The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-02-19
Woman Disposes
By
JOHN c. FISCHBECK



OF this fair province of Virginia. was
young gallant then, and not a some
what sluggish dullard, as l have be-
come. And Nine. Clarendon, whom you
may see knitting placidly by the window
yonder. was neither elderly nor gray
haired. She was as lissome young lass
as one might wish to see, and when
saw her first, riding along country lane
on her palfrey, felt that Cupid's S arrows
had wounded me once for all.
Now, this is bit of personal history,
and refers to Christmas time and stormy
weather, such as sometimes happens
though but rarely, in our Virginia. There
were many merry -makings in the coun-
try in those days, when the example OF
pleasure-loving monarch. hoWDelt ne
dwelt across the seas, encouraged MS
people in all such harmless 1nCulgences
1t was at a neighbor'S place, where we
were enjoying a dance, not long before
the beginning of the holiday season, that
| made my bow to sweet Mistress Pru-
dence Haywood. But she would have
none of me, tossing her pretty head and
bustling off on the arm of one of her 9TH
er suit0rs.
thought this bad beginning. but re-
minded me of the proyerb about the
brave and the fair, and determined TO
press my suit 1t chanced that her
father had been an old comrade of mine
in the Indian wars, and | soon found
means to visit him. The old man re-
ceived me cordially, and as we sat over
our mugs in the comfortable wainscotted
hall of his fine old dwelling, he rehearsed
to me the eventful story of his cam
paigns I listened with outward re-
spect, but, as l confess with some
shame, with small attention; because
Mistress Prudence served us from time
to time, as the mugs ran dry-talklng
being thirsty work-as my eyes and ears
were for her alone.
need not say that once established in
the good mans graces, | was asslduous
in my wooing. But Prudence put me
off with the art of which every maid,
however country bred, is mistress. AT
the end of the twelvemonth | knew no
better how | stood in her estimation
than I did at the beginning.
Christmas eve was approaching, and
with the decline of the year came fire.
quent storms and tremendous SHOWS,
such as the people of the vicinage had
not seen for a time longer than COM
passed by the memory of the Oldest man
amongst U.S. Travel was not only diff
cult. but perilous, and hardly a morn
ing passed but brought tidings of dis
tress, not rarely coupled with the news
that some daring equestrian had sue
cumbed to the cold, or been 'whelmed In
a treacherouS creek. | could not leave
my lonely hall in such weather without
a decent excuse and for week searched
in vain for reasonable pretext to dare
the dangerous roads and see Prudence
again l was very much in love, and it
seemed at length as though would risk
any danger, just to see her sweet face
again.
At last | could no longer deny the
qualification of my desire. So, saddling
nv horse, Dobbin, pushed through the
heavy drifts and on to Holloway hall,
passing over the great stone bridge
across the river which separates the
two estates. l noted that the ice had ac-
cumulated perilously against the CEN
tral arch of the bridge, and remarked to
myself that there would be risk, an the
weather moderated not, of the ancient
structure collapsing before the tre-
mendous pressure. At another time or
on another mission, l might have dis
mounted and made an examination of
the masonry, but l pushed on. assuring
myself that there was no immediate
peril. and that the stonework had stood
30 winters, even if none so severe as
this. and would doubtless survive few
brief days of stress.
AS I brushed the snow from my cloak
in the porch of Holloway, could not but
feel a sense of foolishness, for having
yentured on a visit at time SO evident
1y unpropitious. Old Master Haywood
was absent, but Prudence met me at the
door.
"Why, Master Clarendon" she said,
saucily. "'tis a rough wind that blows
Won hither. Shall bid you welcome, or
no."
"As you prefer" answered, somewhat
stiffly, for l was nettled at the mockery
m her eyes. But since 1 come SO far
and by such dangerous roads, may tell
YOU that I have an object in doing SO"
A sudden color famed into her cheeks,
and she drew back with little exclama-