Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-10-04

brunettes appeared in the ascendant
that evening, and the fair debutante,
Miss Merton, paled and languished
with jealousy as she noticed the atten-
tion-nay. devotion-that "little. dark
Miss Brent was receiving from her
preux chevalier of last winter"
"Inever thought Phil Farnham any
thing of tiirt beforev' said Mrs. Sher-
wood, the next morning, as the girls
sat in her room, talking over the hop;
"but / must confess he disappointed
me- He isn't the kind of man took
him to be. Now last winter he was
devotion itself to Mile Merton--and
| last night he scarcely noticed her.
There was no reason for his marked
non-attention either, for | could see
that she was chagrined at his neglect.
Somehow, l don't like Phil as well as
/ used to. lie is changed" and Mrs.
| Sherwood shook her head and sighed.
Perhaps it is his taste only that
has changed, and he prefers brunettes
! to blondes now" answered Rhoda,
smiling to herself slyly, as she recalled
| Rob'S words, and contrasted them
with Pills manner the night before.
"No, not that altogether. l know
he don't admire dark women. | mean
the whole character seems to have
changed He is reserved-not as
agreeable or as pleasant as he used to
to be-critical and satirical: and Rob
says he is growing into sort of
an-hater-deelares he will never
marry, because he can never love one
of the women of to-day So don't
fall in love with him. Rhoda."
Won't marry because he couldn't
love one Of the women of to-day. |
suppose any one Of them stands ready
to fall into his arms at his asking.
| You needn't warn me, auntie. | dis
like the man" was Rhoda's sharp re-
| tort.
""Well. I'm sure Phil is nice
enough fellow, but | never should
want to marry him." said Maud.
"Im like you, Rhoda; | couldn't
stand a pair of red whiskers and
mustache close to my lipsr' and
Maud shuddered very much as Rhoda
had done a few days before.
"Mr. Farnham's whiskers are not
really--yed. Do you think so, Maud
should call them more of a blonde
brown replied Rhoda. not noticing
the sly chances Maud exchanged with
her mother at this sudden change of
opinion in one who had colored the red
whiskers and mustache herself not
ten days ago!
Farnham's an odd fellow" ex-
Il I III, - 49, |
room just as Rhoda had pronounced
Mr.. Farnham's whiskers "brown."
"I've been trying to get him enthusi-
astic over our masquerade, and he
won even say he will stay until the
night of TIE ball. He's tired of the
beach. Now, Rhoda, il you were on
ly blonde, you might have smitten
him with your charms; and, through
you, might have persuaded him to
remain ] don't know, however, that
| wish he liked you, for
"For what?" interrupted Rhoda,
quickly.
"Oh, you'd never suit one another,
that's all. But needn't bother my
self. He doesn't admire squaws, and
you hate red whiskers, so there isn't
the least danger of your fancying one
another"
"Well, Miss Merton is here She's
a 'pale-face, I'm sure. Can't you
persuade Mr.. Farnham to stay
through her, pray?'
"No; he's tired of the beach, and
everybody here, he says. So sup
( pose he will go.
But Mr.. Farnham did stay to the
masquerade, Notwithstanding it was
postponed week later than at first
designed, and much beyond his pro-
posed time of departure. In that
time too, he paid such marked atten-
! ton to little, dark Miss Brent, that
large, pale Miss Merton was shocked
at the perversity Of mems tastes, and
everybody quite astonished at the
/ turn affairs had taken Everybody,
at least, but Rob Sherwood and his
1 mother!
The ball was success. Phil Farm
| ham looked really very well in his
costume, which he copied as accurate
" after Sothern's as he could; and
with his blonde-brown" whiskers,
quite the cut, and "A few alterations III
his expression, with paint and pencil,
| he made a very presentable Dun
dreary." The usual stereotyped mum
Der of fower-girls, queens, knights
and peasants crowded the floor; but
the prettiest dancer in the room was
one little Indian, Z" Minnehaha' She
called herself. The costume was pref
ty and unique. Decked off with pro-
fusion of bright beads and feathers,
gaily ornamented moccasin slippers,
and the long, heavy plaits of black
hair hanging far below the owner $
waist, altogether it was charming, II
not an entirely accurate study of an In