Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-10-19
so LIKE A WOMAN.
" Do You love her, uncle 7"

10 YOU IONt uNls uINlS
81 am too old to indulge in the luxury
of rhapsodies," he said with laugh, "but
Tll tell you this, Theo, am very fond OF
the girl, and very well satisfied that you'll
approve of my CHOICE"
The speakers were Theodore BIigh and
his uncle, the elder Mr., Bligh. The sub
iect of the talk was young girl, to whom
the uncle was engaged, and to whom the
nephew was stranger: Madge Dundee,
or Bonnie Dundee as she was called.
"Well, uncles don't generally submit
their choices in such matters to their
nephcws' Judgments" Theo Bligh said,
recovering his normal expression of being
nant Indifference as he spoke, and then he
added: 81 hope with all my heart that
you'll be happy. =,
"You will meet her tonight at dinner"
Mr.. Bligh said to Theo. "She is coming
with her brothers and some friends oftheirs
to see her future home"
He did meet her that evening.
81 think Mr.. Bhgh has been rather ner-
vous about introducing me to you," Miss
Dundee said, quickly making way for Theo
to take a seat on the sofa by her side
"he's more than halt afraid that you won't
like me, and if you don't it will make
him very unhappy" So she spoke, in a
girlish, almost childish outspoken way,
without seeming to consider or to mark
the effect of her words either On the man
she addressed or on the bystanders. 81
should have known you as Theo anywhere
I'd seen YOU" she went on; you'll be
exactly like Mr.. Biigh when you're--''
She paused abruptly and colored little
but moment after she forced herself back
into composurc, and resumed, when you're
as old as he is, was going to say, but
remembered that young men hate to be
reminded OF their youth, and so bunglcc
and Numbered. Can you forgive me z"
Could he forgive her! Was the Bonnie
Dundee subtle, or only sweetly simple
that she asked him this, in that winning
voice of hers? And, by the way, how die
she, with her Scotch name, come will
that touch of acccnt-that way of softly
resting on the yowels that is specialt.
of Irish-womcn's pronunciation of word
that they want to caress As he asket
himself this, he looked at her more obscr
vanity, and wondered also how she ha'
come by that face and that expression.
In a remarkably short time the two be
came the most devoted friends.
Bonnie Dundee was not mere insatiabl
coouctte. She was not heartless fool
ready and willing to play fast and loose 70
the sake of gaining little notoriety bu
she was that even more dangerous thing
woman afflicted with such passion 70
pleasing that it became a fine art in he
hands, and when she was following it sh
could not stay to count the cost of failing
CT success. 1t was new sensation to he
to have the right to such attentions, an
admiration and love as Mr. Bligh lavishe
upon her, and as Theo offered at respect
full distance, on the score OF being hi
unces nephew. 1t was new sensatio
to her, and she enjoyed it to the full
reyeling in it as one does in sunbeams ate
a long frost, or in dainty viands after
long fast. The idea of its being wrong c
reprehensible in any way to gather thes
roses of love and youth and pleasure, tina
we're blooming in her path, never entere
her mind. She was not false or tickle j
reality, she was only intensely fond of til
excitement of being put upon pedesta
and being only worshiped in the sight (
all men.
There came day when it was reveale
to her suddenly, so suddenly that it mad
her dizzy, and then she bchaved-l'ke
woman.
One morning, uncle, nephew and Mis-
Dundee met.
"Thco has been talking this morning
leaving us soon; before he goes, dear, W
must let him know what day he is to CON
back and hail you as an aunt" 1t COS
Mr.. Blgh more than slight effort to max
this speech with apparent ease, for durin
she last few days he had not been blind I
tight. But he succeeded in doing so, an
only he himself suspected the pain his ow
words gave him.
Gong! Theo goingw exclaimed Mis-
Dundee, lapsing from fun into surprise
solcnnity in a moment, and laying he
whip with a frank caressing gesture Q
Theo's arm as she spoke. "Oh, don't thin
of going Theo can't spare You've can
spare him, can we ?'
The mems eyes met for moment {
Madge spoke, and in that moment eaC
read that the other knew all about
"Hc knows | love her." poor Theo moane
in his heart, and He sees | know it
Mr.. Bligh thought, with not one whit le
pain. And silence fell on them and
that silence NIadge saw things clearly
last.
To recognize the love of one man in tt
presence of another man who has rigl
to feel jealous of it, is to be in position
the greatest danger and delicacy and diff
Guilty. Poor Madge finchcd for the fir
moment when she found herself in 1T, b,
the next instant she recovered herself, an
with the generosity of woman, soug)
to put them well with one another witho,
regard to herself.
at was selfish of me to say wouldr
snare YOU, for it must be dull for you her
but the fact is, Theo has spoilt me, just
nv brothers do, and | have fallen into IL
way of ordering him about as ! do thel
forgetting he isn't brother"
it was terribly trying work for them
weighted with the discoveries they h
recently made about each other. 1t b
came insupportable to Mr. Blgh after
short time, and so he sauntered out in
the garden, and Theo and Madge we
alone,
Her spirit rose with her sense of dang
as does that of all finely organized nature
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