Devil's Ford

rom Fairfax, apologizing for some business that kept him and George Kearney from accompanying the ladies. It added that the hor

her awkwardly; Jessie did not a

mile. "I wonder, now, if there really has been any gossip? But no! They wo

hristie; "you are horribl

hey're wanting an answer.

We'll say we're sorry they can't come, and-accept

ie, clapping her han

ie decidedly. "In our place there's only the

he pa

d Christie. "Whiske

"He's been here before, but he stayed in the h

hink not-Wh

sie, laughing. "His real name is Dick Hall. If you wan

s a look of superior resignation as she

ed the door her face underwent a rapid transformation: the gentle glow of a refined woman's welcome suddenly beamed in her interested eyes; the impulsive courtesy of an expectant hos

the French window opening upon the veranda, as if to secure a retreat in case of an emergency. Scrupulously washed and shaven, some of the soap appeared to have lingered in his eyes and inflamed the lids, even while it lent a sleek and

you last called! I was so sorry to have missed you. But it was entirely my

to his feet at the apparition of grace and beauty. As he still nervously retained the two hands he had grasped, this would have been a difficult feat, even had he no

miss. I wouldn't have toted it in, anyhow, if some of those high-falutin' fellows hadn't allowed, the other night, ez i

n it. He then leaned one elbow upon the piano, and, crossing one foot over the other, remained standing in an attitude he remembered to have seen in the pages of an illustrated paper as portraying the hero in

tinued, with a dazzling smile, "I suppose, according to the rules, I ought to give you a note to Mr. Munroe, accepting his offer. That is all that is req

z I, 'for not goin' out with the young ladies. So, accorden' to rules, you writes a letter allowin' buzziness and that sorter thing detains you. But wot's the facts? You're a gentleman, and as gentlemen you and George comes to the opinion that you're rather playin' it for all it's worth in this

to the piano-stool, so as to be nearer her visitor, she brushe

ng himself on safe ground in this attention, persisted to the bitter end of a disintegr

now, I sez to myself, sez I, 'Dick, yer's a young lady, and a fash'nable lady at that, ez don't go foolin' round on rules and etiketts'-excuse my freedom, Miss Carr-'and you and her, sez I, 'kin just discuss this yer matter in a sociable, off-hand, fash'nable way.' They're a good lot o' boys, Miss Carr, a square lot-white men all of 'em; but they're a little soft and green, may be, from livin' in these yer pine woods along o' the other sap. They just worship the ground you and your sister tread on-certain! of course! of course

t color. "I'm really ashamed of my forgetfulness again, but I'm afraid it's partly YOUR faul

faced him again with a decanter of whiskey and a glass in her ha

ed the arch deceiver, with a sudden affected

us and uneasy; habit triumphed, and he took the whiskey. He, however, wiped his lips with a slight wave of his

o families yer with grown-up gals ez oughter be squared; that is-the boys mighter put in a few fancy touches among them-kinder take 'em buggy riding-or to church-once in a while-just to take the pizen outer their tongues, and make a kind o' bluff to the parents, d'ye see? That would sorter divert their own m

l to differ much, Mr. Hall," said Christi

tremulously exalted Whiskey Dick. Affecting to look cautiously out of the window and around th

er, "that it would be a good thing on YOUR side to invite down some of your high-toned gentlemen friends from 'Frisco to

skey Dick, guiltily attributing the movement to his own indiscreet gesture, said, "Excuse me, miss," recovered him

ndred yards. Or, seein' ez they're city folks, the boys would do the square thing with pistols at twelve paces. They're good boys, as I said afore; but they're quick and tetchy-George, being the youngest, nat'rally is t

ever had any such idea, I should abandon it now; you are quite right in this as in your other opinions. I shall

rhaps the square thing to them or myself to say that they reck

The delighted Dick, with conscious vanity beaming from every feature of his shining face, lightly waved the compliment aside with his handkerchief, as she continued,

take-" stammered Dick, s

mpany as an escort?" repea

had dared so much in speech, and achieved so little in fact! he, whose habitual weakness had even led him into the wildest indiscretion here; he-now offered a reward for that indiscretion! He, Whiskey Dick, the solicited escort of these two beautiful and peerless girls! What would

he horses at once, we shal

of half an hour he reappeared, leading the two horses, himself mounted on a half-broken mustang. A pair of large, jingling sil

ected escort of the elite of Devil's Ford, had to fill himself up with whiskey before they started. The boys might turn to each other in their astonishment, as he proudly passed with his fair companions, and say, "It's Whiskey Dick," but he'd be d--d if they should add, "and full as ever." No, sir! Nor when he was riding beside these real ladies, and leaning over them at some confidential

shot eyes, and cast a swi

ething before you g

," stammered Whiskey Di

see you are like me. It's too hot

Poor Dick was not prepared for this terrible culmination. Whiskey Dick and iced tea! But

, to pl

ned the

stie gayly, "let's fin