The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-29
Trltgraph
ROSE BLAoKBTT AND HER LOVERS
THURSDAY, DECBllBER 2oslssL


"Friends" " she said, scomtuIyi what good
are friends 20 one ~
0You think Sol had hoped for a different
verdict" said Harvey,
"Oh, you are not a mere friend" cried Rose;
"at least, not the kind Of friend I meant" she
added, and again she bushgd to the very roots Of
her hair.
ono; l am more the brother than the mere
acquaintance Harvey said, IN q low voice,
altered too, in its tones, and deep and mellow
"your future husbands brother friend; 4 am
yours also, am ] not g"
"1 suppose so" she answered, coldly, and
turned away from him, as II offended.
Something not quite so fiery as wrath, nor so
happy a. mrth, came into Haryey's eyes as he
watched her move away discontentedly, perhaps
more hurt than annoyed; but he did not follow
her, and in few moments she came back 70 him,
: smiling as usual, ~ Il she had done battle With
the evil spirit within her and had driven him out
But when Harvey parted with her that day, she
went into her own room aud wept as IL her heart
would break and he, Tor the first time in his lie,
= felt Inclined to hate Fred Whitfield, and TO curse
his blindness and faulty.
Had It not been for the young doctor Mrs.
Whitteld's life would not have been worth many
hours purchase, More than once during her iU-
ness he had dragged her out Of the very Jaws Of
death, and had now so far recovered her that the
weddiug-day was again discussed, and only
waited Harycy's sanction for the invalid 70 risk
the tatigueIhnd excitement consequent.
ooh, bother the marriage !" said Fred, taking
his mothers hand. "ROse is dear, good girl,
and will wait till doomsday, rather than you
should risk anything, mother. There is no hurry,
and we can wait quite well until you are strong,
cant we, Harvey p
"Yery well indeed I should think" Harvey
answered, with an almost imperceptible dash Of
sarcasm in his voice but it is not good FOR your
mother to be anxious; and she seems 70 be
anxious to conclude this affair. OF course 10 can
be nothing TO me, 3" he added hastily. 81 have no
purpose Of my own to serve in the delay or the
conclusion"
lie had though As it was 10 be, it was better
concluded with all decent speed, he said to him
self and then he, at least would be out of danger.
She perhaps, needed no such precautions and
yet-thOse bushes hers, ar that eager tremu-
lOus face, had wakened strange thoughts in him.
Hush he must not dream such dreams. What
would he think of himself, poor, penniless,
country doctor, IL he came here as his friends
almost brother, and, In return for his love, broke
off his marriage with an heiress, and secured her
for himself? The thought brought the blood into
his face, and made him loathe himself, dis
honored in soul for even harborng such vision.
~ SO IL was arranged that the settlements should
fbe signed, and that the next week the marriage
Should actually take place, Mrs. Whitield's
( health not preventing And when Rose was told
This, she wept again and, to her mothers intense
J fdismay, burst out with "Mamma, will not marry
J Fred Whitieldl'-a an announcement which that
fine lady put down 70 insanity, as the mildest
term.
The day following this decision Fred could not
go over to LissOn; he was detained on some bus-
ness or other at home so the young doctor rode
over, with note containing request for the two
ladies TO dine at the lawse in the evening seeing
I that on that side one was disabled and the other
detained, and no intercourse possible unless they
would kindly come.
| vously, glancing at her daughter, who, with her
! head thrown up, stood sideways to her.
"And you, Miss Blackctt ?" asked Harvey.
"Oh, by all means" said Miss Rose, not quite
pleasantly, at least TO her mothers ears. 81 want
70 speak TO Fred very seriously"
"My dearw demonstrated Mrs. Blackctt; and
then she left the room.
"What has happened?" :" asked Harvey, mpul-
sively.
"Oh, nothing" answered Rose she was stand.
ing now in the bay-window, looking out into the
garden, so that her face was not seen. IL have
only told mamma that 1 am not going 10 marry
Fred; and she is put out"
Harvey reeled like one struck. Had his senses
played him falseS
"Indeed!" he then said after a long pause ;
"your determination is sudden, Miss Blsckett."
"Yes," she answered, with assumed careless
ness but her quivering voice and bashful eyes
belied her assumption. "Now that it has come
2 ST.. feel that it will not do and am sure
Fred will feel with me-"
Again Harvey was silent. What could he say ;
That he thought Fred would consent to give her
up being utterly unworthy his good fortune z
that he hoped he would keep her still to her word,
when he hoped just the reverse that she was
doing wrong to be honest, when he loved her for
it more than he had ever loved her before What
could he say Truth and honor were on oppo-
site sides, as sometimes happens in life and if
he said what he thought, he would say what he
ought not to say. So he kept silence, and Rose
was not quick enough to divine why.
While they were standing in this awkward posi-
ton, both too much moved to speak, a carriage
dashed up to the door, and "Mr. Norton" was
announced. Mr.. Norton was Roses trustee and
n guardian, In a way though that young lady had
; full power over her own funds, and did not in
general either ask advice as to what she
should do with her own, or defer TO IL, If given
And being of the school which "goes in" for a
great many things better left alone, she event in
for speculation on tolerab,y large scale; so
that, since she came of age, she had placed most
nr a ah l. ia "A
chosen, unfortunately for her, the most capri
cious nurse of all-mining property. However
she would do il; so she had no one TO blame but
herself Not even smooth-spoken, cleanly
shaven Mr.. Norton who had helped her, by-the-
by, to more than one "good thing" in which he
himself had taken shares that he generously
handed over 10 her, after private adyces received
and pondered over. And when Mr.. Norton came
Harvey lsfti bearing with him the promise that
the two ladies would come TO dinner at halfpas
) six precisely As much before as they liked
but not moment after.
When they came it was easy to see that some
thing had happened. Mrs. Backett was de
pressed, tearful her eyes were red and swollen
her face pulled and pae she spoke as if she had
violent cold, and in every other particular o
manner and person showed that she had beer
weeping bitterly. Rose was flushed and excited
with certain bravery of manner which TembleC
too neavly OF bravado to be quite as lovely as 4
might have been. But she looked beautiful
perhaps more beautiful than she had eYei
looked In her life before and even lazy Fred
seemed struck by her, and warmed up to un
Wonted feeling.
Arter dinner she asked him to go with he
into the library for she was utterly unconven
tiona IN AL she did, and would not have minded
ask ug prince 20 tie her shoe, or anything els
thai she might DESIRE being just little touched
by she self.Eill belonging TO the heiress; Snt
Fred assented, wondering what was up, anC
what She wanted. When she had shut the door
'Dear old Fred" she said, in coaXing voice
81 want you to do me kindness"
Ill Eanau ruagA a uauNUU lis