The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-05-21
MY Cousins Lovers.

! MY cousin HOrtenSe was very hand
some, and a great firt beside.
| was little fellow then, and didn'
know what that meant, but | learned
Hortense was as good-natured
girl as ever lived, but it seems a
natural as her prettiness for prett'
girl to flirt.
Nv cousin had three lovers. Sh
had scores of them for that matter
but there were three who seemed
that they would not take mo" for al
answer.
First and formost, because my un
Gle favored him, was Mr.. Clemens
Father Luke" Hortense called hin
in derision. His name was LUX,
Clemens, and he was old enough t.
be Hortense's grandfather, for tina
matter.
Why he wanted a booming young
girl for a wife at his age nobody
knew But he was very, very rich
His house stood on an eminenc,
just out of town, and looked like /;
great white marble palace
1t was furnished in the most ex
travagrant and luxurious style, ant
to see the inside of it was enough t.
make any woman expire with desir,
to be mistress of its elegance.
Hortense could not withstand it:
fascinations, and in the end she agreed
to marry Father Luke for the sake o
it; Eut not yet.
Next on the list was Raynall Ford
was French on his mothers side. He
had long, black hair, silky and as fine
as woman's, and he parted it in the
middle and combed it straight behind
bis ears as woman might 1t gave
him very odd look taken in connec.
tion with his red cheeks and heavy
mustache.
He had not the ghost of q chance
of winning Hortense, though he would
not see it, for neither my uncle nor
my cousin liked him.
Hortense use to say it made her
shiver only to look at him, and | was
afraid of him myself. He used to
mutter in French, and hiss out sharp
words under his breath when he was
angry, that made me want to shrink
out of his sight.
He was not welcome at my uncle's
house, but there was no excuse for
treating him otherwise than courte-
ously, and he came from fine family,
so he continued to come and vex my
cousin with attentions he could not
see were not merely unwelcome but
repulsive.
Hortense had been to blame in the
first place, for she had smiled on him,
and played with him in a most unjus-
tiliable manner
She did all she could to discourage
him, but it was too late
Last of all was Phil Dering, dear
old Phil; not that he was the young
est of them all, but that was a fash
ion Hortense and had of talking
about him. In her secret heart, my
little wicked hirt of cousin loved
Phil.
But as he was the poorest of the
lot, as well as the handsomest, clever
est and kindest, she had not the small
est idea of ever marrying him. Phil
and | were great friends.
| can't describe Phil to you, but he
was handsome-such bright, glancing
eyes, such dark waving hair, such a
kind, pleasant voice, but with touch
of stength in it that made one think
it would be something worth while
to have him to lean on if you were
in trouble. With all my cousins way
wardness, Phil Dering could do more
with her than any one else could.
He must have known all along that
she loved him, for | nsed to hear him
say sometimes when she was in a
gracious mood, and would let him
talk to her:
"You never will marry Father
Lnke, Hortense | know You will
not If you don't, | will wait"
The words were overheard by
n servant, and quoted against him
with fatal meaning afterward, but /
don't know how any one could mag
inc anything evil in them; they were
spoken SO sweetly, and his eyes re-
garded my cousins blushing, down.
cast face with such fondness as could
have hidden no:hing sinister
Hortense must have vacilated some
what, probably a great deal, between
the old man with all his money, and
dear, handsome Phil.
Bot at last, as have said, between
her longings and the fine house, and
her fathers instance, she said yes to
Father Luke.
She told Phil herself, when the bar
gain was fairly made-told him with
A saucy, cruel laugh, and mocking
in her bird-like eyes.
Phil turned whittier than his collar,
and gave her such look-not word,
but one look, then he went away, and
eft me and her standing there to-
yether
Hortense grew a little pale; wo-
nen don't feel such things as men do;
think they are selfish naturally, and
heir education makes them more so.
She looked down at me and smiled,
md her lips trembled, but she locked
10 brightly, so prettily defiant at my
,ack on her and said that l hated her
She laughed aloud at that.
":f you hate me because you love |
Phil, cousin Dick, here's kiss for
'ou, and | wish | was you"
And with kiss she was gone. / I