St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-07-03
A CHARMING ROMP.
Marietta's Undigni1ed Introduce
ton to the Professor.

There's a deal to do" said Mrs.
Amber, with housewifely wrinkles on
her brow, as she stood in the middle of
the kitchen that Monday morning.
''The ham to boil, and the chickens to
prepare for the roast, and the clothes
to get out. l never'd ha' put EN- in
soak if I'd known your father was going
to invite that college professor to din
ner. We could have washed Tuesday
just as well as Monday, if only he ha'
given me little notice. But men are
SO inconSiderate, and there's no helpin'
it now. But you'll have to take hold,
Marietta.
'Of course I'll help, mother" said
Marietta, cheerfully. what shall
do first?''
''Well, 1 guess I'll let you put out
the clothes,' said Mrs. Amber.
So when the June sun began to peep
over the top of the thicket, pretty
Marietta Amber set forth with heavy
basket of wet clothes balanced lightly
on her shoulder, and 8 brand-new
clothes-line under her arm. Marietta
had been brought up in an atmosphere
of New England thrift all her life. It
was as natural for her to spread clothes
on the grass to bleach, or wash the
breakfast china, as it would have been
for daughter of the cumbersome
South to play on a guitar or swing in
hammock. And as she walked she sang
merry little charason:
"'Tis love. love. love,
Lore, that makes the world go roundr'
All, silly little Marietta, what did
she know about Lose? She merely took
it on trust, out of her books and news
papers.
And as she stretched the rope from
tree to tree sudden caprice entered
into her restless brain.
"I've always wanted to try it," said
she, gravely, regarding the twist of
the circus at Linley Poge's, and Kitty
Miller took me there on the sly, with
out father and mother knowing any
thing about it, It's the next incest
thing to flying! I always thought I
could do it. and now I mean to try!"
IF Mademoiselle Saraletta Sufini
could do it," said she, "why can't IP''
And, tipping her Tam O'Shanter cap
lightly on her curly hair, she folded
her arms. Mademoiselle Saraletta SUI
fini fashion, and sprang lightly on the
rope!
But, alas! like the oft initiated sci
ence Of flying, what seemed on super
fetal view very easy, proved quite i'm
possible to achieve when once the ex-
pertinent was tried! One or two steps
"a loss of equilibrium, a swaying to
and fro, then q scream and fall! In
all Marietta Amber's stories there was
some sort of an Enchanted Prince al
ways ready to come to the rescue of
distressed fair ones; and, true to ira
dition, the first she knew. tall, rather
handsome young man was helping her
up with tender and respectful care.
Il hope you haven't hurt yourself"
said he, solicitously. "But I could
have told you you couldn't do i'll"
Marietta flushed to the very roots
of her hair.
II couldn't help it, said the En-
chanted Prince, deprecatingly. II had
just got nibble down in the trout-pool
yonder, when saw you come into the
glade, and before had made up my
mind that you weren't fairy in dis
guise, you had commenced operations.
At first, if you'll believe it, | almost
thought You were making preparation
to-commit suicide!"
s.But what nonsense that is, said
Marietta, in superior manner.
Eyes, of course, when one under
stands what it was all about. But no
one but an expert could expect to
walk on tight rope without deal of
practice. Now let me show you.
Balancing himself with his fishing
pole, the mysterious stranger stepped
easily on the rope - not, however,
without first 6ghtening it several adj