The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-01-29

for the affair.
So on that memorable Saturday even
ing a score or more of us, by special
invitation, repaired to Miss Hates vine
clad cottage, which was situated just
outside of town, all prepared to have a
quiet, sociable, but jovial time.
Unfortunately for Ginger, in antici-
patton of the pleasure of the evening,
he had INDUCED a trif1e too much in his
favorite beverage during the afternoon.
Whether it was the whisky or the gin
ger that worked the change In him, I
never could ascertain, but certain it
was that he was a trifle weak in his
limbs, and slightly incoherent in his
speech.
Miss Revere was alone in the parlor
when we arrived and received us with
true southern hospitality. How beau
tiful she looked! What a vision of de-
light she appeared! There's nothing
half SO sweet in life as a loves young
dream" said Tom Moore more than
eighty years ago. That sentiment held
good in 1866, and does yet if an old
timers opinion is worth recording.
Certainly never before or since have I
seen anyone look "half so sweet" as
Kate did on that evening. She was the
very embodiment of loves young
dream"
Well, the young lady sat down to the
piano, and for half an hour enter
tanned us with the "Star Spangled Ban
ner," the Bonnie Blue Flag" Hail
! CcJ,,,o -: n /, tsNE,, M ory1o, ~, 49, ,o ~;o,,.
other patriotic airs. When she con-
cluded Ginger rose, wa2tzed gracefully
to the old-fashioned sideboard, upon
which glasses and decanters were
placed, and requested us to imbibe. AS
n man we accepted the invitation.
Then the prospective bridegroom raised
his glass, and suffered: "N-now, gen
gentlemen sh-show your bot-bottom."
We were about to empty when my eye
Warningly.
"Wh-wha!'s matter?" persisted Gin
ger. "Sh-show bot-bottom!'
Again I raised my hand. Instinc-
lively every eye turned toward me, and
from me to Kate.
She stood erect, her tall form tower
ing to it's fullest height, and from her
black eyes flashed forth a glance OF
scoTn and contempt.
"Unmanly boor" she cried, sis this
language fit for a lady's presence? Be-
gone!" and she haughtily pointed to-
ward the door.
AS if by magic the recreant lover
stood before her completely sobered.
Kate" he cried %piteously. But the
haughty southern blood within her
was afire. That blood which overcame
us at Bull Run and Charlottesville
and nearly turned the tide of battle at
Gettysburg, was boiling in her veins
like a volcano, and she again pointed
to the door.
Broken hearted, crestfallen, humili-
ated, Ginger seized his hat and de-
parted. Silently We followed in his
footsteps.
Poor Ginger! We tried to comfort
him, but he was inconsolable. A few
days afterward he endeavored to ex-
plain and affect a reconciliation. But
twas of no avail. The imperious
maiden, who should have been born in
the middle ages-"in the days of old
when knights were bold"-refused,
most emphatically, to harken to his
frantic appeal, and preemptorily or
dered him from her presence. Within
a fortnight lie left the Sunny South
for the rugged hills of his native New
Hampshire.
A dozen years ago. while touring the
eastern states I met Ginger in a coun-
try town in Massachusetts,. He was
greatly changed; presumably old, and
suffering from melancholia. He made