The Opelousas courier., 1893-05-13

regular menu of biscuits, bacon, beef
and potatoes she had some carefully
treasured canned corn and some came
peaches. She wished to make some
peach pies with those peaches, but in her
present state of excitement she was quite
sure she would make an utter failure of
it, and she did not dare risk the attempt.
She got out her very brightest and new
est calico dress and braided her unruly
hair for the first time in months. She
did not even scoid the sly trooper, whom
she caught stealing some milk, for fear
the young lieutenant would com around
10 that side of the house-which would
be dreadfully embarrassing. And yet
Ehe wanted to see the lieutenant and;
hear him talk-oh, so muchl She had,
read in novels some mysterious things
about how young people fell in love
with each other and married-and-i
| we'll, everything is possible in this world.
1t was at supper time that they really
met. The lieutenant made q polite bow,
He was a little bit surprised. He had
heard some of the other officers of the
garrison say ~laughingly that the only
pretty woman in Arizona was Barnaby's
Bess, excepting always, from regimentai
courtesy, tho ladies oil the regiment.
But he had forgotten all about it in the
excitement of his first trip in the field.
It occurred to him now, but she was
prettier than he had imagined she conld
be. His ideas of beauty were framed in
a West Point landscape, and mis- divin-
tiles had been dressed in costly stuffs
and wore diamonds, and were buds from
mature New York family trees. But he
had not seen a pretty woman in several
months, and he was just a little bit en-
barrassed, himself. He hardly noticed
the calico. He was quite charmed by
the white apron. He concluded at once
that, PFhaps, this first scout of his
would not be SO awfully dull after all.
He would firt a ittle-only in fun, OF
course. It would be rather a relief from
the dizziness of the post. So he ate in
silence, and stared so hard at Bess that
her cheeks flushed a deeper crimson than
thew had ever known before. Aud to her
amazement and delight he insisted on
calling her Miss Barnaby. In her day
dreams she had @ften imagined some
handsome young man addressing her re-
spectfully as Miss Barnaby. Here was
the delightful reality. She spilled the
coffee, and could not eat q mouthful OF
supper, although she was tired and hun
CRY.
And after supper the young lie tenant
insisted on helping her wash the Gshes.
He said it would be great fun, and quite
q relief from the rough life of a soldier.
Poor y~oungster, he had become So used
TO wars alarms. In fact they hid be-
come quite a bore. And it seemed to
Ress that he stood awfully close to her.
Once Or twice their. hands touched-an
eccident, she was quite sure. Aud, them
when all her work was finished, the
dishes cleaned, the cows and horses fed
Gin all of which duties the young lieu
tenant helped)-delight of delightsl-
he actually asked her to take a little
walk with him. Next to taking her to
a real ball, where people danced and ate
ice cream, as she had read in the books
and story papers, he could have done
nothing more to make her absolutely
happy.
AS for him, it seemed like old days in
camp at West Point. She was a girl,
and she was pretty. Her calico dress in
the moonlight looked very well, and she
had taken off the apron. They strolled
up the road a little distance aud then
branched off on a winding trail that led
down to a little valley that was flooded
with the rich moonlight that broke
through the clear Arizona atmosphere.
There was an intersecting trail at the
foot, and when they reached it, Bess
gave a little start, and the lieutenant,
with all his old West Point promptness,
took advantage OF the opportunity to
place his armtaround her waist.
esDon't be afraid, +" he whispered very
manfully.
.'Oh, I am not" she answered, do.
murely.
And then she stopped down quickly
and seemed to pick something up from
the trail.
"Did you drop anythings" he asked
with mock politeness. "Why didn't you
tell mea It was my duty to pick it up.
you. know"
sI did not deop anything" she N,
sWered. Lets SIT down on this rock
TheEsat doRn on the rock, and the
yamgsdeutaaant,. with hfsheaEt beating
very fast, pat his arm around her waist
again and took hold of her hands and
found himself unconseiously looking for
rings, in the hammer of young men who
wish to hold a young iady's hand and
feel in duty bound to offer some, slight
excuse to the fair me-. They did not
talk very much. There was not mucht to
talk about. Their mutual friends were
few, and therefore there could be NC
gossip. The theatre, books, styles
about everything was barred, from me-
cessity. Nevertheless, it was not long
before the lieutenant's brown moustache
drew gradually near to Bess's prettylips,
and,snot long after that, Bess received
the first kiss she had ever had from &
young man. She did not struggle. She
was utterly unaware of the arts of her
fair sisters in the East. But she did turn
squarelysaround and look the ieutenaat
very earnestly in the face.
st..Do you mean anything by thata' she
asked him. 9
He was surprised at the question, aud
be was gentleman enough to perceive
thai vsaasS kkas a mere evenings diversion