The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-05-14

my boat; hitch on your old craft be-
hind, and let me introduce you to Miss
Sophy Adriance.. *
I looked as sharply at Miss Sophy all |
the moonlight and my own modesty
would let me, for 4 knew that she was
the especial admiration Of my friend
Charley Dresden.
She was pretty, slight round and
rosy, with china blue eyes and o dimple
in either cheek, and gold brown hair
worn in long, loose curls, There was
flower ike and ( delicate in
her ettiness 81 thing UNCONSCIOUS
~ implo ring in her way of Lifting her
eyes up to your face.
S We rowed home together or, at
least, as far on our way home as the
Harlem river would take us. Sophy
sang little boat ballads. Charley
roared out tenor bare lies. & even
essayed q German student song which
! had learned in Held elberg no one
knows how long ago, and We parted the
best Of friends.
II A week afterward Dresden and Imets
face to face on Wall street.
Halo, Mottimore r. said Charley,
his honest yisage lighting up. 6 What
do you think of her re
81 think she is pearl-a jewel--a
princess among women!Y I ANSWERED,
with q perfect sincerity g Il y q,
" Congratulate me, then n cried Char
ley, beaming all over aforI am engag-
ed to her. Only last night Look hereln
opening mysterious silver case which
he took from his inner vest pocket.
What do you think of that for an engage
ment ring r. .S} n M ~ Vi.
q. q. 3 a fine diamond e said I, putting my
head critically on one side. aand fanoi-
ully set. = .sss5 55.5:
We're to be married III October, said
Charley lowering his voice to the most
confidential tones. ss g might have been
sooner if i hadn't undertaken that
business in Europe for 4 our firm.
Bnt I shall be sure to be back
by October, md d the money I
shall make will be acceptable toward
fitting up and furnishing our new home.
Because, you know, Mottimore, I'm not
rich. # n, a53sS
Ispent an evening with her afterward
at the genteelt boarding house where
she md her mother % nice, bright
eyed little woman, the full brown rose
to correspond with Sophy's budding
loyliness dwelt in the contest of apart
ments, furnished in dark blue reps,
with q turn up bedstead, ingeniously
disguised as q high backed sofa, and
canaries and geraniums inS the win win
dows. .35; si3y
aaIt's go kind Of You to come : said
Sophy, with o gentle pressure Of the
hand when I went away: am so
glad to welcome Charley's friends
And Ifelt that T could oh erfully sit
through another evening Of common
place chit-chat, md photograph albums
\ for such o reward as that. f}ss
Well Charley Dresden went away,
/ and as he didn't partic ularly leave Sophy
Adriance in my charge, I didn't feel
called upon to present myself at the
genteel boarding. house. = supposed,
NATURALLY enough that all was going
right, until the day I received 70 note
from my old friend Bullion, the banker,
q man Of go, who wears g wig and spec
tacles, and counts his income upon the
double figures.
Bullion wrote from Saratoga, where
4 he had gone because he didn't know
what else to do with himself in the dull
3 season. He asked me to be his grooms-
man. Bullion was going to be mar-
ried. 81
OF course, you'll think it q foolish
4 thing for me to do, = wrote. Bnllio abut
even at sixty q man has not entirely out-
lived the age Of sentiment; and when
once you see Sophy Adriance you will
8 forgive any seeming inconsistency on my
d part. Il
II went straight to the genteel board
f ing-h house. It was possible that ]
might be misled by n g similarity Of
name, although even that was mike.
Y dis Miss AdrianceS at home r. i asked
ofthe slatternly servant girl who an
swered the bell.
58 Il q, no, sir, Miss Sophy's spending q
{ few weeks with 8 friend at Saratoga, /"
4 she answered, promptly
That was enough. went home and
inclose1 Bdllion's letter Il another en-
yelope directing il to poor Charley
Dresden's address: Poste Restante,
81 Vienna, adj ding a few lines of my. own,
wherein I endeavored to mingle con-
ISOLATION and pliilosopby a. aptly as pos
possible. 80
Aud then j wrote, curtly declining 70
stand mp with old Bullion.
1T was but o few weeks snbsequ ently
q that the waiter showed an elegantly
Il dressed young lady into my room at
the hotsl. rose in some surprise.
Aside from old Aunt Miriam Platt and
my undress my lady visitors were few.
& But the instant she threw up her thick
tissue ven i recognized the soft blue
u eyes and the damask rose cheeks oi
Sophy Adriance.
OH, Mr.. fillmore r she cried pit
IS aously know You won't mind my
4 coming To yonr parlor, because you
L Deem exactIy like q father to me. q
q WINGED q little az this. But I have re-
ceiyed sucl, q letter from Charley, and
as---aa you've kno I'M him . long time.
I thought perhaps yon could explain !,
# to me- Oh, have been 80 swreto1ed.
And indeed, indeed q. didn't deserve
Il it ie
She gave me- ui q tear looted letter and
y then sat down to cry quietly in tho cor:
nerj Of the sofa until such timo as
+ should have finished it's pernsal.
What does he mean, Mr. Motti-
I more 2a asked Sophy, plaintiyel whe1
he accuses me of deceiying him, q SELL
4 Ing myself To the highest bidder On
Il is so Greadfn "
I folded the letter and looked severe
III at her g.
q Miss Adrianoe. \ said I, gravely