IN SEARCH OF A MAN.
After Joaquin Miller.

 

BY EBEN E. BEXFORD.

 

She sat upon the old oak log,
That hes not far from J ones’s bog,
And heard the ky-i of a dog, ‘
And creaking of a monstrous frog;
She saw old J ones’s brindle steers,
And animals with wondrous ears, I
And voice more wonderful; and tears
Came down her checks in copious streams,
And followed up the furrowed seams ‘
Which put her mouth in brackets. So
She let her feelings overflow
The gull-hes of her eyes in tears,
While thinking of the vanished years,
And him whom she had thought to wed
Some twenty years or more ago.
And, “ I’m a maiden yet!” she said,
In accents terrible and low.
And then old J ones's rooster flew
Upon the gate, and crew, and crew,
And mocked the damsel, as she eat
And wept to think she was not wed.
“ Youthspeckled brute!” she cried, “ take
at 2!
And shied a bowldcr at his head.
The rock against his plumage smote,
And with a crow stuck in his throat,
And head lopped over on one side,
The bird fell down, and kicked, and died.

She saw a swaln, likewise a maid,
Come down the road, and she was mad.

“ The iris have beaux enough," she said,

“ ut one in years I have not had!”
And then she saw the bashful swain
Look sheepish, red, and green again,
Half-frightengd when the maiden’s glance
Was lifted up ‘to his askance.

“ What dratted fools the men are!" then
This ancient damsel cried. “ The men
Get spooney over us, and grin
Like monkeys ere they turned to man;
But if we smile, encouraging
Advances. and a wedding-ring,

It scares ’em, and they won‘t propose,
Thou h we'd be willing, goodness knows!"
And t on this ancient damsel rose, ,
Pinned up her hair, and blew her nose. ‘
Then, with her digits stretched toward Hea-
ven, _
With energy enough for seven
She swore an oath, and this she said:
“ This kind 0’ thing is getting thin!
I’ll have a man, or I will die!”
A tear was in her pale blue eye,
And awful meaning in her tones
If not much meat upon her bones,
As standing by that bog of Jones’,
She swore her oath, and looking grim
As any squaw in war- aint, she
Resolved to o in score of him
Who shoul her lord and master be.

She went, and went; and days went by,

But she found not the man she soug t.
Despair was in her ancient ego.

“ But I’ll not give it up,” 8 e thou ht.
And one sweet night she dreamed a ream
And woke with hope s entrancing beam
Within her sunken eyes agleam.

f‘ I know the lace wherein to seek
The man want so much," she cried,
“ And I‘ll be married ere a week.”

And she set off with rapid stride
And on she strode, and strode, and strode;

Once in awhile she got a ride; '

And over as she strode or rode
“ I’m going to find a man!” she cried.

She were her shoes out, and her dress
Was torn to sl nals of distress;

Her avoirdupo s grew less and less.

But like the vulture, who can scent

His prey ahead, right on shewent;

And nothin turned her etc 8, nor stayed
The onwa march of this 0 d maid.

She reached the place she sought, at last; '
“ Praise; god!’ cried she, when first she
s e '
The city of the saints; and fast
She strode to where the saints abide.
She dropped down, breathless, footsore, faint,
Before the first fat, greasy saint,
And, “ Find a man for me!” cried she.
“ If he has thirt wives, or three,
No matter, so 6 marries me .’
This is the place I long have sought , ,
And mourned because I found it not.”
And then she said, “ I'm from the States.”
The elders 8 ed her, and they shook
Their fat old 8 d as, and scratched their pates;
Oh! she had such a hopeful look!
It touched their hearts. And then upspoke
One of them, and he bade them bring
This candidate for'wedlock’s yoke
To one who’d room beneathhis wing
For one more wife; and fast and free
She followed where the elders led.
“ How young and spry I feel,” said she.
“This is ike heaven on earth,” she said.
“ 0h, buzzards soaring in the blue,
I swear I ask no odds of you.
Ah this is bliss! But hurry on
With all the diligence you can,
For ere the sun from us is gone ,5
My glad heart will have found a man !"

They led her in where twenty—six
Proud wives and forty children sat.
The elders scattered smiles and kicks,
And guard ed well each new plug hat.
“ Where is your husband, ladies?” then
Upspoke an elder. And they said,
“ Our husband took to walk. at ten,
Some dozens of the childeren."
And as they spoke, the eyed with scam
The poor old maid, wit garments torn,
And wormout shoes; but what cared she?
All hopeful of the man to be!

There came a tramplng at the door;
A man looked in and saw her there;
A hastly smile his face came o’er;
e clutched his hands among his hair.
“ We’ve brought a wife,” an elder said,
And then sprung up this ancient maid,
And fell upon the poor man’s breast,
And dropped two tear-dro s on his vest.
“ I’ve wanted all m life," s e cried,
“' A man, and now ’m satisfied!”
“ Maybe you are,” said he, “ but I
Can’t say I am,” and heaved a sigh.
But by the good old Mormon law,
He’d have to take her; that he saw,
By one swift lance intothe face
or the old e ders. And he swore,
And kicked the children, with a race,
That showed what gentle bloo he bore.

And then she hugged him, with a kiss,
Close to her lank and bony breast.

“ What have I done to merit this?"

He wept, with doleful thoughts oppressed.

“ I’m married now, enough,” said he;

“ Still I would like two wives, or three,

To add unto my household hand,
If they were what wives ought to be.

But you can’t wonder I’m unmanned
To think of having sealed to me—”
And here he groaned some awful groans—

“ This scarecrow. naught but skin and bones.”
But closer clasped she him, and cried,

“ I’ve come to find you, and I swore
I'd have a man before 1 died,

And I am yours forever-more.
You shake off chills and things, maybe,
But you can’t shakefme 011’,” said 3 e.
That very day the deed was done.
The happiest creature ’neath the sun
Was she who’d found a man at last.

" Thank God, 1 have him snug and fast,”
She cried, “ and I have kept my vow.
I’m not an old maid, than you, now.
Oh, bliss, oh, rapture! taste who can!
I’m part proprietor of a man I”

t

A car adown the world has wheeled
ince she her man “ diskivered,”
And she was duly ” signed ” and “ sealed.”
P. S. And recently ‘ delivered .”’

Ermmle:
03,
THE GIPSY QUEEN’S VOW.

BY MRS. MAY AGNES FLEMING,
AUTHOR or “THE DARK sncanr,” “AN aw-
vur. MYSTERY,” “vio'roau,” 1:10., nro.’

CHAPTER XXXI—CONTINUED.

“ans is the girl, Madame Marguerite,”
said Garnet, respectfully. “I intrust her to
your care until the captain comes.”

“ She shall be cared for. That will do,”
said the woman, waiving her hand until all
its burning rubies and blazing diamonds seemed
to encircle it with sparks of fire.

Garnet bowed low, cast a triumphant glance
, on Pet as he passed, and hissed softly in her
" ear: “ Mine own—mine own, at last.” And
then he raised the screen and disappeared.

 

 

 

 

 

The cold, proud black eyes were fixed pierc—
ineg on Pet; but that young lady bore it as
she had done many another stare, without
flinching. .

“Sit down,” said the woman, with her
strong foreign intonation, pointing to a seat.

Pet obeyed, saying, as she did so:

“I may as well, I suppose. Am I expected
to stay here all night?” ‘ ‘3’ .

“Yes,” said the woman, curtly, “and many
more nights after that. You can occupy my
bed; I will sleep on one of these lounges while
you remain.”

“Well,” said Pet, “I would like to know
what I am brought here for anyway. Some
of Rozzel Garnet’s capers, I suppose. He had
better look out; for when I get free, if the
gallows don’t get their due it won’t be my
fault.” r u

“ Rozzel Garnet had nothing to do with it;
he was but acting for another in bringing you
here.”

“For another?” said Pet, with the utmost
surprise; “ who the mischief is it?”

“That you are not to know at present.
When the proper time comes, that, with many
other things, will be revealed.”

“So I’m like a bundle of goods, ‘left till
called for,’” said Pet: “ now, who could have
put themselves to so much unnecessary trouble
to have me carried off, I want to know? I
thought I hadn’t an enemy in the world, but
his excellency, the right worshipful Rozzel
Garnet. It can’t be Orlando Toosypegs,
surely—hum—m-m. I do wonder who can it
be,” said Pet, musingly.

While Pet was holding converse with her—
self, the woman, Marguerite, had gone out.
Pet waited for her return until, in spite of her
strange situation, her eyes began to drop heav-
ily. A little clock one shelf struck the hour
of midnight, and still she came not. Pet was
sleepy, awfully sleepy; and, rubbing her eyes
and yawning, she got up, and holding her eyes
open with her fingers, kneeled d0wn and said
her usual night-prayers, and then jumped into
bed, and fell into a sound sleep, in which Roz»
zel Garnet, and Marguerite, and the under-
ground cave, and her previous night’s adven-
ture, were one and all forgotten.

When Pet awoke she found herself alone,
and the apartment lit up by a swinging-lamp,
exactly as it had been the night before. She
glanced at: the clock and saw the hands point—
ed to half-past ten. A little round stand had
been placed close to her bed, on which all the
paraphernalia of a breakfast for one was
placed. On a chair at the foot of the bed was
a basin and ewer, with water, combs, brushes,
and a small lookingglass.

Pet, with an appetite not at all diminished,
sprung out of bed, hastily washed her face and
hands, brushed out her silken curls, said her
morning—prayers, and then, sitting down at
the table, fell to with a zest and eagerness that
would have horrified Miss Priscilla Toosypegs.
The coffee was excellent, the rolls incompara-
ble, the eggs cooked to a turn, and Miss Pet
did ample justice to all.

As she completed her meal, the screen was
pushed aside, and the woman Marguerite en-
tered. <

“Good—morning,” said Pet.

The woman bent her head in a slight ac-
knowledgment.

“I suppose it’s daylight outside by this
time?” said Pet.

“ Yes, it was daylight five hours ago,” was
the reply.

“Well, it’s pleasant to know even that.
What am I to do for the rest of the day, I
want to-know?” ‘

“ Whatever you please.”

“A wide margin; the only thing I would
please to do, if I could, would be to go out and
walk home. That, I suppose, is against the
rules?” .

“ Yes; but there are books and drawing ma-
terials; you can amuse yourself with them. ”

“ Thankee; poor amusement, but better
than none, I expect. Who is commander here,
the captain I heard them speak of?”

“My husband,” said the woman, proudly.

“And where is he now? I should like to
have a talk with him, and have things straight-
ened out a little, if possible.” '

“He is absent, and will not be back for
some days.”

“Hum! this is, then, the hiding-place of
the smugglers they make such a fuss about——
eh?” said Pet.

“ Yes, they are smugglers—worse, perhaps,”
said the woman, sullenly.

“There! I knew I’d find it; I always said
so !” exclaimed Pet, exultantly. “ Oh, if I
could only get out! See here, I wish you
would let me escape!”

The woman looked at her with her wild,
black eyes for a moment, and then went on
with her occupation of cleaning off the table,
as if she had not heard her. '

“ Because,” persisted Pet, “ I'm of no use to
any one here, and they’ll be anxious about me
up home. They don’t know I’m out, you
know.” '

The woman went calmly on with her work
without replying, and Pet, seeing it was all a
waste of breath, pleading, got up and went
over to the shelf where the books were, in
search of something to read. A number of
pencil-drawings lay scattered about. Pet took
them, and little as she knew of art, she saw
they had been sketched by a mastenhand.

“Oh, how pretty!” he exclaimed; “was it
you drew these?”

“No; my husband,” answored the woman.
“ They are all fancy sketches, he says."

There was a sort of bitterness in the last
words, unnoticed by Pet, who was eagerly and
admirineg examining the drawings. One, in
particular, struck her; it represented a large,
shadowy church, buried in mingled lights and
shades, that gave a gloomy, spectral, weird
appearance to the scene. At the upper end,
near the grand altar, stood a youth and a
maiden, while near stood a white—robed clergy-
man, book in hand. - A dying bird seemed
fluttering over their heads, and ready to drop
at their feet. The face of the youth could
not be seen, but the lovely, childlike face of
the girl was the chief attraction of the draw-
ing. Its look of unutterable love,» mingled
with a strange, nameless terror; its rare love-
liness, and the passionate worship in the eyes
upturned to him who stood beside her, sent
a strange thrill to the very heart of Pet. A
vague idea that she had seen a face bearing
a shadowy resemblance to the beautiful one
in the picture somewhere before, struck her.
The face was familiar, just as those we see in
dreams are; but whether she had dreamed of
one like this, or had really seen it, she could
not tell. She gazed and gazed; and the long.
or she gazed, the surer she was that she had
really and certame seen, if not that face,
some one very like it, before.

“ Can you tell me if this is a fancy sketch?”
said Pet, holding it up.

“My husband says so. Why?” asked the
woman, fixing her eyes, with a keen, suspi—
cious glance, on Pet.

“0h, nothing; only it seems to me ‘3 if I
had seen that face before. It is very strange;

 

I cannot recollect when or where; butI know
I have seen it.”

“ You only imagine so.”

“No, I don’t; I never imagine anything.
Oh, here’s another; what a pretty child! why
——why, she looks like you!”

It represented a beautiful, dark little girl, a
mere infant, but resplendently beautiful. _

“ She was my child,” said the woman, in a
low, hard, despairing, voice, as she looked
straight before her. V

“ And where is she?” asked Pet, softly.

“I don’t know—dead, I expect,” said the
woman, in that same tone of deep, steady de-
spair, far sadder than any tears or wild sobs
could have been.

Pet’s eyes softened with deep sympathy;
and coming over, she said, earnestly: “ I am
so sorry for you. How long is it since she
died?” ‘

“It is seven years since we lost her; she
was two years old, then. I do not know
whether she is living or dead. ,Oh, Rita!
Rita!” cried the woman, passionately, while
her whole frame shock with the violence of
emotion.

No tear fell, no sob shook her breast, but
words can never describe the utter agony of
that despairing cry.

There were tears in Pet’s eyes now-—in those
flashing, mocking, defying eyes; and in silent
sympathy she took the woman’s hand in her
Own little brown fingers, and softly began ca-
ressing it.

“ It was in London we lost her——in the great,
vast city of London. I was out with her, one
day, and seeing a vast crowd at the corner of
the street, I went over, holding my little Mar-
guerite by the hand, to see what was the mat-
ter. The crowd increased; we were wedged
in, and could not extricate ourselves. Sudden-
ly some one gave her a pull; her little hand
relaxed its hold; I heard her cry out; and,
shrieking madly, I burst from the crowd in
search of her; but she was gone. I rushed
shrieking through the streets until they arrest—
ed me as a lunatic, and carried me ofl. For a
long, long time after, I remember nothing.
My husband found me out, and took charge of
me; but we never heard of our child after
that. I nearly went mad. I was mad for a
time; but it has passed. Since that day, we
never heard of Rita. I heard them say she
was stolen for her extraordinary beauty; but,
living or dead, I feel she is forever lost to me
—-ferever lost—forever lost I” ,

She struck her bosom with her hand, and
rocked back and forward, while her wild,
black eyes gazed steadily before her with that
same rigid look of changeless despair.

“ I loved her better than anything in earth
or heaven, except her father—my heart was
wrapped up in hers—she was the dearest part
of myself; and, since I lost her, life has been
a mockery—worse than a mockery to me.
Girl!” she said, locking up suddenly and fierce-
ly, “ never love! Try to escape woman’s
doom of loving and losing, and of living on,
when death is the greatest blessing God can
send you. Never love! Tear your heart out
and throw it in the flames sooner than love
and live to know your golden idol is an image
of worthless clay. Girl, remember!” and she
sprung to her feet, her eyes blazing. with a
maniac light, and grasped Pet so fiercely by
the arm that she was forced to stifle a cry of
pain, “ never love—never love! Take a dag-
ger and send yoursoul to eternity sooner!”

She flung Pet from her with a violence that
sent her reeling against the wall, and darted
from the room.

 

CHAPTER XXXII.
Tun OUTLAW.

“ He knew himself a villain, but he deemed
The”rest no better than the thing he seemed;
And scorned the best as hypocrites, who hid,
Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.

He knew himself detested, but he knew

The hegrtzs that loathed him crouched and dread-

e , oo.
Lone, wild and strange he stood, alike exempt
From all aflectlon and from all contempt."
—anou.

THAT first day of her imprisonment seemed
endless to Pet. She yawned over her books,
and dozed over the drawings, and fell asleep,
wondering what they were doing at home, and
when they would come in search of her; and
dreamed she was creeping through some hole

in the wall, making her escape, and awoke to

find herself crawling on all fours between the
legs of the table. It was the longest, dreariest
day Pet had ever known. The woman Mar-
guerite did not make her appearance again,
and Pet’s meals were served bye. bright, bold-
eyed lad, whom she plied with some fifty
questions or so in a breath; but as the boy was
a Spaniard, and did not speak nor understand
a word of English, Miss Lawless did not gain
much by this. As there was no means of tell-
ing day from night, Pet would have thought a
week had elapsed but for the little clock that
so slowly and provokineg pointed out the
logging hours. ‘

“This being taken captive ,and carried off
to a romantic dungeon by a lot of bearded out-
laws is not What it’s cracked up to be, after
all,” said Pet, gaping fit to strain her jaws.
“ It’s all very nice to read about in story-
books, and see at the theater; but in real life,’
come to look at it, it’s the most horridly-slow
afiair ever was. Now, when I used to read
about the lovely princess being carried off by
the fiery dragon (by the way, I’d like to see a
fiery dragon—I never did see one yet), I used
to wish I had been in her place; but I know
better now. She must have had a horrid stu~
pid time of it in that enchanted castle, until
that nice young man, the prince, came, and
carried her off. Heigho! What a pity I have
no prince to come for me! Wonder if Ray
Germaine’s gone yet—but, there! I don’t care
whether he is or not. He does not care two
pins whether he ever sees me again or not.
Nobody cares about me, and I’m nothing but a
poor, abused, diabolical little wretch. 0h,
yaw-w-w! Lor’l how sleepy I am! I do wish
somebody would come and talk to me; even
Rozzel Garnet, or‘ that man with all the black
whiskers, who was impolite enough to call me
names, or that wild, odd-looking outlaw queen
——anybody would be better than none. I’ll
b1ue-mould—-I’ll run’ to. seed—I’ll turn to dust
and ashes, if I’m kept here much longer; I
know I will!”

And, yawning repeatedly, Pet pitched her
book impatiently across the room, and, stretch-
ing herself on a lounge, in five minutes was
sound asleep.

The clock, striking ten, awoke her. She
rubbed her eyes and looked drowsily up; and
the first object on which her eyes rested was
the motionless form of Rozzel Garnet, as he
stood near, with folded arms, gazing down up-
on her, with his usual sinister smile.

“ Oh! you’re here—are you?” said Pet, com-
posedly, after her first prolonged stare. “I
must say, it shows a great deal of delicacy and
politeness on your part to enter a young lady’s
sleeping-apartment after this fashiOn. What
new mischief has your patron saint with the
cloven foot put you up to now?” I

“Saucy as ever, little wasp! You should be

_ earth with!

 

careful how you talk now, knowing you are in
my power.”

“Should I, indeed? Don’t you think you
see me afraid of you, Mr. Garnet? Just
fancy me, with my finger in my mouth
and my eyes cast down, trembling before any
man, much less you! Ha, ha, ha! don’t'you
hope you may live to see it?”

“ It is in my power to make you afraid of
me! You are here a captive, beyond all hope
of escape—mind, beyond the power of heaven
and earth to free you. Say, th‘n, beautiful
dragon—fly, radiant little fay, how are you to
defy me? Your hour of triumph has passed,
though you seem not to know it. You have
queened it right royally long enough. My
turn has come at last. I have conquered the
conqueress, caged the eaglet, tamed the wild
queen of the kelpies, won the most beautiful,
enchanting, intoxicating fairy that ever in-
flamed the heart or set on fire the brain of
man.”

“ Yes—boast!” said Pet, getting up and
composedly beginning to twine her curls over
her fingers. “ But self-praiso is no recom-
mendation. If by all those names you mean
me, let me tell you not to be too sure even yet.
It’s not right to cheer until you are out of the
woods, you know, Mr. Garnet; and, really,
you’re not such a lady-killer, after all, as you
think yourself. You can’t hold fire without
burning your fingers, Mr. Garnet, as you’ll
find, if you attempt any nonsense with me.
So, your honor’s worship, the best thing you
can do is, to go off to your boon companions,
and mind your own business for the future,
and leave me to finish my nap.”

“Sorry to refuse your polite request, Miss
Lawless,” he said, with a sneer; “ but, really,
I cannot leave you to solitude and loneliness,
this way. As I have a number of things to
talk over with you, and as you have forgotten
to ask me to sit down, I think I will just avail
myself of a friend’s privilege, and take a seat
myself.” .

v And very nonchalantly the gentleman seat-
ed himself beside her on the lounge. Pet
sprung up with a rebound, as if she were a
ball of India-rubber, or‘ had steel springs in
her feet, and confronted him with blazing
cheeks and flashing eyes.

“You hateful, disagreeable, yellow old
ogre!” she burst out with; “keep the seat to
yourself, then, if you want it, but don’t dare
to come near me again! Don’t dare, I say l”
And she stamped her foot, passionately, like
the little tempest that she was. “ It’s danger-
ous work playing with chain-lightning, Mr.
Rozzel Garnet; so be warned in time. I vow
to Sam! if I had a broomstick handy, I’d let
you know what it is to put a respectable young
woman in a rage. You sit beside me, indeed!
Faugh! there is pollution in the very air you
breathe!”

He turned for an instant, livid with anger;
but to lose his temper was not his role, now,
and so gulping down the little draught of her
irritating words as best he might, be said:

“Ay! rave, and storm, and flash fire, my
little tornado; but it will avail you nothing.
You but beat the air with your breath, though,
really, I do not know as it is useless, either,
for you look so dazzlineg beautiful in your
roused wrath, my dear inflammation of the
heart, that you make me love you twice as
much as ever.”

“ You love me, indeed 1” said Pet, contemp-
tuously; “I don’t see what awful crime any
of my forefathers have ever done, that I’m
compelled to stand up here, like patience on a
monument, and listen to such stuff as that. I
won’t listen to it! I’ll go and call that wo-
man, I declare I will, and make her pack you
off with a. flea in your ear.”

“Not so fast, my pretty one,” said Garnet,
with his usual cold smile, as he put out his
long arms and caught hold of Pet; “ Madame
Marguerite has gone away, and may not be
back to-night. The men have all gone, too,
but one, and he is lying under the table out
there, dead drunk. How now, my little flame
of fire! Docs this damp your courage any?”

For the first time, the conviction that she
was completely in his power thrilled through
the heart of Pet, making her, for one moment,
almost dizzywith nameless apprehension. But
the mocking, exulting eyes of his everywhere
bent tauntingly upon her, and the high spirit
of the brave girl flashed indignantly up; and,
fixing her flashing black eyes full on his face,
she answered, boldly:

“No, it doesn’t! Damp my courage, for-
sooth! Do you really suppose I am afraid of
you, Rozzel Garnet? of you, the most errant,
white livered coward God ever afflicted the
Ha! ha! why, if you think so,
you are a greater fool than even I ever took
you to be.”

His teeth closed with a. spasmodic snap; he
half rose, in his fierce rage, to his feet, as he
hissed:

“ Girl, take care! tempt me not too far, lest
I make you feel What it is to taunt me beyond
endurance!”

“ Barking dogs seldom bite, Mr. Garnet;
little snarling curs, never.”

“By heaven, girl, I will strangle you if you
do not stop!” he shouted, springing fiercely to
his feet. ‘

She took one step back, laid her hand on a
carving—knife that had been on the table since
dinner-time, and looked up in his face with a
deriding smile.

In spite of himself, her dauntless spirit and
bold daring struck him with admiration. He
looked at her for a moment, inwardly wonder-
ing that so brave and fierce a spirit could ex-
ist in a form so slight and frail, and then, with
a long breath, he sunk back into his seat.

“That’s right, Mr. Garnet; I see you have
not lost all your reason yet,” said Pet, quiet-
1y; “if you value a whole skin, it will be wise
for you to keep the length of the room between
us. I don’t threaten much, but I’m apt to act
when aroused.”

“ Miss Lawless, forgive my hasty temper. I
did not come to threaten you, to-night, but to
set you at liberty,” said Garnet, looking peni-
tent.

“Humph! set me at liberty! I have _my
doubts about that,” said Pet, transfixing him
with a long, unwinking stare.

“Nevertheless, it is true. To—night they
are all gone—we are all alone; say but the
word, and in ten, minutes you will be as free
as the winds of heaven. ”

“Worse and worse! Mr. Garnet, just look
me in the eye, will you, and see if you can dis—
cover any small mill—stones there? Do you
really think I’m green enough to believe you,
now?”

“Miss Lawless, I swear to you I speak the
truth. In ten minutes you may leave this,
free and unfettered, if you will.”

“ Well, I declare! Just let me catch my
breath after that, will you? Mr. Garnet, I
have heard of Satan turning saint, but I never
experienced it before. So you’ll set me free,
will you? Well, I’m sure I feel dreadfully
obliged to you, though I don’t know as I need
to, since but only for you I wouldn’t be here
at all. I’m quite willing to go, though, and
am ready to start at any moment.”

.know. I expect I ought to, but I don’t.

 

“Wait one instant, Miss Petronilla. I will
set you free, but on one condition. ”

‘ “ Ah! I thought so! I was just thinking so,
all alongl, And what might that condition be,
if a body may ask?” inquired Pet.

“ That you become my wife!”

“ Phew~w—w! Great guns and little ones!
bombshells and hurricanes! Fire, murder,
and perdition generally! Your wife! Oh, ye
gods and little fishes! Hold me, somebody, or
I’ll go into the high—strikes.”

“ Girl, do you mock me?” paSsionately ex-
claimed Garnet, springing to his feet.

“ Mr. Garnet, my dear sir, take things easy. -

It’s the worst thing in the world, for the con-
stitution and by-laws, flaring up in this man-
ner. It might produce a rush of brains to the
head, that would be the death of you, if from
nothing but the very novelty of having them
there. ’Sh- sh! now; I see you are going to
burst out with something naughty; but don’t
—you really mus’n’t speak of your kind friend
and patron with the tail and horns, to ears po—
lite. Mock you! St. Judas Iscariot forbid! I
trust I have toqmuch respect for your high and
mighty majesty, to do anything so impolite.

Sit down, Mr. Garnet, and make your unhap— ’

py soul as miserable as circumstances will al-
low. No, new that I’ve eased my mind, I’d
rather not get married just at present, thank
you. I intend to take the black vail some of
these long-come—shorts, if I may be allowed so
strong an expression, and second-hand nuns
are not so nice as they might be. No, Mr.
Garnet, I’m exceedingly obliged for your very
flattering offer; but I really must decline the
high honor of sharing your hand, heart, and
tooth brush,” said Pet, coui tesying.

“ And. by all the fiends in flames, minion,
you shall not declineit!” shouted Garnet, mad-
dened by her indescribably taunting tone“.
“ By the heaven above us you shall either be
my wife or—”

“ Well,” said Pet, sitting down at the table,
resting her elbows upon it, dropping her chin
in her hands, and staring at him as only she
could stare; “ what? Why don’t you go on?
I never like to have a burst of eloquence like
that snapped short off in the middle like the
stem of a pipe; it spoils the effect.”

“ Then, mad girl, you shall either be my
wife, or share a worse fate.”

“ Well, Mr. Garnet, I don’t like to contra-
dict you; but lf there can be a worse fate than
to have anything to do with you, I’d like to
know it—that’s all.”

,“ Then youwill not consent?” he said, glar-
ing on her like a tiger.

.“ Mr. Garnet, for goodness’ sake don’t make
such an old goose of yourself, asking silly ques-
tions!” said Pet, yawning. “ I wish you would
go! I’m sleepy, and you look just now so much
like a shanghai rooster with the jaundice, that
you’ll give me the nightmareif you don’t clear
out. Mr. Garnet, I don’t want to be personal,
but even the nicest young men get tiresome
after a while.”

“Petronilla Lawless, take care? Have you
no fear?” '

“ Well, no, I can’t say that I have; at least,
I don’t stand very much in awe of you, you
It’s
not my fault, for I can’t help it.” .‘

“ Then, since fair means will not do, some-
thing also must!” exclaimed Garnet, making) a
spring toward her, while his eyes were blazing
with a terrible light. But Pet was as quick
as himself, and seizing her formidable weapon,
she darted back, and flourished it triumphantly,
exclaiming:

“ Now for a game of hide-and—go—seek.
Catch me if you can, Mr. Garnet; but if you
have any consideration for this clean floor,
keep a respectful distance. Blood-stains are
not the easiest removed in the world, especially
such bad blood as yours; and this long knife
and a willing hand can make an ugly wound. ”

She had him at'bay again. There was a
fierce, red, dangerous light in her flaming
eyes, now; and a look of deep, steady deter-
mination in the dark, wild little face.
Garnet perceptibly cooled down for a moment;
but then, as if maddened by her taunting, de—
riding smile, he bounded toward her with the
fearful spring of a wild beast, and had her- in
his arms before she could elude his grasp.

But the bright-winged little wasp had its
sting yet. Up flew the blue, glittering knife,
down it descended with all the force of her
small arm; but her aim was not sure, and it
lodged in his shoulder.

With an awful oath, be seized her hands in
his visedike grip, and with his ether pulled
out the knife. The wound was not deep, yet
the blood spurted up as he pulled it out, in his
very face.

The sight seemed to rouse him to madness;
and Pet writhed with pain in his fierce grasp.
She felt herself fainting. A dreadful weak-
ness was stealing through her frame; when, as
if sent by Heaven, a quick, heavy step was
heard without, and then a commanding voice
calling:

“ a110, Garnet! where are you?”

With a fierce imprecation of rage, the baflled
villain hurled the nearly swooning girl from
him, and turned to leave the room, hiing in
her ear:

“ Foiled again! But you are still in my
power. By Heaven and all its hosts, I will yet
have my revenge!”

Pet dropped into a seat, and, feeling sick
and giddy, bowed her head on her hands.
Never in her life before had she fully realized
her own weakness. What would all her boast-
ed strength have availed her but for that
heavenly interposition? A moment ago, and
she was as a child in the grasp of a giant.
What an escape she had had! How she blessed,
in her heart, he, whoever it might have been,
who had saved her!

Pet’s emotions, no matter of what nature,
never lasted lon‘g. Ten minutes now sufficed
to make “ Richard himself again ;” and with a
short but fervent prayer of thanksgiving, she
sat up, drew a long breath of unspeakable re-
lief, and began looking ruefully at her wrists,
all black and blue from his iron pressure.

“ Natural bracelets l” said Pet, with a slight
grimace of pain. “ J at and azure. I can’t
say I approve of such violent love-making; it’s
unpleasant and excites one—rather! How-
ever, ‘the course of true love never did run
smooth,’ according to that nice man, Mr.
Shakspeare; though I hope it isn’t always as
rough as the severe course I underwent just
now. Good gracious! What a tiger I have
raised in that quondam tutor of mine! Pretty
instructor he was for youth, to be sure! But
10! the curtain rises! What is to be the next
scene, I wonder?”

As she spoke, the curtain was pushed aside,
and a new actor appeared. He walked over
to the opposite side of the room, and leaning

his elbow on a sort of mantel, gazed with a ,

look of careless curiosity on Pet.

From the moment that young lady laid her
black eyesupon him, she gave 8. Violent start,
and looked at him in utter amaze. For, save
the disparity in their years, and a certain
devil-may—care recklessness that this man had,
she saw before her the living imageof Ray
Germaine!

 

 

 

 

Rozzel ‘