The Iola register., 1889-08-23
HIS JUST DESERTS.
The Rewards of Perf1dy Are Not
Always. Pleasant.

Always. Pleasant.
James Monroe and Mary Murdock
were engaged to be married. They
had known each other for years, and
as their parents were 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 ''huskingn or .paring
bee" or mite society" were complete
unless James and Mary were there.
James Monroe was tall, blue-eyed
young man of five and twenty. with
light hair and light mustache. which
latter all the girls voted lust too cute
for any thing" As a truthful chron-
icler we must add he was quite con-
ceited and rather inclined to flirt
Mary Murdock was a brunette, a
charming black-eyed miss who. though
generally light hearted, gay and laugh
ing. had more than once shown that it
her good nature. Her age was twenty.
One evening in July there was an ice
cream festival in Payne's woods near
the village of Barnesville and also near
the homes of the two betrothed lovers.
and, of course. they were in attend
ance. 1t was merry gathering. Be-
sides ice cream, cake. candy. peanuts
and lemonade 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 were rivited on gen.
tleman and lady who were slowly max
ing their way toward the head dispenser
of ice cream. The gentleman was bow
ing right and left. and smiling with
G. eat urbanity thereby displaying
white and glistening set of false teeth
10 much advantage. Evidently he was
on the best of terms with himself, and
as natural consequence with all the
world. Why sIouldn' Josiah Hurtom. j.
T., the wealthiest man in the neighbor-
hood be on good terms with HIMSELF
But it was the young lady who at
tractcd 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
il may be said she had her full compli-
ment. Her form was simply perfection.
When / add that she was rich in her
own right. and the prospective heiress
to another large fortune, / have, per-
haps, said enough to convince the read
er that her lines had fallen in very
pleasant places. Her name was Imo-
gene Burton, and she was on a visit to
her uncle. Squire Hurtom She had
tired of Saratoga; she had tired OF
Newport, the White Mountains and Bar
Harbor. and therefore in a sudden freak
had left the latter place for Barnesville.
arriving there just in time for the lawn
festival.
After gazing with some degree OF in
terest on the, to her. unusual and
amusing scene. she seated herself at
small table to psrtake of cream and
CAKE her uncle had provided.
She had just daintiIy raised the spoon
to her lips when a blonde young man
deposited a glass of lemonade in her
lap and fell prone upon the grass at her
side.
1t was James Monroe who had been
drafted in As waiter for a short
period, and who had unluckily stumbled
over chair standing in the shadow of
a tree.
OF course Miss Burton was angry,
not that her splendid satin dress was
irretrievably ruined. but at the awk-
wardness of the whole affair. To have
g young man fling glass OF lemonade
on her dress and then fall at her feet
as if sueing for pardon or her hand,
and that too, before whole grove full
OF laughing strangers-even though
those strangers were country bum
kins'-was very notifying to the
proud and pampered lmogene-
James arose TO his feet with a scarlet
face and commenced stammerinr his
apologies At first she greeted all his
explanations with curt lit is of no
consequence. sir and a supercilious
elevation of the eyebrows, when sud-
denly it occurred to her that as the
young man was of fair appearance and
showed some knowledge of the English
language through his embarrassment,
he might possibly be the means OF re-
lieving her of her enuui.
In fact she resolved to commence a
Irritation with him then and there. and
so when he had for the fifth time ex-
planned how the whole thing happened.
and bemoaned his stupidity and awk-
wardness, glancing the while with rue
ful eyes at her discolored dress. she
held out her white beieweled hand with
great frankness and smiled on him most
sweetly. $500
James. though highly delighted. was