Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-19
BEWITCHED

church fair, with a ball thrown IN,
wrote forthwith, promising to bring hal
a dozen friends.
We reached the large field in which the
tents We're pitched-entrance 50 cents
which we paid cheerfully, it being the first
demand. In the field we found the usua
wheel of fortune, gypsy's tent, refresh
ment stall and n large marquee witt
gayly dressed counters and still more gay
ly dressed girls behind them. Suddenly
one Of my companions exclaimed:
Hello! Branthwyate, look at that lit
tie creature there, standing on a chair.
looked around, of course, little think
ing what would be the consequence, and
my gaze was %spellbound by the sweetest
little fairy eyes ever looked upon. There
she stood on a chair before n little looking
! glass, trying on a pink hood, which she
J was e~ndeavoring to persuade some idiot tC
buy. s
My first feeling on seeing her was that
I had never truly loved till then, my sec
ond an almost irresistible inclination to
knock down that driveling maniac who
was actually h~esitating about buying the
hood. He said it would be of no use to
him. Fool!
In a moment l was beside the chair,
and, speechless with emotion, | rendered
a IS bill for the precious article.
"Ah, that's capital" she said, with the
sweetest look of gratitude. why, Mr..
Screwker has been doubling whether he
would give me So for it. l hope you don't
want any changer"
"Changer I gasped. "Neverr'
"Then come to our STALL" she said,
jumping daintily down from her elevated
post, land l will find some of my very
own work for you"
I, of course, followed her to a large stall,
where three other charming girls and a
handsome mamma presided, and of course
1 gave a fabulous price for a cigar case
which she said she had worked. I dom
believe she had, for it was hideous. OF
course, too, l had to buy something quite
useless of all the three sisters and to put
into all the %raff1es, winning at last Il large
wax doll several sizes bigger than a child
of 6 months.
"You make a capital ~shopwoman,"
said.
"Ah, yes! l have some olerable lodges.
1 did a good business before you came in
faded 10 cent bouquets which l sold for 81.
They were so worthless that a good many
people gave them back to me, and l sold
them over again. I sold one nine times
and made SO by it" And she gave a merry
little laugh sat the folly of some people, "
with a sly glance at me. l ventured on a
tender %reproach.
"And nothing whispered to you to keep
a bouquet for me9"
"No, indeed, but I can get you u rose
bud-a beauty-if you like"
She soon came running back breathless,
| her hands full of lovely rosebuds.
"Now, what will you give me for thisp'
Anything, everything; all the money
l have Left" l cried, thrusting my hands
into my pockets. But, alas, all my search
ing could not bring to light more than one
miserable 5 cent piece! Imagine my dis
may!
"My dear girl, I stammered, "you see
| this is all l have left"
"Oh, you surely can't intend to be SO
mean when I ran all the way up the gar
| den to fetch them and pricked my finger
| and made it bleed?" And she held out a
little white punctured f%orefinger to verify
her words. "You have your watch" she
added, and you car redeem it tomorrow
own 1 felt rather staggered at this.
My watch was a valuable family relic, set
| with brilliants, and on the safety of which
| depended the favor of an aged and equity
uncle of Grabbed disposition and enor.
nous wealth. But the blue eyes were fixed
un Me aud seemed to wonder at my delay.
/ placed my watch in one outstretched
hand and received the rosebud from the
other.
"Wear it tonight, and l will dance with
you," she whispered as II eyes met fol
q. moment.
started for the ball at 10 o'clock, fully
determined to propose at once. She was
late, but at last l saw her coming up the
stairs, followed by her three sisters, with
the mamma and the clergyman l had seer
with them in the afternoon.
1 seized hold of the first steward l met
and begged him to introduce me to "that
young lady," pointing her out.
The usual formula was pronounced
Captain neutrality-suspicious. Nevill. .
| Was that the name? l could not be sure
I had no time to think about it, for the
waltz began at once, and I seemed to be
floating in a sea of bliss, with an angel in
my arms, keeping time to the music of the
spheres.
At last we landed on an out of the way
sofa, where I resolved to ask her to be
mine forever. But when l managed to
stammer out that 1 knew 1 was ''quite un-
worthy Of her, yet If the devotion Of a life
time" ETC., she said quietly, II think you
must mistake me for one Of my sisters. .
1 assured her that such a mistake was quite
impossible. "Then you cannot have heard
my name"
"Oh, yes" I said; "Miss Nevill. 1 lis.
tened particularly for your name and heard
it quite we'll"
my name is Mrs. Needall. You must
have seen my husband standing by my
stall. The bazaar was for the endowment
Of our church and to build us a vicarage.
I think you were my best customer" she
added, with a triumphant toss Of her lit.
! tie head that completely maddened me.
/; I had not the heart to redeem my watch,
SO that, in addition to my other troubles,
I have incurred the lasting displeasure of
my uncle and lost the chance of some
thousands a year. All this because I was
fool enough to go and be swindled at a