Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 OLD JUPR. she-could not entirely hide. “ Why didn’t you tell me, sis, that you had. caught a prize ?” “I was not engaged when I wrote you last, Nettie,” and then, Mary, not yet accustomed to have her sweet secret blaz- oned abroad, hid her embarrassment by an extra display of diligence in providing for the refreshment of the travelers. The kettle was already boiling in a little summer-kitchen out- side; she set the tea “ a-steeping,” arranged the table, and sent Nettie into the bedroom to take off her bonnet and wash her face. | Soon the little party was gathered about the evening meal ; the cooking was nice and neatly served, like all that Mary did. Nettie looked out the door at the broad landscape, brightened by the glistening river, but oftener at the brown, pleasant face and manly ways of Luke Bryant. “It’s not so bad here, after all. I wish ’'d a come out last year, when the rest did,” she said. mS “J think its delightful here. I went to more dances last winter than I ever did in my life before.” Mary had been the belle of these pleasure-parties, and it was not strange she found them charming. In truth, if she had not written such glowing letters to her half-sister about the gayety of the new town and the great plentifulness of beaux, that person would hardly have been now established her near and dangerous rival. The dullness of an eastern village, in which she was likely to fade into an old maid, had contrasted unfavorably with these brilliant descriptions of a country Where social life was young and fresh, and where the beaux outnumbered the girls. Perhaps a paragraph in Mary’s last letter giving, among others, a description of Luke, had as much influence as any thing in bringing her to her hasty conclusion. oh all events, here she was, and there did seem to be a fate n it. Luke Bryant was mate of a steamboat, which ran between St. Louis and the « up country.” The Missouri boats do not venture to run in the night, especially when the water is low, owing to the inpossibility of keeping in the tortuous channel ; and as New Bristol was a favorite stopping-place, the mate had not infrequent evenings to spend in the town. <A perfect wonder for the mate of a river-boat, never drinking, gambling connicloooks.com