y
M i ' J
Fuller's Gleaner.
Vol..
ASHEVII.1.E, M. C, SEPTEMBER i, rSoe.
Sinoi.e Copv 5 Cfmts.
BosWell's (Courtship.
iver
IN l'AMP-Ml(ETI() TIMK.
(TIAI'TKR I
tot NL HIS I.OVF.R.
v l'.i.ASi he sat at her own win
it.iw, looking afar off at the green trees
that was waving their green mantles
innllv, in reply to the sitting sun.
H i u-uiines, roses, and other flowers
with their pleasant smells. The wind
w. blowing her sunny hair very ten-
d.-rly. It was now the last day of June.
She saw a tall figure of a man appear
:ii front of her with a ticket in his hand.;
his eyes was as black as a lead. " Ava
: hought he would have made a hand-
some photo- He stood at the window
for a moment till he caught Ava's eye.
in hisown, and then disappeared. Ava
read the invitation to her mother half
an hour later ; it was an invitation to
I elia Smith's birthday arty. Next
day, the time set for the party, the same
man stood at the gate awaiting Ava's
arrival. Just as Ava came tripping a-
long he made her a pleasant bow.
Good morninif. " he said. "000x1
morning, Mr. lloswell " said Ava.
Miss Delia Smith said 1 might
e the pleasure of escorting you to
the dinner, provided you were wniiug.
' With pleasure, " said Ava. Its a
pleasant day for a party, isn't it?"
'uite pleasant indeed. I expec t e
will have a nice time to day " he said
is he smiled courteously " I antici
i.ate such, " said Ava. ' 1 think
Miss Smith will enjoy herself with so ()jyer wouW haye Med hm but xs
many friends "' he said. "Ob, she. , wcn known as vet, he stood
will enjoy
herself alone, " said Ava.
1 never saw such a girl tor urn is i -c
I,., " Oliver Boswell and Ava Blanche
had not len acouainted more than a
week. She met him at a picnic a week
U lore. He had two brothers besides
himself and one sister, Oily lioswe11'
a, be always called her. Ava had one
brothcLArthur that was so mischievous
die could hardly endure him. She
was very glad he was not along with
her, for, if he was, she would not rest
the whole day through'. But in spite
of Arthur's jokes, he loved his three
sisters. Ava's younger sister Annie,
I'.V SOME iNK
was the pet of the Blanches. Even
Arthur bestowed all his kisses on An
nie, and gave her his ondy he bought
with his jennies.
Oliver Boswell was talking terrible
when h(, a( he c(
Smith. Ava went where Delia was.
She was nearly ready to go to dinner
when Ava entered. " I need a bunch
of roses don't you think ? ' -he said as
she stood starein Ava in the lace. "I
. a wrMth wou,d ,.
Ava. " that's what I told her " said
Mrs Smith. A wreath was put around?
tha's nei k; and she and Ava marched
to the rj,e room was finj wltn
perfume of flowers. But to Ava's shame
3ne was crowclecl by the side of Oliver
Boswell. Jim Smith led the conversa-
ton .. aln alone in the world," he
' I see Miss Ava has a beau .
sjster Delia, and a good many
more, and my heart weeps for my eyes
Realise I havn't found me a lady. " i
Oliver joked some, but was ashamed '
to mach I
Ava," said Delia whea thirv v2ks
once more together; "I'm sorry ou '
was crowded by the siue ot Mr. os-
well." " Don't bother." said Ava,
( enjoyt,a thed,;mler verv uich." The j
conversation was stopped when they
saw three Uy's stepping lightly so a.,
not to be heard. The door was pushed 1
open and in came Oliver Poswt.1l, .
Mark Cyrus, and Jimmie Smith. Ava;
started out at the door, but was ar
rested bv the hand of lim Smith
like a statue. Ava went back and sit
Jown a Umb when that
e!tciteliwnt was over ven more boys
, . . iollv time thev
The boys said they had never
seen anv fun till then. Olive never
had the opporttinity to speak to Ava
mUil, lieJr,y m6hl lu ,olJ her of a
u,
held at Green Hill church, about jo
miles away. Ava said she would go
if possible.
The sun was just setting when Ava
started home. She went fast as her
r
feet could carry her, for it was a long
wiy home But she did not think of
the distance, but Oliver Boswell and
Mark Cyrus. She imagined she was
lifted from the earth when she thought
of catching a nice beau ; but I had
rather it had been Mark Cyrus," she
said. Mark Cyras was rielia Srnith's
beau, but Ava loved Mark and had
tried to steal him from Delia, as she
said, time after time. Ava saw her
mother looking for her. She stood
looking for a long time, then she
turned her liack upon her and run in
to the house Her mother came in
when she heard her footstep, and said,
" Well, have you enjoyed the day,
darling " Well indeed " said A
va " (iuess Mrs Smith rin you and
that lad off, did she ? " v oh no '
she said. Ava helped her mother a-
Gout supper. When it was ready .Mr.
Blancjie, Arthur and Rosa came :n.
Rosa was younger than Ava, and
was not as pretty . her eyes was blue,
and she had red hair Mrs. Blanche
said she had enough lire in her hair to
keep a wheat thrasher going. Arthur
said he could weld iron if he had a
match , and Mr Blanche said he could
melt Arthur if he did have so much
brass in his head. Ava did not say
anything aliout her beau catching, nor
did anv of the family ask. Mr. Blanche
had told them of the camp meeting
Fvn vnhur did not ask about anv
thing but he camp-meeting Ava
,... thtni,mtf her beau she had
catched. Her mind was not yet set-
tlcJ alwit going n'tii'i 'iivcr Boswell
to the canll, mcet:ng. Ava ate little
ifliKft and ent to her room sooner
than usua! She did not sleep much
thjt nj ht but thought of how she
would get rid af her teasing that would
follow, as it always does. Next morn- j
ing Ava was waken by her 'mother at
her bedside, calling her to get up to ,
breakfast Ava soon made ready tor
breaktast and was setting the table
when Arthur said, " Well sissie, 1 sup
pose you had a beau yesterday if you
didn't catch Mark Cyrus" Ava
jumped with amazement. " Who told
you, Arthur' " she demanded "Oh
that's for me to know, and you to find
out. What did he say to you to make
you look so old and ugly f you look
as if you was twenty five years old. I
guess he asked you to marry him.
Ah, nonsense, Arthur. You know
he didn't ask me to marry him the
f!rt time he ever everted mr " "I
don't know. He wants to irrt married
right soon I think " " o von know
him well ? " " No, I don't know him
well, but he wants to get married I
think. " " Well, Arthur, ' she said.
" You need not talk . I'm bound you
will have a girl by your side at that
camp-meeting. " I guess 1 w 11
and perhaps his sister He told me
he hail one. I think her name is )l
ly " Arthur finished .us teasing.
When his father railed mm he ran
as if scared to death, reached ins fa
ther breathless, and told him of . i
catching a beau. Mr Blanche turned
his eves up towards heaven ni.l ,aid,
" Ava caught i beau ' She's faster
than you, Arthur . vou better ,inrr it
or she will win the race Vrfhur
said no girl could marry ner than
he could, but he had tailed n court
ship . he had never found i .,'ir1 that
would even-snnle on him. Cos. how
I discouraging it was to see
! plodding aiong the road : matrimony.
Surely he could catch ip someday
Arthur stood for i tew moment', while
his father was calking of Ava. ami then
' started back to the house But Mr
' Blanche called him back. Come
, back Arthur, he said. Hon t lie
so disheartened at Ava s Lean atcing,
but wa,t pattentlv till that .amp-meet
inl and '0 with his sister he has
one'
"lougfit
aixjut doiULt. -aid ni.ni Vrthur
' When I was i bov, -aid M r..
B Line he. 1 was putTed t; ill 'i'c
time bet a'ise -atne other hjs -n.it w.i.-
better looking than mvscit arred 'ttc
dav. and vou ire n the -amc :o.ul ''Ut
1 haven t ot t.me to ta.k oi ill titai,
and so saying set Vrthur to .vork :ioc
in tobacco, and hnnseil tmiiiiu; eeds.
but Arthur still thought of V..i s beau.
Three duvs betore the ami' meet'.tu
commenced Ava. made up tier n,:iU '')
go with Oliver Bottweil. She had heard
it as a -aying that more .jeans vou -ad
the, tietter the one will like .ou that
you liked. So she was joing .th 'li
ver and perha(s she could .. atch Mark
Cvrus. The whole Blanche iamiiy
was glad when the dav came to star'
to the camp-meeting The sun shared
bright and clear, and not a ..ioud was
to be seen. Tom the hired uegn
brought the buggy that they were go
ing in and stood waiting for the ta'm
i I'SIIM.KIJ 'IN r H I H 1.' i'A.h