St. Landry democrat., 1891-07-11
TIE PRETTY HAM.

~ sprfking, | am fully az confident
and forward as most OF my sex. |
dress well, dance well, sing tolerahly !;
| don't tread on ladies' dresses, WIEN
| make my bow; and have not the
trick of coloring to the roots OF my
hair when | am spoken to. Yet there
was one period of my life, when all
my merits seemed to my own eyes in
significant, and Ifelt very modest, not
to say bashful. TWAS when l Was in
love. Then, | sometimes did not
know where to put my hands and feet
Did | mention that IN the SAID hands
and feet consists my greatest beauty?
They are both small.
Three years ago fell i'll love. I did
not walk into it quietly, weighing my
idols perfections against her defects.
fell in, head and ears, two seconds
sitter the Introduction.
"Mr. Hayes, Miss arnold,' said q
mt tual friend, and 10. | was desper-
atey III love. She was q little
fairy-hke figure, with long, brown
curs floating over snowy neck and
shoulders, and falling down on the
waist of an enchanting sky-blue dress.
Her large, dark blue eyes were full of
jaucy light; yet, oh! how tender and
loving they could look.
OF all the provoking, tantalizing lit
tie cOuuettes that ever teased the
heart out OF a poor man, Susy Arnold
was the most bewitching. would
pass anevening with her, and 60 home
certain that one more interview
would make me the happiest Of men;
but the next time | met her, q cool
nod, and Indifferent glance, threw
down all my castles. She was very
cautious. Not Il word did she drop
! to make me believe that She
loved me; and yet her hand
would linger III mine, her color
rise if l looked my feelings, and her
eyes droop, to be raised again in an
instant, full of laughing defiance.
She declared her intention to be an
| old maid most emphntically, and in
! the next sentence would add. 'Inevcr
did love; but if should take a fancy
to anybody, should love him dearly!
dearly. Though she would say
cureessly, II never saw anybody yet
worth settling my thoughts upon
tried III a thousand ways to make
her betray some interest III myself
Propose outright, | could not. She
| had a way, whenever | tried it, Of
| looking into my face with an air Of
grave attention, of profound interest
that WAS equivalent i'll its effect OF
| l., 4 oil 40
| breath out of mo.
One evening, while there, was sliced
| with q violent headache. | told he7' |
| was subject to such attacks; and the
| GYPSY, putting on a grave face, gave
me q lecture on the subject of health
| winding up with "The best thing you
can do is to get Il wife to take aarc OF
| you, and to keep you from overstuGy.
advise you to do tit you can get
| anybody to have you"
"ndeed,' sad, rather piqued, "there
are only too many. | refrain from a
selection for fear OF breaking other
hearts. How fond all the ladies IRE
OF me.' Iaddcl, conceitedIy, "though
] can't see that | am particularly fas-
chatting"
Neither can ! said susy, with an
air of perfect sim, lefty.
Cant you?" said I, 81 hoped
| hoped Ga. that dreadfully at
tentive face of hers. "That is, Miss
| Susv, [ thought, '.crhaps-Oh! my
head! my llcad!' nd buried my face
in the cushion.
"Does j. sche so very badly" she
asked, ten CT ~, and she put her cool
little hand in among my curls. felt
| the thrill her fingers gave me, all the
way to the toes of my boots. My
head being really very painful l was
obliged to lea, e; but, al. the way home,
the soft, COO touch of those little fin
gers ling rec rpon my brow.
Soon after this, it became necessary
for me to leave home on business.
| One thing was certain, | could not
leave for months, perhaps years,
without some answer from Susy.
Dressed in my Il, ost fautless costume,
and full OF hope, | went to Mr..
Arnold's Susy was in the parlor--
at the piano-alone! She nodded
gaily, as | came ir. but continued her
song. 1t was "I've something sweet
to tell you"
At the words, 81 love you! adore
you" she gave me such glance. |
was ready to PROSTATE myself; but,
sweeping back the curls with laughing
defiance, she warbled. "But, Pm
talking in my sleep!'
"Theu," cried, you love me when
you s,eep May think so?'
ooh! yes, if you choose; for Rory
O'More says that dreams 60 by con-
traries, you know"
sat down beside her. "Ahl" / said,
signing, "Rory's idol dreamt she hated
him."
eyes" said Susy, chat was the diff,
ference between his case and yours. -
We chatted away for u time. At
last | begun, "Miss Arnold | came up
this evening to tell you that It,
| How she was listeningI A bright
thought struck me: would tell her OF
my journey, and in the emotion she
was certain to betray, 1T would be
easy to declare my love.
"Miss Susy," l said, II am going to
Paris tomorrow"
She swept her hands across the keys
Of the piano into q stormy polka. !
tried to see her face but her cur Is fell
over it. | was prepared to catch her,
LIT she tainted, or comfort her II she
wept. listened for the sobs fancled
the music was intended to concesa;