Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1868 — Miscellany. [ARTICLE]

Miscellany.

- A COMMOi; STORY,

BY GRORGE MARTIAL.

From the New York Mercury-. It was a’J done by a pair of jet earrings. Jeripio Kirk was the prettiest girl in the vilbuo. or for that mat ter, in f he country r-- As pink and whk-'j as ircf.lt and jicachdikc as natnre could make her. Kyes, brown, huge Ai'd luatvv.ua, bniv, title and,, abundant;, features, rcgu’yijy chisel««T. Only six inches of Ipoklngglask htui Jennie; but she was per- ; feetiy aware of her beauty, and anx- j ions bo set it off. Hbe d:’d not dare | to tell her mother Lliat-kho bad sold j a calico imok for a ji.'tir.of i< :ig, jet j I tTin’lriws. bui llic \( as; det-erthiued to { | show her finery; anil though the j nßvi ii’OWiT wav-ciostttg-yH —rmtry- she f wrapped ber i ; >ak about ht r. and went tripping up tiie.inndb y street tt> Heatcni Just fe si e teacbed t.ho black• smith’s Will Loughli id stepped out to meet her. Ifc was a .great sbansbUng fellow, who nimjo tierce lore to JOn are (and when ghe tri’iiglied at him, railed and idprmcd at be:w tniinv< Tif)-to—lw--v jtli a look—it»-■ which admiration was curiously j blended with anger, and lounging by j her side, copniwuccd abruptly ; j “Have you made up your mind f yiirt me bettor, Joppiu?'' .* fc= “1 have to find out yet in what manner I am treating you badly,” retorted Jennie, boldly. “How '( Ain't you kept me dangling after you these six inqnths ?” “No, a,in’t !" ' answered Jennie,; angrily. “I only wish that you'd just leave me alone.” “Well, I shan’t, then.” “I guosa yon will,” cried JenrJg,, disdainfully. “Itis likely that I wilt. A great rough ” • “ii.oue pf that!”, exclaimed the man savagely, and seizing her hard by the wrist. “It is likely, and you wdb- aud you shall, vl won't take no* Ibr an answer.” Thera was something so ferocious in his look that Jennie fell a thrill of positive fenr. It must be owned, Ulso, that she had spied Harry liectil walking behind them, and had a coquettish desire to attract y and as Lpughlin her, Jennie cried out, lbhdtyT / ‘•Save me! Oh, Mr. Bectil, help rac!” Harry started—saw a girl straggling in a man’s grasp, arid with one long stride, oame up f to Loughlin with a sharp—“what tho devil are you doing there V” and then it was all done in a moment. Tho man amSw«red with an impudent sneer, but Jiael'not time to finish ’ it, when Harry him dowh N And there ho wils, on the instant, converted from-aft every day young man, going heme to his dinner, into a knight of romance, with tho villain prostrate at hie feet, and tho distressed damsel oliugiug to him in • IrlgJet. What was to.be done next? Harry looked down tlie little, hguro beside him’curiously, aud saw such a pretty little f>cfe —its lovely eyes teal's, and turnmgshyTy from lum. Involuntarily ■ "Xhwplump hand, resting op hig-arm, closer te him. , , , 1 . : A«stlotmi Joe y«il Ume in .»>»«, hdrapiia.liere,” nwymurld Jemilfe, notatingto#hrd iimiilate.T mmWk '***. • mght,’’ Harry, -—-- - - - '

mech;*#caljy, and. standing aghast. The litt’e unpain •'&hnnso wi ll creeper, the mtriow w-n.lt, tl\e rude gai-, were all familiar. This was the hou’sa of Mrs. .Kirk ; and Harry had rescued his washerwoman's daughter. He was snob. He would have'ihterfered as* rsadily in behold of tlie poorest nnd ugliest woman in the HeigltboMiood; but he was more drsiippbifitctl than he would have cared to acknowledge, to find so much beauty hopelessly before him. While he stood there : “If you have seen Miss Ivirk in safety,” said a sarcastic voice behind him, “perhaps you will get into the carriage.” Harry turned quickly. A handsome barouche, drawn by a pair of fine bays, had driven up behind hitu, and two ladies sat in this barouohe smiling at him—his mother and Dora lieryot. Harry reddened to the temples and sprung into the carriage. His mother ami Miss lie ryot eyed him curiously, but, with true •woman’s tact, forbore to question him. The conversation drifted to other matters ; and before tlkey had reached home, Harry had. lbigotten his' disappointment, as v.'cil as the cause ,of it, Together. Not so, Jennie. Harry was the first gentleman who had ever spokeu to her, and her silly little heart fluttered when she recalled his tone, and j the soft deference of his manner, so different from the lounging boorishness of Tom Hays or Dick Lawton. She was well read in sentimental tit-' endure, and quite aware that rich, young gentlemen werp in tile habit of marrying poor girls like herself for their beauty. Therefore, why. not Knmdßeet i l,«when sach-a pretty girl as Jenny Kirk was in question? Sftf watched from her window, aiid she watched the postman also, if he ehoafiLprcftr (<> write l*oor silly litt!e Jennie !* “The niafTt in the nioon w:>S not further Jroinj her than Harry Be .:UiVthG«g!rt>. j us! tliew IT:htv dm not even look ‘her \way, though he drove past the h-ouse every luorning o:t hi? way to the station. Never ray. however, that there is noi.a Fate tit these matters, Harry, on one fine morning, was top I;tte for th? train. He had beeli pyiiing Dora tie ryot uiil* vum .jeaves, and I,la luoAiiw svu- too well satisfied with the flirtation to ion:iad him of the time, t ’ he reached the siaiieTi just as the picnic .train was moving oil’. Hurry sprang to the rear i)h:'''.:'ni; saw that-thy: «ti was in!’ of 1 • ; d langhir.g damsels, : .n white, and attempted to purs thTorigh- to the smoking car. Midway, a pair of heamifnl brown eyes niii*. iiit~with inniitstuhrriTitrWi7TTogiu r ucii in their glance.. The beautiful | evrs boionged so one of the prettiest i.i.Uie .girls. Jit had. ever Feeu. She ' was <is pink and white as anything on ivory, and set ot: by her white dress and green wreath. Harry stopped a niomeut, pio'/ling where he had soon Irerr ‘Oic prelty month qcivcrcfly"r.i Fv tifmni cyeo--»ai4-w-pta’m--4M» e.yoi».-<-Mwdd—a-p»;ok r “Oh, aimt you epunng Iteub'-?’" Harry idled his h'at and went to her. “?*iss Klrlf, is jt. no! ? Are you quite over ynjiS 1 jlvl'Tj 11 fly, 'p l >Jf- j sH beside ycd ?” . “O, la, yes!' fluttered Jctifne. “I mean 1 wnsti’t iriitiitened, that is, not much—only I iort .. - “Well, lost what?” asked Harry, who had seated himself, smiling at her tragic little face. “O, nothing,'' said Jennie, subsiding into shyness agniu, “Lost nothing! Come, now, you don’t expect me to believe that, Miss Jennie. T “Weil,only one of toy jet earrings; I had just bought them,” . The shadow that came over the childish face tohi how very keenly slpe had felt the loss. "Poor little thing <” said Harry, yet moro amused, and glancing at the perfec? ears. “That must have boon my fault. 1 CQhftt make the loss good.” “6, uo.l”. answered Jennie, earnestly. “It was Wiil'Loughlin’s doing*.’' “Will Loughiin ! Olu I remember our villain. Pray, Miss Jcnnia, while we are talking pf biui, why did I knock that man down ?” Jennie blushed crimson. ‘•Nottbat 1 iusiht on knowing,” pip-sued,Harry, ponly it ia a eatisfaction, when you do such a thing, to know why.” “Row lunny you are, Mr. Hoctil,” said Jennie, much ecubarraa^pd. “llow queer you are Miss Kirk,” retorted Harry. “Do yon know I begin to suspect.”’"' If Jennie had blushed crimson, now she was Bearlet. i: “And if my suspicion* 4recdmsct, lehalfdiilifcp him very,much;” oonjU/»fe«<LiHfttCy. “thmitfb hlaine him. lam very mHcb of his mind, too.’' bow can roa say »neh thing* f’ *»?4 Jenble. L -* f • “H “VY.bat things?’’ asked Harry, looking, innocent. “J. am sure I dotrt‘kho w wHat' I tiiVe sn'ftl ” - ‘ laWgbhd ahd blaahed.; J*i p,!”Wbete jut* you goiug? ’ asked isrtr&gm m gdffig Hhfry stollcU, and inrolun I——OW—-

turily— “f wish I was going tooT “Can’t you go?” said Jennie, quickly. “It would be eo nice,” “It would bo bo nice, would it?” repeated Hurry, musing. Nothing would havs looked more distasteful to him than such ti pic nlo an houi" ago; but now he told himshlf tbnt there, was no rcaaoa-why be eliould nor tube a holiday, and that he ought to go,*if only to see that this beautiful, childish creature wueaafe among these boors. “Will you go?” asked Jennie, who hud not tho smallest idea of pretending inditFereueo.. -j - “but I have no luncheon,’Hsaid Harry, despairingly.. “You may have part of mine.” “1 don’t believe there is enough,” said Harry. “ob, yc*, there is,” protested Jennie. “Show me the basket; let me ece,”. suid Harry, pretending to peep into it. Harry ’s bund touched hers, as she hclxf tho basket. Iler eoft cheek crushed bis, os she hqr theud, ahso; and they both laughed, and Jennie blushed. Harry had never seen anybody $o foVM'y. The color oi her cheeks was as pink *s the lining of a sea shell. j As for Jennie, sjio wae, as yon may say, translated out of herself. She hud never seen anybody thatlooked so handsome Hurry iioclil. He had such white haii.ds, and such lovely eliirt studs 1 Ho made tlie other men look so coarse and ugly ; and he was in love with her. The other girls, who looked on in envious astonishment’ as ho found her the shadiest seat, and threw himself at her feet, could not but acknowledge tlbit. And he would take no Idneboßfi that she did not give him, eating it from her fingers, and laugh jng tlie wiiHei Dangerous piaoickirg, Mr. Bectil. But Harry declared ,Lktvl he had never epent &o jolly a day; Aivt'as noon as he reached town, bought npair. of oarrings at the fi vs t, jcyvpler ? » .wbjch he put in "his pqcEet With a smile, saying to himself:” • '' v ‘Pretty little car»>.” What would Mrs. BifcCil have said? For about that time the worthy lady huf!t many cast lea in tho air. It was late in the year, nwflbor house, nestled among the moim'Uuis, was lonely ; and yet Dura Beryot lingered and looked down when linrry spoke to h«r, and flushed when he was speaking. Dora Beryot would lißve'tcn thousand a year, and was a good dir!, and Doi ts.liked Harry-; aud the.proud motbor, building-on this fjtindation, mapped out bis fortsino lor him as a uimfiperous. mail.. Judge, thee. Of Mrs, tiectil's horror, Mrs; HecDl’a wrajft; Mrs. tioctii’s rage! no words are strong to express hor emotions when, stepping one evening into Mrs. Kirk’s open door, M‘.o heard a familiar vmce eay, •:.(i«od by, my pet,” and saw Harry kissing Jennie Kirk. For a moment she stood speechless. Then she stepped up to JenTiTe with "‘'You shameless baggage.” Jennie screamed. “Don't bo afraid,’;- said Harry, nnfl put hia arux around her. . _ Tlie movement increased the fury’ of Mrs. Bectil. < “You dure to bravo mo!” she ( cried, turning furiously on Harry, “and for that lott- drenture !“ “No names, if you please.” putih Mrs. Kirk, who had bustled in from an ftdjoihtng room. “We ain’t quite soYich .as you are, but my daughter is as geod-as yotir sort.” Mrs. Bectil eyed her wasberwotntio with a bold, cruel contempt. “fh'iU may bef’ohe.Mid, since I find Harry in yotir company. I judge you aro ajl alike, i , had always supposed, Mrs. Kirk, that yon were a ieapctabla woman; bqt since you connive at your ov7n daughter’s disgrace and jn.y ; son’s—’’ “istop!” interrupted Harry, in a low, clear tdhe, not in the least,like hit own. “Be careftHwiiat yon say, mother. Jennie Beetii is my wife.. We have boon in«Tiru»d three momlwi” “Married?” Mrs. Bectil ga*p*d out that on* word, fend then, stood looking at them; and then she quietly walked away. Harry would have followed her; but Jennie held him with tears add prayer*; and white they were still talking, oame Mr 4. BodtiLs man with a note. It was brief and to the point: “I will njofer" jiveAn the house with the wife you have chosen. I will' never epeak to her, never acknowledge her,, I shall send you youi* pqrsoTinT dfrects, and as soon as the property can be sold you will fectivo Jour ihh'firrtancc tliFougb lawyer. Lett Bkctu. ” Two hour* after, acarna^e,drove fdriowfljbpaet toiwaxd th«fta,tio.i|.j-r It ooutaioed bis mother and P«»a B*tyof. JfeiUwir glanced; tojward bii?.“NtfeTiwffliodiMarltag.” wtid JsAnie, w-ho eaw tba iotwi ol .pn\o pa -bis toee*: l«»ey«g‘fg!BWicl»i’T uita *.< "ft. a aoiyatAiMod bPDM.4 djd.pvt‘fta•W«bo-/ seot'rirt ,3-val- i i'-iL ain otißw ¥4fi ibptb4> hi* must bp a jhjpxg ojsd.,biar?eij'. fvq dfM,»vf dti

and never, ncVnr let this tender, doting creatnro know tiiat ho was fcir*J of her beauty, that her,ig«orapt prattle bated him, and that no fio bound him to her now but duty, toor Harry! arid poor J^nriio!