Thomas County cat., 1885-06-04

CucchS huu yellow CuTlS nave Uctu really
the attraction that has kept Tom Porter
dangling with comph nents about her path
to and from the station all the season, it is
only natural that she should feel Q certain
anxiety on the introduction of black ewes
and brunette beauty on the scene. Toms
attentions have already plunged the sta
tion-master into q savage gloom, whose
outward manifestations take the form of a
strange hostility to the baggage of inno-
cent passengers; and if Squire Porter had
known what terrible thoughts racked the
soul of Billy johnson, the engine -driver,
he would never have risked the safety of
his family on the rails behind that one of
Letty's lovers, who, to tell the truth, was
the most favored.
As the case stood, however. Letty's heart
had expanded toward Tom Porter, under
the light attentions of that young man, Just
enough to permit her to owe him q erudge
should he transfer his fancy; and this,
with an Intuition not surprising under the
circumstances, she foreSaw would be the
result.
To say that Lefty turned with gratitude
and satisfaction to the assured affection of
her engine-driving admirer would be to do
injustice to her capacity for ambition which
the Squire's son had aroused: and as she
fluttered her fan she blew up a little flame
OF animosity against all of them together.
Nor was she far wrong in her estimate of
u
amden were III no way ayerSe to an alli-
ance that seemed the most natural thing i'm
the world, and match whose possibility
had been foreshadowed in the winter gay
etles of the city would receive impulse in
the rural festivities of the summer to the
qualification of all concerned.
The gossips of Smyrna soon had this busi-
ness, as well as much more pertaining to
equally private affairs of the neighborhood,
high and low, satisfactorily arranged. 1t
was not determined by this authority
whether the wedding was to take place be-
fore the close of the season or early i'll the
winter. Preference was generally given
to the later date; and this was the news
which Sammy one day brought his sister,
the development of the talent of gossip
bearing having commencement in early
youth among the Smyrniotes.
Sammy was, indeed, a precocious child.
and would perhaps have been more val
liable member of society than one ought to
be at his age had it not been for the COM
pensating circumstance that his precocity
was wholly unreliable. He was at once
useful and dangerous, amusing and exas-
perating: and never did these qualities
expand and glorify themselves as among
the events with which he managed to con-
meet himself this summer. The mysteries
of telegraphy were never too deep for his
probing, as the arcana of love was not too
He not only had, for small boy, won-
derfully accurate comprehension of his sis
ter Letty's romantic tendencies, but he also
developed practical usefulness as the
Ariel to speed with her messages, and the
CalIban to scrub the corrOded metal ele-
ments of her battery.
While the summer days passed quietly
and holly enough at the station,
the augmented household at Squire
Porter's spread itself over the country
round about in daily junketing of
the most hilarious sort. Such a genius
for picnics, such a talent for fishing,
such an endurance in mountaineering as
Miss Van Amden showed herself to possess
would have captivated the great Pan HIM
sell, and Tom Porter, who was worshiper
of the woodland deity, found his devotion
turning more and vet more strongly toward
this handsome prieStess. Talk OF the
glamour of gas-light and hot-house flow
ers, of the infatuation of the dance in
crowded bathrooms, of all the fascinations
of stereotyped fame. why, a young woman
of good parts can work more havoc in a
fortnight of rural pleasuring than in a
whole season of artificial campaigning.
If Tom Porter did not confess to this fact
I'm so many words, it was none the less true
that Miss Van Amden conquered him with
in week after her arrival at Smyrna, and
dragged him a willing captive over hill
imagined to be concord with nature, but
what was in reality the romance of his own
heart. 1t was on their return from n
mountain party. filled but not surfeitei
with picturesque views that the two found
themselves in advance of the rest, walking
alone.
''There are the carriages just ahead of
u.s." said Tom. "Suppose we sit down here
and wait for Milly and the others?"
"W hat a pity we left them so far be-
hind :" suggested Miss Van Amden, affect
ing to adjust her jaunty hat at more
Sedate angle.
.'Not a bit of it: had almost forgotten
they were anywhere in the world" replied
the young man, eagerly and unsuspecting-
ly accepting the suggestion his companion
had SO delicataly hinted. Lets imagine
we have quite stepped out of it ourselves
for few minutes longer. They will come
soon enough. and then we go home to dinner
and civilization again"
''Do l look very uncivilized now:n asked
the girl glancing up in Toms face as she
sank on an old tree trunk by the side of the
road.
mo, can't say that you do" replied
Tom, with glow of genuine admiration.
ut is something altogether Better than
that"
'.Sit down here by me, and I'll spare you
telling me what it is. You We're never
very bright in analyzing your impress
sions."
''But there are some feelings that can
analyze well enough, Florence" said the
young man, seating himself, not by her
side, but on the moss at her feet. "If at
first | couldn't tell myself what made our
trip so pleasant up this mountain two
weeks ago, believe | know it now"
'Do your she said softly. as as if un-
conscious that Toms hand had sought
hers, and displaced frond of sweet-fern
in order to possess her fingers.
"Yes: know it only too surely, Flor
ence. May tell it to you:"
Florepce's firm brunette face. with its
lightly disarranged hair, in which was
stuck fiery cardinal flower, seemed more
beautiful than ever as it was half turned
from Tom. Her eyes, rather than her lips.
gave the desired permission. Tom had
now both her hands in his, and was gazing
with lovers admiration at the lovely
cheek whose curve rounded against the
dark hair so softly. He was no epicure in
sentiment, and was very much in earnest
just then; but he delayed one instant
from pure ecstacy at the sensation. His
heart was humping furiously, and in
another moment he would have become
eloquent, at least to Florence's ears. had
not sudden splash, accompanied by the
shrek of a childish voice, broken i'll upon
the silence and the sentiment of the occa-
sion.
Perhaps there was no necessity of for
NAL completion of Toms remarks: certain
ly there was no opportunity. For the cries
continued, and the young man was spaedi-
ly dashing down the hillside. through the
bushes, toward the stream that flowed
few rods from where the lovers had seated
themselves.
1t was the work of an instant for Toms
long arms to drag out a kicking and strug-
Cling boy from what might have been a
watery grave had the brook been deeper,
but which was earthly enough in fact, to
judge by the amount of clayey soil clinging
TO the wet garments of the involuntary
bather.