The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-04-10
THE wRoNo PICTURE.

side down, held it of at arms length
to get perspective view, and scru
tinized it closely with my eve glass.
Dorwin Wallace looked pleased
and man naturally likes to have hi
fances duly admired and spprecla
ted.
$50 this is Bessie Armitsge / hav,
heard so much of; really, Wallace
she does credit your taste. A blonde
suppose 2"
"Fair as as a lilly, with blue eyes
aud sunny golden hair"
"Ah ! well, / must say / prefer the
brunette style, so far as my individu
al taste goes; but then. fancies diff
fer, you know"
1t was all very well for Darwin
Wallace to go into obstacles abou
his pallid, fair-haired little Bessie
Armitage be had never met the
glance of Cecilia Vernon's dark eyes
What did he know about the true
type of feminine beauty?
"As you say, fancies differ" Wal
lace returned lightly. "But / wisf
you would select handsome frame
for it when you go to R-next time
blue velvet, with gold rim on the
margin, or some such tasteful ar
rangement."
"Tll see to it," ] said, depositinl
the picture in its envelope, and re.
turning it to my inside breast book
ct.
"Yon'll be very careful oft ?"
Careful OF course ] shall"
smiled little loftily at Wallsce'l
solicitude, and we parted.
After all Darwin Wallace was bet
ter off than was, for he was secure
ly engaged to the dimpled, yellow
tressed little object of his affections
while was yet, as it were, in utter
darkness, uncertain whether my
peerless Cecilia returned my ardent
devotion, or whether she secretly
inclined to that unprincipled scoun
drel Fitzbugh Tretoil. A thousand
times / had resolved to settle the
question a score of times had gone
the old Vernon house with the very
formula of declaration on my lips,
and as often had the words died
away unyoiced and unspoken.
II fate had only gifted me with
one-thousandth part of Fitzhugi
Trefoil's off hand audacity ] dom
think anything less than the Deluge
could check that fellows cool self
possession ; an earthquake wouldn't
and | don't think the millennium
could.
However, love inspires the feeb
lest heart with sort OF hctitiou
courage, and / was new man since
Miss Vernon had smiled upon me
What was the use of doubling, hes
itating, trembling ? Why not decide
my fate at oncer Darwin Wallace
serene content exercised stimula
ting influence upon me. / woulC
fain have been even as be was.
"There is no sense in procrastina
ting matters any further" said, hal
aloud, as | walked up and down the
rather limited domains of my little
law office. 81 have been a doubling
fool long enough"
am afraid j was not very anna
bic member of the domestic circle
that afternoon.
81 think Paul Is growing crosse
every day" saidsmy sister, shrue
ging her little plump shoulders
another wish you would speak t
him !"
But mother, bless her wise oil,
soul, knew better than that. Sh,
looked at me over the rims of he
spectacles, and went on darning he
stockings.
"Paul is worried with bushes
matters, ] suppose" she said apollo
getically. "He will do well enougI
if you only let HIM alone"
/ went up to my room after suppe
and made an elaborate toilet; bu
all the pans / bestowed upon j
served only to heighten the effect c
awdwardness.
81 have two minds TO wait unit
tomorrow night" quote ] to myself
stopping abruptly, with my craya
half tied. mo | might be coward
but / was not such an unmitigateC
poltroon as that, had begun tn
enterprise and would carry it through
though it cost me the last drop 0
my hearts blood.
Moreover, ] had had an inspire
4ion! An entirely new and origina
method OF putting the momentou
query-"popping the question:" is
vulgarism that ], for one could neve
torerate-had occurred 10 me.
"Hang Fitzhugh Trefoil ~ ] e1
claimed gleefully, half aloud, thong
there was no ear to hear my ejacula
ton. "I'll win the dark eyed tres
sure yet, in spite of him !"
/ opened my writing csae, an
carefully took out little carte q
Uisite wrap d in tissue paper, an
tenderly laid away with pink sil
perfume sachel that Minnie ha
once made for me. 1t was Cecilia
picture she had allowed me to ste
is away from her, with scarcely r
monstrance, week before. Then vi
the time / ought to have propose
but, like timorous, doubling moo
calf as / was, | had let the gold'
tide of opportunity slip unimproys
away from me.
| ] drew Bessie Armitage's yacar
doll-like face from its envelope, al
compared the two with thrill
triumph in my heart.
"Colorless water beside crimso
sparkling champagne q pale yiol
in the shadow of royal rose pear
eclipsed by the fiery flesh of di
monds - | exclaimed. "Darw
Wallace's taste may be very CORE
and classical, but give me my J
dent brunette! These bleaohed o
beauties don't correspond with q
ideas of perfection"
1t was alovely spring night as
entered the wide grayeled path th
led up to the wide porch of the o
fashionable Vernon mansion.
Squire Vernon sat there smokil
his meerschaum.
"Wont you sit down and have
smoke ?" he demanded Hospitality
"Its real luxury to be able
take a Whit out doors, after bel
shut up in the house all winter.
may be you prefer going in to s
Cecilia"
Sensible old gentleman he b
not forookfan his own vouno laws