Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-03-08


every couple Of lovers as demo nstrative as
they were themselves. Phil did not do
enough kissing to suit them he did not
squeeze hissfair ones hand in corners; and
he made himself generally agreeable with
out seeking perpetual tete-a-tetes with his
fdncee.
"My dear Thsodosia," observed Mrs.
RUSSELL one evening, on their return from
the OPERA WHITTIER Phil had escorted them
VI suppose ii is not the fashion but really
now, If my William in our courtng days
had not put his arm round my waist as we
drove in carriage, and in the dark. too, 1
should have been seriously uneasy"
Another time it was, dearest how very
odd that Captain Kerr never seems to care
TO be alone with you! My William could
not bear third person in the roomr
Theodosa might have disregarded this,
but her own sense told her that Phil was
not devoted lover; and though the con-
gratulations of the Kerr family had been
| most enthusiastic, though they had men
tally adopted Theodosia and her thirty
thousand as a daughter and sister dear to
their arstocratc hearts, yet there were sun
dry outlying members who preserved the
right TO opinions of their own, and would
have preferred Pills bride being consider
ably younger and very much pretticr,
even if her pockets were not so well filed.
Now this heresv against the right divine
of gold Theodosia secretly resented, and
again she bad visions of the baronet, and
thought that Lady M'Gregor' sounded
better than the "Hon. Mrs. Kerr" In
short having landed her fish, Theodosia
was getting weary Of IT,
The pleasure to her was in the catching,
not the Keeping, and Phil was far too So
cure and careless to please her.
Courteous and gentlemanly he could not
fail to he, but he was no actor. He could
not assume a virtue he had not; aud he
could not look impassioned, and he could
not speak POLITICALLY, when he was feeling
peculiarly cold and Indifferent.
50 tue time went on, till, on the morning
that he was to leave, it was Mrs, not Miss
Richley who greeted him on his entrance
TO the library.
at is very painful task, Captain Kerr,
that is impose upon me, but have no re-
source" were her opening words. II can
not control my daughters feelings; indeed
in this instance quite coincide with them;
so docs her father. We all feel that there
does not exist between you the love which
alone can render marriage state of bless
ing, and it is better at once TO end this has
tily formed engagement"
Phil stared, but said nothing.
Mrs. Rchley, having applied fimy
pock handkerchief TO her eyes went on:
"Do not answer me, Captain Kerr phil,
by-the-way, had not attempted it). "This
decision is fina; yet, as an interview with
my daughter would be very painful to her
<and useless to yourself, / must beg you
will at once leave the house without urg-
ing it,"
What could Phil say? A certain sense
of relief, too, flashed over his mind. He
lAvimply bowed, expressed his thanks for
the hospitality and kindness he had receiv-
ed, his regret at the sudden and, he must
observe, unexplained termination Of his
engagement, and requested that a cab might
be called TO transport himself and his port
LIanteau to the club.
So ended Phil's dream of an heiress.
Yet that heartless young man was actually
heard 10 whistle "A te cara |" as he drove
away from Marquis Square; and Mrs.
Richley would have felt herself more than
ever justified had she read his thoughts:
"Free, even if beggar. Rosebud, may
think of you lovingly now."
Phil did not lament when he found next
morning that sudden orders had come for
the regiment to sail for Canada.
One week later and he was on board the
troop-ship as it steamed down the Mersey,
and the band struck up "The Girl left be-
hind me-" A dear sweet face seemed to
hover before him with bright soft eyes, not
cast up and down sideways like Theodosia's
pale gray orbs, but yet which spoke of
bashful affection as pure and true as ever
thro bed in the heart of gently born Eng
lish maiden.
Yes, the hackneyed old tune carried his
thoughts away to a by-gone time and
Southern land, and Phil Kerr came to the
conclusion that he was, as he himself would
have expressed it, "a BRUTE" and that he
had been "a big fool"
Phil was the only patient passenger on
| board; for, strange TO say, he had begun to
4
ing sea air affected his very easy going
ideas on many subjects; perhaps il was
| that he had nothing to do but to smoke,
play whist, and think but certain it is that
the gallant, selr-salistied and careless Phil
| BEGAN TO think his honorable self bat doubt
fully worthy of that true love.
1t might be, too, that the last month had
shown him more of his better nature than
| he ever knew before ; that love was as nee
essary to his happiness as gold; and that
| future yet lay before him far holer and
| truer than wealthy marriage could give.
Phil Kerr was changed and better man.
A year has passed before we see him
again, and now it is in the capital of the
word-Rome ; a saIoni in the Hotel Costan-
ri, a scent of orange blossoms, and lady
and gentleman breaking the seals Of their
English letters; Philip and his bride the
| Rose bud.
A sad and fatal boat accident had ended
the lives of his two elder brothers, his IA
ther had died of broken heart for the loss
of "hs bonny boys" and Philip Lord
Kerr had resigned his commission and
fastened to Florence, where Rosie Amherst
lived with her brave old soldier father and
her gentle mother.
lie wooed and won the Rose bud of his
dreams, and there was no complaint this
time OF want of lover-like ardor; and now
they sat side by side, in an attitude good
Mrs. Russell would have highly approved
of, reading their letters.
"By JoveW exclaimed Phil, "Rosie,
look here. You know | told you that
was always getting anonymous presents ar-
ter that foolish affair was broken off-you
know what affair, don't you dear?"
Phil here twisted his moustache, after
the fashion of embarrassed Englishmen in