The Shasta courier., 1858-03-20
A MALE COQUETTE.

Engaged to be married-really engaged to
be married! Goodness gracious there's an
amount of responsibility in the thing that
never dreamed of before And such a giddy,
reckless little creature as I've always been-how
can | ever become worthy of such noble fell
low as Charley Warren? Oh! must be very,
pery demure and steady now ?
Thus unused little Cara Clifford, sitting in the
pink shadow Of the rose-coored silken curtains
of her boudoir. The waxen camelas were still
cleaning in the golden curls around her brow,
and the diamonds yet flashed on her full, white
throat You might see deep, rosy tint on her
dimpled cheek, and radiance beneath the
downcast lids of her glorious eyes, as if she was
in q happy dream.
Ah no wonder that she forgot to lay aside
the glittering robe of lace and azure satin; no
wonder that her tiny finger played mechanically
with that stray curl, and neglected to unclasp
bracelet and necklace For Cora had entered
an enchanted land that evening-in the inter-
val OF the German, while they stood together
in the cool conservatory, under the shadow of
orange blossoms and pure lilies, Charley War
rem had told her that he loved her better than
any one else in the wide world And the GRIM
son fire had burned in her cheek, until the red
rose at her bosom was pale beside it, And
somehow her head had dropped upon his stately
breast, and he had captured her little white
nSmOiih6 udhd-duu-duu sue COuluu remem-
Der exactly how it happened, only she was quite
sure they were engaged to be married
And she laid away the shining gems and
parted back her gold-bright hair, and when the
sleeping angel sprnkIed his balmy incense on
her brow, there were tears on her pillow of
down; oh such happy, happy tears!
No chance for the other whiskered exquisites
now They all had to stand aside from Charley
Warren's triumphal path. Dick Ainsle, Ches-
ter Howard, Frank Irwin, even the magnificent
ST. Aulyn, just from Italy, who moved down
feminine hearts just as reaper mows noddng
grass, acknowledged with sighs that the belle
of the season had no more thought for them
No matter how like miniature horses their
moustaches were trained-no matter how care
fully their perfumed curls were arranged-no
matter how like Apollo himself they stalked
into bathrooms and saloons-the beautiful Miss
Clifford deigned them merely cool bow, and
reserved all her soft glances and smiles for that
wretch of Warrenl
Men are conceited creatures at best-it doesn't
take much to spoil them and Charley Warren,
though as noble specimen of the genus homo
as one often meets, began after a while really
to fancy himself a little more fascinating than
anything else that ever wore pantaloons. Else
he argued, why did Clara Clifford, for whose
slightest smile the whole masculine world was
signing, prefer him to all tn lir bewitching ar
ray?
Cora stood in the dressing room at Mrs. Arch
er's, arranging wreath of French rosebuds in
the folds OF her lovely hair. She was little
late this evening, and Warren was patiently
waiting her re-appearance. She was unusually
beautiful tonight, and very well she knew it as
she stood before the mirror.
The string of her little satin slipper broke,
just as she reached the door, and she stopped to
fasten it. As fortune would have it, the door
was sligh ly ajar and the voices from without
reached her ear.
She is really superb-a regular Boston beau
ty. Splendid-Juno-like, you know
'Ah and Warren's love was decidedly in
different.
Il merely mentioned it as an abstract fact
returned Dick Ainslie, in piqued manner; OF
course we all know it wouldn't do for you to take
any notice of her.
What do you mean? ? said Charley, rather
sharply
'Nothirg-orly that you have already won
the lovelest creature in New York, you've no
right to enter the lists again
i suppose may a6nsire pretty woman VIXEN
Fsee her, at leastr queried Warren.
Not If you're wise. A girl like Miss Clifford
accustomed to being worshipped with all the
soul of her admirers, won't endure divided
homage. Don't try any perilous experiments,
Warren 7
/ can say of Cora, 'once won, won forever
returned Warren, with digni6ed air. and it is
mistaken idea, that when you are engaged to
lady, you are thenceforth to give up all other
female society,"
Don't know anything about that said Dick
provokinglyy, but this do say-once commence
flirting with other women, and Cora will flare
up
And say, exclaimed Charley, in an excited
tone, that Cora loves me too well question
for an instant the propriety of anything NAV
choose to do or say. And Furthermore, wish
you to distinctly understand that am tied to
woman's apron string ] am free agent
and shall hrt, as you term it, just as much as
pleaser
Cora turned away from the door with burning
cheeks and flashing eyes. Her first emotion was
that OF anger and scorn-her second of passion
ate grief What would she not have given fol-
the luxury of good cry at home in her own
chamber? If she had not loved Charley War
rem so dearly, those foolish words would no,
have so agitated her. And after all, she re-
fected, they were only foolish words-yain
boasts, uttered when he was stung bv Ainslie's
insinuating taunts-she knew his heart was
loyal and truel But then to speak of her in
that manner-it made her spirited blood leap
up in her veins. Charley needed good lesson
and he should hare IL,
her sunny curls, joined the unconscious couple
who were still talking in the passage, and they
entered the ballroom together.
AT the conclusion of the first polka, as the ra-