St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-30
A LOVE TEST.


In Adversity.
arthur Ferris was tall, blonde, hand
some and twenty-cight He was alse
tne poskessor of . hong head, inherited
1ron tho mxternal side of the house
no was liscwiee dutiful son.
1t wss the two latter circumstances
that hstl, on more than ono occasion,
saved him from making a triumphant
ass OF himself. Just fancy; II It he'd
not been for his long head, Il Is moro
than likely that he would have fallen
desperately in love with that bewitch-
ing governcss of the Hastings, with
whom he had spent several weeks in the
mountains one summer five years ago
But he bad given himself time to think,
ana bad 0cd between two days, much
70 BIS later satisfaction.
Then there was that dear little Miss
Dixon. whom he had met at the seaside.
1t had been = glorious evcning-that
last. They were sitting on thc vcranda,
where they might see and yet he un-
seen The soft, dreamy strains Of
Strauss waltz floatcd ont from the ball
room. There was the pale, silver light
viz sAoOls NstS bsuI IlRIsAC O1
the waves on tho bcach-and all that
sort Of thing, which you have read
about SO many times that yn have
learned to skip it in the novelA
Well Elsie was going away-too,
too soon. They had talked in sighs
and mCrmurs for half an hour; Arthur,s
left hand clasrcd Elsic's dimplcd right
one, his right arm was about her waist;
beth hearts beat vigorously. as hearts
will on such occasions, and Arthur had
just opened his mouth to tell Elsie
what she had bccn waiting for for two
weeks. when there was n step close At
hand. a rustic of skirts, and the cooling
voice OF the maternal Ferris said:
Il beg your pardon. but will you
please excuse Arthur few moments?
There are those miserable business af-
fairs that must bc attended to in time
for tho late mail"
And thus was he saved . second time.
For Elsio had not cent, and neither
had hc-et least. not many of them.
There were several other occasions
when his own long head. or his NAM
mas, had helped him out-for Arthur |
was somewhat susceptible. but it is |
not of these have to tell.
His time had come. The in-evcry- |
way-lesirablc young person had pre-
scntcd herself. True. she was not 50 |
young as she had been; but, then, that
was . mere triflc. She was Just his
own age, of rs good family aS his
own, and an heiress of considerable de-
gree. She was not-wcll, not exactly
handsome, and was rcfier inclined 70
what is politely callcd plumpncss; but
Arthur's mamma and Arthur's long
head give their approval-and Arthur
did not care who she might be, SO long
as she possessed the above quali3ca-
tions, particularly the ono involving
very neat fortune in her own right
Besides. Arthur was getting . Bit
desperate. In fact. he had so far ex-
ccedcd his own salary and the maternal
allowance (which, by the way, was n
large rs Mrs Ferris could affcrd) that
nothing short Of miracle, or matri-
monial alliance. such as he had been 50
long seeking. could save him from get.
ting into ve,y deep water.
And thus 4 came to pass that this
winter found him engaged TO Miss
Bcrnice Field, much 70 Shc satisfaction !
Of his mother. who was visiting in New
York, and to whom he had, like the
dutiful son he was. sent the gratifying
news at once.
He was disappointed. however. on
onc point lie had pleaded artfully for /.
m carly wedding. but Miss Field had
set her foot down with much nrmness I
End said he must 60 through . long
pcriodEsll Of which
Arthur failed to understand. He had
always been noted for his persuasive
powers, and had flattcred himself that I
with her gentle, cliaging. bud I
ike ways. would succumb 1t once.
Now, be it known that Miss Bernice c
Field had not arrived at years Of dis {
.retion Tor nothing. Neither had she,
! not unprepossessing young person, '
With nearly a half-million In her own i
ight passed through the experiences o
4 ten seasons without gathering unto Ii
'crieN much knowledge Of the ways 9
nd wiles Of wicked man. She had
nd, - might have been expected,
ffcrs to high number; but. thus far, v
ke gentlemen concerned had failed II
y reason of their unanimous desire to r
ouch her purse-to touch, in the 1rst Y
lace, the all-importantk key TO it. which Y
vas hidden away in her plump bosom. d
md Miss Bernice Field was worldly 4
rise in her day and generation.
She was certainly IN love with Ferris q
there could be no doubt Of that Il 10
ute rs certain that she was very seri- e
usly in love with him: but, with the N
'isi.om born Of experience. she did not h'
Z him know one-hslf Of what she felt
Dr. him. 81
If anyone had told Ferris that he was II
,<t now il . very shsky position. he @
'ould have scofIed. His ehum. Ed q
ross. who was spending the winter q it
,e house during Mrs. Ferris absence,
ID once suggested that ''there's many
slip" but Arthur merely shied . shoe ps
! him. and whistled serenely. N
It WAS in this frame Of mind that. iii
% evening in February, he ran lightly 1e
D the steps of the Field mansion % q
N on her whom Gross unfeelingiy ~ IN
rred to q his little Lady love-" lt
as warm. and the front door seood
ar. The little tootman was not IN ~,
. accusaomed place. 20 Ferris. with re
e air Of one who knew just where he hi
- going. stepped inside. From The
,en door Of Papa Fields study came be
. sound Of voices IN earnest discus sn
on, and one Of them spoke hts own
amc. re-
He halted. irresolute. - would any ha
70 else under like circumstances Papa M
eld was speaking: r
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