The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-10-18


James could reply she hurriedly drew
their engagement ring from her finger,
thrust it into his hands, and, as they had
arrived at her fathers gate, ran up the
graveled walk and into the house without
word of parting.
Little spitfre, said James to himself.
''The idea of acting in this way just be-
! cause I conversed with Miss Burton q
short time"
He did not seem to realize that he had
spent nearly the entire evening in Miss
Burton's company, neglecting his be-
trothed to such an extent that even the
dullest took cognizance of and comment
ed upon it.
On the following afternoon after max
ing more than usually elaborate toilet,
James presented himself at the door of
Squire Hurtom's staring white house and
inquired of the trim maid OF all work
who answered the summons of the bell,
if Miss Burton was in. The maid replied
in the affirmative, ushered him in to the
'Hbest room" where he found the heiress
deeply absorbed in the latest society
novel She closed the book at once, and
rising from her seat greeted him very
warmly.
They were soon conversing as AMIGA
bly, and apparently as intimately as
friends of long standing.
When at the end of two hours (which
seemed but as two minutes TO the infat-
uated James, he arose to take his depar-
ture he was warmly invited to call again.
He did so on the very next day, when he
was treated with greater kindness if pos
sible than on his former visit. They
played several games of croquet together
during the course of which it was arranged
that on the following afternoon they should
take boat ride on Lily Pond, a small
lake in the neighborhood, noted for its
white and fragrant water lilies. He also
took her out riding behind his span of
blood bay horses, and on one occasion
escorted her to churG where the heiress
created an immense sensation as she swept
down the central aisle in her trailing,
rustling silken gown, while he with head
erect, silk tile in hand, and curled mus
tache, was the envy and despair of all the
young men of GAINESVILLE. Even the
gray-haired old minister was visibly dis
concerted at the sudden and unexpected
appearance of so much style and elegance
and lost his place in the chapter he was
reading, for be it known, Miss Burton al
ways made 1t a point to arrive late at
church as well as at all other public gath
erings.
In less than two weeks it was whispered
about by the gossips that James Monroe
and Mary Murdock had quarreled, that
the engagement was broken, and that
he was excepting steady company with
that stuck-up, red-haired city girl at
Squire Hurtor s."
And It must be said it was all true;
James had become infatuated with the
fair Imogene and danced perpetual at
tention upon her. Her dainty ways, her
city bred airs, her varying moods, and
above all the thought that she was al
ready wealthy and destined at no distant
day to become still more so, wrought
such havoc in the heart of the unsophis-
ticated youth that he resolved at the
first favorable opportunity, to use a
phrase much in vogue in those parts, to
''pop the question"
Accordingly one pleasant afternoon
when he and Imogene were seated on a
rustic bench in the very grove where was
held the memorable ice-cream festival,
he, after much unwonted stammering,
pumped down on his knees and proposed
in the most dramatic manner imaginable
and was greeted with a loud and ring
ing peel of laughter. He had never
heard Miss Burton laugh before, and the
sound, however birdlike, or futelike he
might have considered it under other
circumstances, was, just at that moment
far from pleasant to him.
'sMarry you, she said, when she could
fully control her visibility. ''Marry a
farmerl And I suppose you would ex-
pect me to milk the COWS, and sweep,
and cook and wash, as do all the good
housewives of GAINESVILLE and vicinity.
No, Mr.. Monroe, the idea is impractical
BILE, and, 1 will add, utterly impossible;
for I am engaged to a gentleman in New
York and am TO be married early in the
fall. have enjoyed your company very
much indeed. You have helped to re-
heve the tedium of this beautiful though
monotonous place, and for that l am
truly thankful; but such thing as be-
coming your wife has never once entered
my head. You must learn to forget me.
leave for Boston tomorrow morning
and you, doubtless viii exemplify the
truth of he old adage: 'Out of sight,
out of mind And now let me give you
a little good advice l have heard some
thing of little black-eyed girl to whom
you were engaged and with whom you
quarreled, presumably over poor me.
Return to your allegiance. Marry her;
she viii make you good wife, and you
will both live to laugh over your silly
misunderstanding, and at me"
With these words Miss Burton arose,
s4id s4IFfsl5 and silently the
grove, leaving James Monroe dumb
founded and crestfallen. and yet with a
secret feeling in his heart that he had
been rightly served.
AlteI inc uISJ IduhliSs VI lis
wounded seIf-love had died out, he be-
thought him of Miss Burtons advice and
called at the Murdock homestead. He
was ushered into the familiar parlor
where had passed so many pleasant happy
hours, by one of Mary's younger sisters,
and, in a short time Mary made her ap-
pearance. She was as bright and CHEEKY
as ever and apparently harbored no i'll
feeling because of his past conduct, but
when he drew forth the engagement ring
she had so long worn, and attempted to
place it upon her finger and again
gain her consent to be his wife, she
drew back with a quick, proud move
ment and said:
mo, James, shall always be friend
to you, but never your wife. You have
shown plainly that you did not love me
as you ought, and feel it is best we
should henceforth meet merely as friends
and neighbors. will own that l have
felt very badly over the way-the way
you have used me. But time heals all
wounds
eyes, time and John Graves, said
James angrily, as he seized his hat. IT
have heard Of his coming here, and if you