Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-08-31
HIS JUST DESERTS.
The Rewards Of Perfdy Are Not
Always Pleasant.

2AW epy0 AOchSehlgs
james Monroe and Mary Murdoch
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 "husking" or ''paring
bee or mite society" were complete
unless James and Mary were there
James Monroe was a tall, blue-eyed
young man of five and twenty, with
light hair and a light mustache, which
latter all the girls voted 'just too cute
for any thing" As truthful chron-
icler we must add he was quite con-
ceited and rather inclined to hirt.
Mary Murdoch was brunette, a
charming black-eyed miss who, though
generally light 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 was twenty.
One evening in July there was an ice
cream festival in Payne's woods near
thesvillage Of, GAINESVILLE and also near
the homes Of the two betrothed lovers,
rHnd, Of course they were In attend
auee. 1t was a merry gathering. Be-
sides ice cream, cake. candy, peanuts
and lemonade we're offered for sale, all
for the benefit Of the church.
The merry making was at its height
whena sudden hush fell on the assem-
blage and, all eyes were rivited on a gem
tleman and lady who were slowly max
ing theirway toward the head dispenser
OF ice cream. The gentleman was bow
ing right and left, and smiling with
great urbanity thereby displaying a
white and glistening set of false teeth
TO much advantage. Evidently he was
on the best of terms with himself, and
as natural consequence with all the
world. Why shouldn't Josiah Hurtom, j.
p, the wealthiest man in the neighbour
hood be on good terms with HIMSELF
But it was the young lady who at
tracted 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
itmay 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 limo
gene Burton, and she was on 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 asudden freak
I. had left the latterplaco for GAINESVILLE,
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 a
small table to partake OF cream and
cake her uncle had provided.
She had just daintily raised the spoon
to her lips when blonde young man
deposited 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 a waiter for a short
period, and who had unluckily stumbled
over chair standing in the shadow OF
q 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
a 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 we're country bum
kins"-was very Notifying to the
proud and pampered lmogene.
james arose to his feetwith scarlet
face and commenced stammering 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-
heving her of her ennui.
In fact she resolved to commence n
Irritation with him then and there, and
50 when be had for the ffth time ex-
plained how The whole thing happened,
and bemoaned his stupidity and awk-
wardness, glancing the while with rue
fnl eyes at her discolored dress, she
held out her white beieweled hand with
great frankness and smiled on him most
sweetIy.
James, though highly delighted, vas /