River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-02-26
MISS SClMPER.
BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.

BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.
From Harper's Bazaar
None at the Rappaquah Sulphur
Springs knew who Miss Scarnper was,
and few cared to know. She came with
an old gentleman who registered the
pair as IS. Scamper and granddaugh-
ter, New York City" They were doubt
less poor folk on a holiday. They had
no servants with them. The old man
wore q suit of rather rusty black, and
his trunk, an antique leathern conven-
iency, bore the letters s. S. in brass
headed nails. The young woman's
trunk-she had but one-was large
enough, and of modern make, but it
was apparently not well filled,
since she had shown but three
dresses all the three weeks she
had remained Cne of these, of
rich material, she wore of evenings; the
other two, of some washable material,
were worn alternately in daytime. She
had no jewelry beyond plain gold
brooch. One of the eligible young men
there said that "the Scamper has one
Sunday 60 to- meetin' and two work
day suits" for which his neighbor
should have kicked him, but didn't. The
eligible young man was looking for an
eligible mate in the person of Miss Boil
sover, the great heiress, whom the So
ciety paper had said was coming to the
Rappaquah; though, as she hadn't
come, the Browns young man of the
society paper labored under delusion.
The matchmaking dowagers did not
fear this pretty and well-cultured
young woman, for the gilded
youth, who were also lying in
wait for Miss Bolsover, much more
gilded, did net dangle in her train. In
deed, she had no train. Her business
was to look after her poor old grand
father, who was not in good health, and
| with whom the waters seemed to agree.
Didymus Dodd, who had scraped an
| acquaintance with old Scamper, as the
fellows irreverently called him, seemed
| to be her admirer; but Didymus was
nobody. lie was we'll made. tall, hand
some, and of good address: but he was
/ only an upper clerk in q Philadelphia
/ insurance company. To be sure, he
would be perintendent after January,
/ vice Higgins retired and superanuated,
and then would draw salary of FIVE
thousand year. But one knew that,
/ and the possible good fortune to poor
Miss Scamper and had they known,
| five thousand year was no great mat
| ter. So the field was left to Miss Seam
| per and welcome.
Didymus only began paying atten-
/ tons to Miss Scamper out of courtesy,
| and because no one else did; but the
more he saw of her the more he liked
/ her, and it e.ded in his being badly
/ hit As he and she were the only inn
/ pecunious people at the old and old
/ fashioned resort-the other visitors
! counting their dollars we'll up in the
hundred thousands matter attract
| ed attention, and by way of getting
both out of the way of manageable
sons and daughters scheming mothers
lent the affair all the quiet encourage
ment possible And this passed into q
more active nature from two little incl
dents that occurred about ten days be-
| fore the end of the two months vaca-
ton of Didymus.
There was a Mrs. De Nyse at the
/ Springs who was well known as anna
teur vocalist of merit, and whose voice,
though little reedy in the upper
notes, had been trained so well as to
make her worth hearing. One even
ing, when a few were in the parlors,
| her friends besought her to favor them,
and so on, and she expressed her readi-
ness, but there happened to be no ac-
companist. Miss Scamper who was
| chatting near by with Didymus, looked
up and quietly said;
perhaps / can serve you that way,
Mrs. De Nyse."
"Can you play at sight, Miss Scam
per-" inquired Mrs. De Nyse.
| Miss Scamper nodded assent and
seated herself at the pianoforte, and
accompanied the voice with such good
/ judgment that the singer was delight
/ ed
II wish could carry you about with
me, my DEAR" she said. but do you
not sing? You surely must"
| ga little"
Urged by all around, Miss Scamper,
/ to her accompaniment, sang an aria
| from al Trovatore Her voice proved
to be rich soprano, of full register,
clear as a silver bell and admirably
cultivated. There was moments
pause when she had done, as though
not to lose a note, and then storm of
applause.
| Here was a sensation. Everybody
| talked of her method, and the gilded
youth were in rapture. Tue mammas
conferred, and concluded that Miss
! Seamper was a member of some
| church choir, or attached to some En-
glish opera troupe, who knew? But
they were civil There was a party
! going over to Almont, Colonel Parsi-
falls place, next day. Would she go?
She assented Didyluus said to her
In low voice:
at is a riding party, Miss Scamper.
know the best horse in the livery-st
BILE here, and if You'll permit me, Iii
secure it for you.
To which she replied in the same
tone:
Thank you, Mr.. Dodd, you are very
kind, but | have one ut command al
ready Get that for yourself"
Somewhat rebuffed Didvmus colored,
but she added, Mine shall not disgrace
YOU" which was a distinct intimation
that she expected him as escort. The
spirits of Didymus rose from zero to
blood heat.
The next morning, as the riders We're
ready to start, groom, known to be
one of Colonel Parsifall's, rode up lead
ing a magnificent blooded bay horse,
equipped with a side saddle. As they
were admiring the animal, Miss Scam
per, in a neat riding habit, mad her
appearance. The groom took off his
hat. Didymus, not little astonished,
put forth his hand. and the lady vault
ell to the back OF the horse with easy
grace. The cavalcade set out, Miss
Scamper and Didymus together and
being better mounted than the others,
were soon at the head of the column
About mile from the Springs there
was a bar in the way. A lofty tulip
tree had been blown down during the
night, and had fallen across the road,
the trunk well up on account of