The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-12-28

BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.

BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.
Betty Wilmarth-and o quaint, piquant
little beauty she was. They used to call
her changeing; for where she found
that Spanish face of hers, nobody knows.
Somewhere far back in her ancestry, it
may be, an old beauty bequeathed it;
but out of race Of blondes her face had
blossomed as dark and rich as the pict-
ures Of those Spanish women where the
lovely colors seem to be retiring every
day farther into the shade of the canvas
"a golden, tawny sFin, with, crushed
crimson on the cheek; delicate features,
with fine curve to the thin nostril and
q short one TO the red lip, that gave
glimpse Of little white teeth; and great
black eyes, whose flash only the long
black shading lashes subdued to a soft
glow. Yes, Betty Wilmarth was beau
tys and somehow as fascinating as beau
tiful; full of innocent caprices that set
you to wondering what would be the
next, and kept your interest alive; with
q temper that struck sparks, but which
was in the next moment all sweetness;
impuisive, warn-hearted, a charming,
willful piece, setting her lovers by the
ears, and making all the other girls de-
voutly wish she would be married and
done with it; for, of course, there was no
chance for anybody else so long as Betty
Wilmarth was around.
But Betty Wilmarth was in no sort Of
hurry to marry; one by one she fiilliped
off her lovers lightly as thistle-down.
Petted and caressed and INDUCED to
death, as people said, she declared she
wanted neither to be an old man 8 darling
nor young mans slave; and old lovers
consoled themselves and new lovers took
their turn, and she was heart-whole and
happy, singing her way through life, and
counting her twenty years in the sun
shine as a child might count a row of
brilliant beads.
But one of these lovers was not to be
fiiliped OF as lightly as the rest; and
that was her mothers young step
cousin, Will Maunder. He had come
down to Peterborough from his noun
tain home in the deep forests, after the
disastrous fire that left him only bare
rock for his inheritance; and where. save
1or his mother and some old goodies.
no had never seen woman: and Betty
mad struck him a. q goddess might have
struck @ clown. Not that Will Maunder
W0s clown, by any meang-his mother,
q lady who carried her ladyhooG into
She woods, he'd attended to all shat: and
q certain wild grace and rude courtesy
accompanied his every action. But he
was brawny, long-legged, staIwart fell
lew, for all that, and his fair face had
been sun-kissed with many freckle,
and his fair hair curled close TO his head
III tight rings; but Betty knew nothing
about any Greek head with close curls
oil the same description, and would have
liked 1t no better II she had; and of ali
things, she despised freckles. She had
an Ideal OF the face and form and mind
and manners that were to win her on
some distant day-a day distant enough
to borrow enchantment "A slender.
knightly shape, perhaps, perfect coun-
6enance, long auburn locks
"disoolored, as if a crown.
Encircled them so frayed the .basnet whore
sharp white line divided clean the hair
GLOSSY above, glossy below"
She would not have hEed it at all if she
had seen itso; and, If she had but known
it. Che massive limbs and shoulders of
Will Maunder were much more like the
ancient knights she dreamed about than
possibly could be this absurd and puny
ideal she had set up.
The days Of chivalry are over now,''
said Betty, with sigh.
I" Mighty disagreeable, cold, cheerless,
dangerous md uncomfortable DAYS You
woutd have found them" said Wall.
: I" Cheerless or not, they're over"
"What mikes you say SO, Betty?" ne
asked, from where he sat at her feet.
:" Oh, because they are 70 she answered,
throwing up hen. pretty arms and clasp
ing them above her head as she leaned
it back among the honeysuckles, and
!. looked as sweet as they and made poor
Willis heart beat with looking at her.
'"Oh, because they are! Who would
,2lare great adventures for anybody now
scale castles, kill giants, enter the
dens of wild beasts" T
CT would-for you, Betty
sob dear mel How tired I am of
hearing you say SO! Phey would, for
anybody. Now please don't, Will dear.
any morei There are no castles here
/ don't want anything Of wild beasts
and you're giant yourself, on know. -
81 wish wasn't. Betty. I'd change
with that little Hop-o' my-thumb, Fred
Sammis, IL"
"Oh, That shrimp! I do detest him
he's such a-such D spoon!"
~ thought you didn't like slang,