The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-04-15
#isce;lanp.
THE WRONG PICTURE.

Ve"' AAo so'~'A~eu u CLOSELY with my eye
Henry Wallis looked pleased; man natural.
~ likes to have his fancee duly admired and
spprecias:d..
so this is the Bessie Armitage have heard
50 much OF; really, Wallis, she does credit to
your taste A blonde, suppose z"
Fair as lily leaf, with blue eyes and the
sunniest golden hair
"Ah well, l must say prefer the brunette
styie, SO Tar a. my individual taste goes but
then, fancies differ, you know"
1t was all very well for Henry " allis TO 20
INTO ecstacies about the pallid, farhaired Bessie
Arntage; he had never seen the glance OF Ce-
ella Nernon's magnificent black eyes. What
ana hs know about the true type OF feminine
beauty: -
As you say, tancies differ" Wallis returned
lightly. "But | wish you would select hand
some frame for it when you 20 to town next
blue velvet with "a gold rim on the margin, or
such tasteful arrangement"
III see TO it," said, depositing the picture in
~ envelope, and returning it to my inside breast
pocket.
81 ii be very careful Of it"
Careful OF course | shall
smiled little loftily at Wallis solicitude,
and we parted
After all, Henry Wallis was better off than I
was, for be was securely engaged 10 the dirnpled,
yellow-tressed little object OF his affections
while L was yet, a. il were, in outer darkness
uncertain whether my peerless Cecilia returned
my ardent devotion, or whether she secretly in
clined toward that unprinciplsd fellow, Fitz
hugh Iretcil. A score Of times had resolved
70 settle the question "a score Of times had gone
TO the Vernon- with the very formula of declara-
ton en- my lips, and as often had the voice died
away unvoced and unspoken
II fate had only gifted me with one-thou.
eanath part OF Fitzhugh Trefoil's otf.hand au.
dacity l don't think ANYTHING short of the
Deluge could check that fellows cool seli.pos.
session an earthquake wouldn't and don't
think that the millennium could
However, love inspires the feeblest heart with
sort OF fictitious courage, and l was a new
man since Miss Vernon smiled upon me. What
was the use OF doubling, hestating, and tremb-
NngI Why not decide my fate at once. Hen
~ W aliis' serene content exercised as timulat.
Ing inhuence npon me l would fan have been
even as he was
There Is no sense in procrastinatlug matters
any farther" / ssid, half aloud, as walked up
and down the rather limited domains of nav lit.
tie Law office. Il have been doubling fool quite
long enough"
In afraid wasn't very aniable member OF
the domestic circle that afternoon.
II think Paul is growing crosser every day.
.aid my sister, Struggling her little plump shout.
ders Mamma, wish you'd speak to him"
But my mother bless her wise old soul, knew
better than that. She only looked at me over
the rims OF her spectacles, and went on darnins
stockings.
Paul is worried with business matters. sup.
pose, she said, apologetically. paul will do
well enough, II you only let him alone"
went up to my room after dinner, and made
an elaborate toilet but all the pains bestowed
upon 1t served only t. heighten the general ei.
feet OF awkwardness
Give TWO minds TO wait until tomorrow"
quosh l TO myself, abruptly stopping, with my
c-avat half tied.
No, | might be coward, but was not such
an uumitigased poltroon as that. had begun
the enterprise, and l would carry it through, il
IT cost me the last drop of my hearts blood
Moreover. had had an inspiration. An entire.
!y new and original method of putting the me-.
men'ous query--""poppiug the question:" is q
'ulg arisn that l, for one, could never tolerate
had occurred to me.
"Ha.g Fitzhuyh Treiol :" exclaimed glee.
iuiiy, half aloud, though there was no ear 10
h''' my ejaculation. "I'll win the dark.eyed
r. sure yet, in spite of him :"
opened my wri,ing.csse, and carefully
took out little carte de risite wrapped in tissue
PIPER, and tenderly laid away with pink silk
perfume satchel that Minnie had made for me
"uce, 1t was Ceclia's picture; she had flowed
me to steal 1t away from her, with scarcely re.
m'"'tranoe, week before. 7Hen was the time
l ought to have proposed but, like a timorous.
doubling moel.calf as was, had let the gold.
=" TIDE OF opportunity slip uuimpr0ved away
from me-
drew Bessie Armitages vacant, doll.like
lace from Its envelope, and compared the two
with thrill OF triumph in my heart.
"Co!or!ess water, beside crimson, sparkling
champagne pale violet in the shadow of a
royal rose pearls ecipsed by the fiery fash of
diamonds :" | exclaimed. Henry Wallis taste
may be very correct and classical, but give me
my radiant brunette. These bleached.out beau.
ties don't correspond with my ideas"
1t was lovely spring evening as l entered
the wide gravel path that led up to the broad
porch of the od.fashioned Vernon mansion.
Squire Vernon sat there smoking his nicer.
Schaum.
Won't you sit down and have a smoke ~ he
demanded, Hospitality. Its a real luxury to be
able to take Whit out of doors, after being
shut up In the house all winter! Or may be
you'd prefer going in to see Cecil Z"
Sensible old gentleman no had not forgotten
his own young day. l intimatei, no. without
considerable awkwardness, that the special OBJ.
jet of my visit had been to "see Cecil.'
well, she is in the parlor all by herself "
."id the squire, good humoredly, motioning me
in. walk in-walk in."
Cecilia Vernon WAS sitting in the parlor alone,
AS her father had said. the bright center of a
cheerful circle of lamplignt. A bit of crochet
wo!k was lying in her lap, and an open volume
OF poems-poems l had sent her-was on the
table.
cecilia Vernon WAS always fair to look upon,
III my, sight; tonight, however, she seemed
mere than ordinarily beautiful
sat down, and began hesltatingly upon the