carter
who was lounging on a rock called out
''Here's good seat; come rest your
selves" .-faI
"No," Lizzie answered, and pulled
me away.
80, that's the ticket, is it?" said
Ike, and lounged again.
Ike's unmoved countenance convinced
me that our growing intimacy was nc
annoyance to him, yet his was a face
not adapted to the conveyance of emo
ton. It was of leathery texture, and
overlaid by a fungus of continent
freckles that seemed to bind down any
power of facial expression. He wore,
one might say, a sort of /" iron mask, y
and very suitably, too, for Ike was the
blacksmith's assistant.
Having been so recently in practice
| found courtship an easy matter, and
Farmer Crabb was quite friendly.
$50 you're one o. them newspaper
chaps. eh?" said he, turning upon me
his large, fresh. good natured face.
81 am sub-editor of the Comet re
piled, proudly, producing copy of the
paper. Here's my name. And see,
1 wrote that article of two columns"
"Ya'as." said Crabb; .just so. AnG
did yer print them columns, too?"