The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-02

dent. Ruby, my dear, you behaved like
an angel"
"Dld I, papa'' that young lady re.
piled, demurely, glancing at him from
under her jetty lashes, while the least
bit of a smile twitched threateningly at
the dimpled corners of her rosy mouth.
"l'm glad to see you haven't got any
school-girlish notions in your head,
Ruby. l was not without fear that you
intended to be perverse in this matter.
It's splendid match, child, splendid.
Dusenbury's very rich-most thriving
firm, really, in the city-and we're think
ing, child, OF consolidating our two
houses-'St. Maur, Dusenbury & Co. =
do a magnificent business then, perfectly
magnificent. / was afraid Dusenbury
would bolt from the scheme. But he
won't now, If this matter goes on as it's
begun. Why, Ruby, you'll be the
proudest woman alive when you're Mrs.
Dusenbury."
81 dare say shall, papa; but what's
become of the old cormorant's son2"
"Mr. Dugenbury's sen was bad fell
| L
him."
81 don't believe he was bad oit,
now. His father just wanted to make
withered old hunks Of him like himself,
and because he couldn't do it he disowned
him." Ruby exclaimed, with irate en-
phasis and rosy pout. 81 know one
thing: If l ever get the power Hunt
Duscnbury's father shall do him Justice. y
Mr.. St. Maur stared in a speechless
astonishment from which he did not re-
cover till after Ruby had given him her
good; might kiss and swept like an indig
nant little queen from the room.
."What strange child she IS really,
upon my word," he muttered then.
Miss Ruby st. Maur was q somewhat
indolent, luxurious little body. She was
very fond of curling herself away among
silken cushions and dreaming sometimes
waking vision. She was occupied pre-
cisely thus one morning, of which | am
going to tell you. She looked like a
feminine edition of Cupid asleep among
the roses, though she wasn't asleep, or
if she was she was decidedly talkative
in her slumber.
"Now, then" she murmured, bring
ing her little rosy palm emphatically
down upon, the cushions, eff l could
bring that fastldlous Hunt to the point,
I'd fix matters in twinkling. What is
it to him if papa has got money! 1t
ISN'T papa's money he wants-it's me,
and why he can't say so I'd like to know.
suppose, now, if / was his washerwo-
mans daughter he'd find way to tell
me he loved me in very short order,
but"
"Mr. Dusenbury," announced the SER
want at the door; and not seeming to
have heard, Ruby sat still, and pretend
ed to be very SOUND asleep indeed.
If this were Mr.. Dusenbury, he must
have drunk at the fountain Of youth since
Yesterday, for this gentleman could not
have been more than twenty five, and he
carried himself with the handsome grace
OF Apollo.
As the door closed behind him he ad-
vanced slowly down the parlor, not see
inc the sleeping beauty till he came be-
side her, and pausing then in rapt adj
miration before so charming picture.
1t was an admirably couaterfeited
slumber-the jetty lashes untremblingly
prone upon the velvetry cheeks, the
breath coming at regular intervals
through the rosebud mouth. 1t wasn't
much wonder that Mr.. Hunt Dusenbury
caught his breath, and murmured;
II wish | dare!"
The lips of the fair sleeper moved
slightly, and bending to catch faint
utterance, he heard something that
sounded wonderfully like his own name
with caressngly expressive prefix.
Mr.. Hunt Dusenbury rather doubted
the evidence of his own ears, but he
acted quite as though he didn't, for,
Shining an arm under the little curl
dressed head, he drew it to his shoulder,
and when Ruby opened her wide, bright
eyes in profound astonishment, he kissed
them shat again, murmuring:
"Oh, Ruby, Ruby, my darling, love
youa"
She flushed like a rose under his
kisses, but she couldn't resist the temp
tation to be tantalizing, so she said,
pouhngly:
"Wel, Hunt, what if you do9 You
know papa has got ever and ever so
much money, and Pm all the girl he's
cot aud l don't know how you can have
the audacity to tell me that, under the
circumstances"
Hunt looked perplexed minute, but
he caught the mischievous sparkle OF
Ruby's roguish eyes, and sealed them
aeair with his lips.
.'Confess now,7 he whispered, laugh