The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-10-18
JUSTLY PUNISHED.
BY THOMAS BURKE.

James Monroe and Mary Murdoch were
engaged to be married. They had known
each other for years and as their parents
we're fast friends and near neighbors it
seemed the most natural thing In the
world that they should wed. They were
the children of farmers and from school
days up had attended the country merry
makings together. No "husking" OF
''paring bee" or Unite society was com
plete unless james and Mary were there.
James Monrose was a tall, blue-eyed
young man Of five and twenty, with light
AMIR and a light mustache, which latter
all the girls voted, ''just too cute for
anything As truthful ehronicler, we
must add be was quite conceited and
rather inclined to fiirt.
Mary Murdock was brunette. a charm
ing little black-eyed miss who, though
generally ight-hearted, gay and laugh
ing, had more than once shown that it
was hardly safe to trespass too far upon
her good nature. Her age we twenty.
One evening In July there was an ice
cream festival in Payne's Woods near the
village Of GAINESVILLE and also near the
homes Of the two betrothed lovers, and,
OF course, they were in attendance. 1t
was a merry gathering. Besides ice
cream, cake, candy, peanuts and lemon
ade were offered for sale, all for the benefit
Of the church.
The merry making was at its height
when sudden hush fell on the Assem-.
blage and all eyes we're riyeted on a gen
tleman and lady who were slowly making
their way towsrd the head dispenser of
ice cream sehe gentleman was bowling
right and left, and smiling with great ur-
banity, thereby displaying a white and
gistening set of false teeth to much ad-
vantage. Evidently he was on the best
Of terms with himself, and as natural
consequence with ali the world. Why
shouldn't Josiah Hurtom, ]. P, the
waalthiest man in the neighborhood, be
Oh good terms with himself.
But it was the young lady who attract
ed the lions share of attention. She
was, perhaps, twenty-five years of age,
very tall, with dark blue eyes, and hair
denOminated auburn by her friends, and
red by her enemies, Of which last II NAV
be said she had her full complement. Her
form was simply perfection. When
add that she was rich in her own right,
and the prospective heiress to another
large fortune, l have, perhaps, said
enough 70 convince the reader that her
lines had fallen in very pleasant places.
Her name was Imogene Burton, and she
was on visit to her uncle, Squire Hur-
torn. She had tired of Saratoga, she
had tired Of Newport, the White Noun
iai1s, and Bar Harbor, ard therefore in a
sudden freak had left the latter place for
GAINESVILLE. arriving there just in time for
the lawn festival.
After gazing with some degree of in
tersst on the, to her, unusual and anus
ing scene, she seated herself at a small |
table to partake OF the cream and cake |
her uncle had provided.
She had Just dainty raised the spoon
to her lips when blonde young man de-
posted a glass of lemonade in her lap
and fell prone upon the grass at her
side.
It was James Monroe who had been
drafted In as a waiter for short period, |
and who had unluciily stumbled over 4
chair standing in the shadow of tree.
OF course Miss Burton was angry, not
that her splendid satin dress was ire
trievably ruined, but at .the awkardness
Of the whole affair. To have a young
man fling a glass of lemonade on her
dreas and then fall at her feet as If sueing /
Cor pardon or her hand, and that too,
before a whole grove full of laughing
strangers was very notifying to the
proud and pampered Imogene.
james arose to his feet with scarlet /
face and commenced stammering his
apologies. At first she greeted all his
explanations with a curt sit is of no
consequence, sir, and a supercilious {
elevation Of the eyebrows, when suddenly |
It occurred 70 her that as the young man
was OF fair appearance he might possibly
be the means Of relieving her of her
ennin.
In fact she resolved to commence a
Irritation with him then and there, and
50 when he had for the fifth time ex-
planned how the whole thing happened,
and bemoaned his stupidity and awk-
Eardness, glancing the while with rue
fui eyes at her discolored dress, she held
out her white bejeweled hand with great
frankness and smiled on him most
sweefly.
Jsmes, though highly delighted, was
somewhat taken aback at this sudden !
change Of front, but as he, as has already /
been said, was rather inclined to hirt |
himself, and was fattered at her appar-
ent interest in him, he made no audible
comments on her changed behavior.
Taking seat at the table he entered
into an animated conversation with her,
in the course Of which she artlessly gave
him to understand that she was very sad
and very unhappy, and that she desired,
above all things, a friend who would
sootll her wien sad, rejoice with her
when merry, and be true to her till /
Miss Burton looked tenderly at James
as she uttered the above sentiment and |