The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-06-04

which saw caused mo 20 pull my bat
from my head and my blood 90 tngle.
Tho most piquant, beautiful girl IN
the world oantered by. with o. sidolong
look nt me from her flashing eyes. and
her checks glowing with blood made
rich and warm by prairie sun and wind.
She was a picture IN her short black
habit, glossy bat and gauntlots; bit
from Central park transplanied 70
prairie sod. / looked after her until
she was out Of sight Then ! rode
back 20 town 10 End out who she was.
81 learned that sho was an Eastern
girl, fresh from the restraint oiachoola
and a molherless home. That she was
visiting q sister, whose husband owned
a cotton gin near the town. / met
that brother.in.law, and as we had
both belonged 10 the same Greek
letter society he took me 10 his heart
and blessed him for Il.
"Ihat night he introduced mo to
her. The little square cottage was
furnished in exquisite taste with
things brought from the Eastern
home. When We entered the parlor
she sat of the piano singing a merry
little song. She wore q fresh pink
print gown and was even lovelier than
In her riding habit
"'Thisis Mr.. Mallon Of the Two. Bar
ranch, Josephine, said the brother
in.law.
"'Ah, the cowboy, she exclaimed.
4 met You on the way home from my
morning ride. ] find cowboys inter
esting.'
! A"I took note that her name was
josephine and that che made q prac.
tice Of morning rides. We past a Jolly
evening, in which she told mo Of the
East, as something new TO me, and
that she liked Western men. 1 left
my heart with her when went away. "
AT this threw my book aside, for
now / was interested.
"Ihe next morning made IL my
business to meet her as she left the
town to canter across the prairie.
"What a fortunate chance meeting"
she said, with an eye flash, and tried
to look innocent. She was a superb
rider and we galloped OF IN the morn
ing wind, and back 10 town again to
breakfast. AS changeful as tho prairie
under the flying clouds, she was beau.
tiful and enticing in all her moods.
After that we spent the days in the
saddle, and the evenings over the
piano with songs and laughter.
"When spoke to her OF love she
frowned, and told me that her sister
had married against her fathers wishes,
and that be did not like Western men.
I'VE will win him over then, said l.
And one moment she would be gracious
and give me hope the next her irown
would send me into the depths.
"She had a way of adding a word OF
two TO her frequent little notes to me
about this OF that happy service Of
mine, that made me feel that my alb
sence meant something to her. And
whenever [ could, wrote a note t.
her that demanded a reply. And thus
myl owe making progressed; a hope
and a smile, irown aud a sigh, fol
lowing each other closely.
"It was her last day in Oklahoma,
and l pressed my suit vigorously, but
she was firm in her rejection of it
although saw misty look in hel
sweet violet eyes more than once. Al
the last moment she surrendered tt
me, and as took her in my aims, sh,
said: 4 love you, my Westernman.
''As l put her on the train tina
night l told her / would write he
father at once and ask his consent tt
! our marriage. But she would not le
me, and babe me wait until she haC
reached home to act rs buffer for tn
,, letter and to soften the reply. 20
you will not get me without a fight,
said she. And surely she was wort
fighting for.
"They oil are" said wisely.
, cat the end of week wrote t
. her father. It was frank letter, tell
ing him l loved his daughter, that
. was Western man and proud OF il
and giving him a short and truthfu
a history of my doings. His reply VIC
curt and insulting. He said his daugI
/ ter was worthy of something bette
! than Western man. My reply to tn
, was rather spirited. I told him tha
no man was better than q Wester
a man, and that if Western man VIZ
a UNIV orthy of her, surely all men were
and, in truth, no man is, entirely. 7
a this l received no reply.
4 zone day I walked into the hotel
4 the town and passed man whom
!. knew was from the East by his maj
7 ner, his clothes and other evidence
4 He was reading newspaper, and /
: title was toward me and in plain view
4 It was from her home in Massachl
= sets. 1 had seen him in the town fl
aeveral davs. but he had not particI