The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-09-06

you s., ul,; u" having from me if it
weren't for the dustiness Of it. Wait
till we come to the board walk
She had some big pink roses at her
waist.
Indicating these, he answered. In
the meantime, know very well lad
that would be blithe to accept a pretty
token of any lady's high esteem"
But you have one ALREADY, very
beautiful one" She gave hin, a genial
up and down glance from head tc foot
half uuizzical and half applauding, but
so QUICK he scarcely saw It, and he was
glad he had resurrected the straw hat
with the youthful ribbon and his other
festal vestures. ''And a very becoming
flower white rose is" she continued,
though am bold girl to be blarney-
ing with young gentleman 1 met no
longer ago than last night"
"But why shouldn't you blarney with
a gentleman when you began by saw
ing his life?"
Especially when the gentleman had
the politeness to gallop about the coln-
ty with me tucked Under his arm"
She stood still and laughed softly, but
consummately. and her eyes closed
tight with the mirth of it. She had
taken one Of the roses from her waist,
and as she stood holding it by the long
stem it's cool petals lightly pressed her
lips.
"You may have it-in exchange" she
said. He bent down to her, and she
fastened her rose in place of the white
one in his coat. She did not ask him.
directly or indirectly, who had put the
white one there for him. She knew by
the way it was pinned that he had
done it himself. "Who is it that ev'ry
morning brings me these lovely flow
ers?" she burlesqued as he bent over
her.
'Mr. Windy" he returned. Il will
point him out to you. You must see
him and Mr. Bodeffer, who is the old
est inhabitant and the crossest of Car
| low"
'.Will you present them to me-"
''No; they might talk to you and
take some of my time with you away
from me-
| Her eyes sparkled into his for the
merest fraction of a second, and she
laughed. Then she dropped his lapel.
and they proceeded. She did not put
the white rose in her belt, but carried
it. >e~oe -: '.ss'z-sis is~'-~ezsz ~;
The square was heaving with JOS
ting, moving, good natured, happy and
constantly increasing crowd that over
flowed on Main street in both direc-
tons and whose good nature augment
ed in the ratio that its size increased.
| The streets were a kaleidoscope Of
many colors, and every window open
! ing on Main street or the square was
filed with eager faces. By 9 o'clock
all the windows Of the courthouse in
| the center of the square were occupied.
Here most Of the damsels congregated
| to enjoy the spectacle Of the parade.
and their swains attended, posted at
coigns Of less vantage behind the la
dies. Some of the faces that peeped
from the windows Of the dark, old,
shady courthouse were pretty, and
some Of them were not pretty, but near.
| ly all Of them were rosy checked, and
all were pleasant to see because of the
good cheer they kept.
Here and there, along the sidewalk
below, father worked his way through
| the throng, licorice bedaubed cherub
on one arm, his coat borne with long
enough) on the other, followed by a
| mother, with the other children hang
ing to her skirts and tagging exasper-
atingly behind, holding red and blue
toy balloons and delectable candy
5atons of spiral striped peppermint in
lightly closed. sadly sticky fingers. 4
thousand cries rent the air-the stroll
ing mountebanks and gypsying booth
merchants, the peanut yenders. the
boys with palm leaf fans for sale, the
candy sellers. the popcorn peddlers. the
Italian with the toy balloons that float
like cluster of colored bubbles above
the heads of the crowd and the bal
looms that wall like baby; the red
lemonade man, shouting in the shrill
voice that reaches everywhere and en-
dures forever: "Lemo'! Lemo'! Five
| a glass. Ice cole lemo'! Five cents.
nickel. a half 4 dime. the twentieth
potofadollah! Lemo'! Ice cole lemo'.."
all the vociferating harbingers Of the
circus crying their wares. Timid
youths in shoes covered with dust
through which the morning polish but
tlimly shone and unalterably hooked
by the arm to blushing maidens bought
recklessly Of peanuts, of candy, of pop
corn, Of all known sweetmeats. per-
chance, and forced their way to the
lemonade stands, and there, all shyly,
silently slipped the crimson stained am
brosia Everywhere the hawkers din
ned, and everywhere was heard the
nlaintiye So1avk of the tOV ballOOn