Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-07-14
LUMNE HILL. CALAvERAs COUNTY CAL. JULY a,

"and there are dresses to be made, and
1 know not what to do, before the day
arrives"
"Who is the bride? p asked my aunt.
"Lilla Newcome.
"And you the bridegroom, eh?" CHR.
ruped Mira.
tIp
"Why, we heard you adored Lila. ~
"Tve always admired her," 9
"And she has Tilted your"
"Not SO bad as that"
"Let me sympathize with you"
"Not at all there are other pretty
blondes in the world.''
l said that because Mira was as dark
as any Cuban.
SO blonde I? Hear him aunt. Had
yellow hair and blue eyes I'd have the
grace to admire brunettes."
"We can't help our fancies," said I,
who absolutely disliked light coloriag.
"Of course not; now, if you were
not fair.' 4
"Well?"
"I'd tell you how I admire dark
men,"
"Don't stop for that. I shouldn't
care" 7-l re
Her black eyes danced. "You'll see
my idea of perfection tonight" said
she Captain Earnly."
81 haze seen the gentleman
"By-the-way. I promised to play
something for him tonight" said Mira
"apd if 1 don't practice I sha' MT be
able to remember it. Excuse me, will
you, good folks ?" and away she tripped
leaving us in the midst of dessert.
Captain Earnly did call that evening
and she played for him, and sung with
him. He told her stories of his prowess
as soldier, and she was wondrously
interested. He mentioned his wounds
and she pitied him with voice and eyes.
l thought him an affected coxcomb.-
She evidently considered him hero of
the first water.
l sat on the porch without the win
dow, smoking and chatting with my
uncle. Once or twice I thought of the
Spartan boys fox gnawing and tearing
at his bosom. So my love tore me,
and SO hid it-better to die of it than
have it seen.
She was not my cousin by blood, that
dark eyed Mira-on'y y nv uncles adopt
ed child. No tie of relationship stood
between US, for though cousins have
wed, l scarcely think they ever loved
very truly. She was the very realiza-
tion of my dream of girlish beauty
She was everything I had ever hoped
for; and when coming back from that
long journey, in which 1 had well-nigh
"put girdle round about the world" "
l found her altered from a romping
child to what she was. l knew my fate
was sealed and for a little while she
had been SO kind to me that I had been
made a fool of.
1t was very different now. She had
bound up Cato's black hand. She
sighed over the black haired Captain s
storied scratches. Yet six months be-
fore l had been wounded nearly unto
death by an accident, and her first
greeting on my convalescence was, you
careless wretch, the only wonder is you
didn't manage to cut your arm quite of
and make fright of yourself for life
l've no patience with people who can't
Look where they are going. You'll break
your back yet and end your days in a
wheel chair
"Let me keep the use of my feet at
least, so long as l am to dwell within
reach of your voice." said I; and we
passed for couple of uncourteous
testers
Sometimes, in my character of cous-
in, l used to act as Mira's escort. Odd
enough it was to see how tired she grew
OF me. How any stranger seemed bet
ter company than I. And some day,
when she had been wooed and won,
perhaps by the Captain bending over
her at the piano, should shake hands
and utter some careless congratulation,
and she would nod adieu to me, and we
should part forever. Strange enough,
all of it, when remembered how 1 ac-
tually felt toward her.
The Captain was going. He had
looked at bis dainty watch. Shocking
to think how late it was-'How lightly
falls the foot of Time that only treads
on flowers 7 and, with quotation and
a bow and glance at Mira, the room
was empty Of him. 1t was a relief to
me. ..,--.-
Mira had reseated herself at the pi-
ano. l sauntered in and sat near her.
will you sing something for me p 1
asked. This sweet old thing, for in
and 1 tossed Love Not upon
the piano.
Sweet old things are tiresome, and I
am tired said Mira and if she could
have read my soul she could not have
blushed more deeply Perhaps she was
Of the Captain @a
If you could only hear Nina's friend
Miss Deane, sing that said /, affecting
to yawn
sAnother blonde?' -
"A lovely one.'
.Ah 7 and launching she arose, and
going out upon the porch gathered two
or three rosebuds. Not because she
wanted them, l think, but merely in an
an idle mood. As she passed me after
ward one dropped from her bosom at
my feet | left it lying there, but came
back with slippercd feet an hour after
to find it. and kiss it, and sleep with it