The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-16


woras-tell ME now if you love me or
no.
She averted her face an instant, and
then suddenly looking him full in the
eyes, replied with seriousness that
declared the irrevocable nature of her
answer:
"Yes, Dave, I love you, and if you
don't know it"-here she dropped her
eyes and blushed-"I am sure you
ought to know it,"
"And you'll marry me?"
"Yes, Dave"
"And if your parents won't consent
to it, you will run away with me?'
"Yes, Dave"
"And you'll kick Martin Sawyer?'
eyes, Dave-but do give me time so
that l can do it without hurtin' bis
feelins."
Noble-hearted Bekky when misfor-
tune shall approach your dwelling to
deliver your allotment of earthly woe,
those words shall blaze out upon your
cottage door, and the monster will leave
your happiness unmarried.
II never gave Martin any reason to
believe that l loved him, but it's as
much as can do to prevent him from
axin' me to marry him. Here is a
Easter egg he gave me Yesterday"
She rose up from her chair, and fol-
lowed by David, went to the mantle
piece and took from tumbler a guinea
egg dyed in madder.
"Since you gave me your egg,' she
continued, II have fell upon plan to
let Martin know that I prefer you"
MARTINS been my buzzum friend,
and be has know'd for more than three
weeks that I loved you; now I'll be
ding'd if'--
"Oh Dave. Dave! Dave! what have
you said?-Oh nerer say again you'll
be ding'd', for it's profa1e swearin' as
sure as you're man, Dave. Oh to
think now that you have cursed in my
presence! Do don't git in a quarrel
with Martin-oh he has sich high
temper, and he fights so fearful-do
don't quarrel with him; for my sake,
Dave, do don't! do don'tr'
"Dog my old cat if Pm afeard of
him." returned David with a stubborn
ness for which Ringwood ought to have
scratched dirt into his face for month
afterwards. Tears streamed over Bek-
ky's face-she clasped David's arm,
and bearing all her weight upon it,
forced him down into the chair from
which he had risen, aud sank upon his
knee as naturally as child would have
done; for real grief knows no rules Of
etiquette. Her heart was full; the
man who had said grace at her fathers
table, and to whom she was betrothed
-ay, irrevocably betrothed-had sworn
a frightful oath in her presence. She
hid her face upon his shoulder and
wept most piteously. David could not
stand it-who could? Tears the size of
April rain drops ran races down his
cheeks, and after several Intellectual at
tempts to keep his heart down by
swallowing, it would come up to the
very top of his throat, where it poured
out it's anguish in the most woeful
sobs.
"Bek-keky! oh Bek-kek-ky," he
blubbered, ''do-hoo-hoo-oo-oo don't
cry-y-y-y! Oh jeeminy what have
went and done now! There, Bekky,
hush-there now-there-there-there-
do hush ~
"You-you-you won't hur-hur-hurt
my fee-fee-fee-feelin any more DaVe?"
"No, Bekky."
"You-you won't say you'll be-be DID,
d-ding'd any more?"
''No, Bekky."
"An-an-an-and you won't fi-fi-f-fi-
fight Martin Sawyer"
"No, Bekky."
She kissed him, and taking her hand
kerchief wiped the tears out of David's
eyes. until his eye-lids became as red
as the under crust of a blackberry tart.
The congregation at St.John's Church
was large one on the Easter Sunday
Of 1880. Dozens of kind-hearted old
ladies, perfumed with sprigs Of thyme,
were distributing eggs among the chill
dren to prevent their crying in church,
old men were giving opinions about
the weather, and prospects of the crops,
and the boys and girls were going to
and from the spring, as il they had just
been delivered from the black hole of
Calcutta and were dying of thirst;
Martin Sawyer was dressed out in his
tidiest, and had hitched vixenish
little animal, named ITorpin BarS, Near
the spot where be knew Bekky would
dismount. He was waiting there for
her, but when he saw she was ac-
companied by David Hartman, he
walked moodily to the church. At the
hour when the congregation were dis
persing, the two rivals, much to the
dismay of Bekky, manifested consider
able hostility towards each other.
David assisted her into her saddle; but
while he was away for his horse, Mar
tin urged Warpin Bars to the right
side of Becky, and commenced rat