Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-20
so LIKE A WOAAN


Do YOU lore her, uncle n
al am too old to indulge in the luxury
Of rhapscdies.n be said with laugh, "but
III tell you this. Thee, am very fond 0i
the GIRL, and very well satisfied that You'll
Hpproye OF my cnoice.a
The speakers were Theodore Bligh and
his uncle, the elder Mr.. Bligh. The sub.
.lect oi the talk was young girl, 70 whom
the uRclc was engaged, and 10 whom the
nephew was a stranger; MRdge Dundee,
or Bonnie Dundee, as she was called.
Well, uncles don't generally submit
their ehoices IN such matters 10 their
nephews' Judgments" Thee Biieh said,
recovering his normal expression Of benig-
nant indifference as be spoke, and then be
addeds al hope with all my heart that
you'n be happy.
"You will meet her tonight at dinner
Mr.. Rligh said to Theo. ~She Is coming
with her brothers and some friends OF theirs
Co see her future h0me.n
He did meet her that evening.
IL think Mr.. Bhgh has been rather ner-
vous about introducing me 20 you,h Miss
Dundee said. quickly making way Tor Theo
Co take seat ON the s0ia by her side I;
he's more than bali afraid that you won't
like me, and il you don't il wall make
him very unhappy 30 she spoke, IN n
girlish. almost childish outsPoken way,
without seeming 90 consider or TO mark
the effect Of her words either en- the man
she addressed or on the byStanders. 81
should have known you as Theo anywhere
I'D seen you-n she went on you'll be
exactly ike Mr.. Biigh when you're-7
She paused abruptly and colored a little,
but moment after she forced herself back
into composure, aad resumed, "when you're
rs old as be is, was going TO say, but |
remembered that yonDg men hate to be
reminded Of thcir youth, and SO bungied
and bIundcrcd. Can you forgive me 7"
Could be forgive her Was the Bonnie
Dundee subtle, Or only sweetly simple,
that she asked hirn this, i'm that winning
voice Of hers7 And, by the way, how did
she, with her Scotch name, cume with
that touch Of acccnt-that way OF softly
resting on the vowels that is speciality
OF Irisb-women's pronunciation Of words
that they want 60 caress As he asked
himself this, be looked at her more obser-
vanity, and wondered also how she had
come by that face and that expression.
In remarkably short time the two he
came the most desoted friends.
Bonnie Dundee wasnot amere Unsuitable
coqUrtte. She was not q heartless fool,
ready and willing to play fast and loose for
the sake Of gaming Little notoriefy /; but
she was that even more dangerous thing,
N woman afflicted Eith such passion for
pleasing that il became fine art iu her
hands. and when she was following IL abe
could not stay 90 count the cost of Gailings
or success. lt was a new sensation 70 her
to hare the right TO such attentions, and
admiraticn and love as Mr.. Bligh lavished
upon her, and as Theo offered at respect
full distance, on the score OF being his
uncle's nephew. Ii was a new sensation
to ber, and she enjoyed il 70 the full; I;
reveling iB u as one does IN sunbeams alter
. long frost. or in dainty viands after
long fast. The idea Of its being wrong or
reprehensible IN any way 20 gather these
roses Of love and youth and pleasure, that
were blooming IN her path. never entered
her mind. She was not false or flckle IN
reality, she was only intensely fond Of the
excitement OF being put upon a pedestal.
and being only wOrshiped in the sight Of
all men
There came a day when it was revealed
to her suddenly, 20 suddenly that II made
her dizzy, and then she behayed-ike a
woman.
One morning, uDc.e, nephew, and Miss
Dundee met.
@Theo has been talking this morning Of
leaving Us soon before be goes, dear, we
must let him know what day be is to come
back and hail yop as an aunt.S IL cost
Mr. BTigh more than slight effort TO make
this speech with apparent ease, for durirR
she last few days he had not been blind Of
tight. But be succeeded in doing 20, and
only he himself suspected the pain bus own
words gave him.
HGoing Theo goingn' exclaimed Miss
Dundee, lapsing from fun into surprised
solemnity in moment, and laying her
whip with frank carcssing gesture on
Theos arm asshe spoke. '" Oh. don't think
Of going. Theo; can't spare yoT--we can't
spare him, can we ~
The mems eyes met for moment as
Madge spoke, and in that mcmtnt each
read that the other knew all about il.
" He knows love herr poor Theo moaned
in his heart, and " He sees I know it,
Mr.. Bligh thought, with not one whit leSs
pain. And silence fell ON them, aud in
that silence Madge saw things clearly at
last.
To recognize tbe love OF one man in the
presence Of another man who has right
TO feel jealous Of ii, Is TO be in position Of
the greatest dsneer and delicacy and diiii-
Guilty. Poor Madge fiinched for the first
moment when she found herself i'm It, hut
the next instant she recovered herself, and,
With the generosity of m woman, sought
10 put them well with one another without
regard to herself.
alt was selfish OF me to say wouldn't
spare you. for it must be dull for you here I;
but the fact is, Tbeo has spo.It me, just as
nv brothers do, and | have fallen into tie
way Of ordering him about as do them.
forgetting he isn't brother
1t was terribly trying work for them all,
weighted with the discoveries they had
recently made about each other. II be-
came insupportable to Mr.. Bligh after
short time. and 80 he sauntered out into
the garden, and Theo and Madge were
alone. fs
Her spirit rose with her sense Of danger,
as does that OF all finely organized natures,
and she turned TO him bright and brave at
once, though be had grown to be very dear
to her, and though she knew that be wns
suffering horribly on Der account. at
seems to me- she said "that we're All
very weak and wrong TO let shadow set
tie over the last visit you'll have with Us,
until | am an old married woman, With
household cares on my shoulders, that win
crush down my love OF visits. -
This win be my last visit with you
Miss Dundee"
aTseoFn She threw such world q re-
proachful tenderness into the toneiD which
she uttered that one word. That The man
she addressed trembled =. Hs Re.