Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-09

Barnetta used to tell him, were not so
inconsistent in the matter Of rent rolls |
as Of virtue and talent in their daugh-
ters' husbands; and he was invited here
and invited there, and given to under
stand great deal more than he chose
to understand. Proud as Lucifer, as it
was previously stated, he was going to
marry no heiress of them all and be
the thrall Of her money: he would not
marry a rich woman, he could not
marry poor one. When he married
he was going to give, not take, and at
present he had nothing to give. Per-
haps he would have been a nobler
person if he had not been quite so
strenuous in this matter of obligation
but then, as Mrs. Barnetta said, he
would not have been Lucian Malvin,
and Lucian Malvin was very good
fellow, after all, and there are few of
us but have our faults.
IL was among these people that he
happened to meet Rosa Mercier. She
had come from distant place and was
visiting his pleasantest acquaintance;
and certainly the house was pleasanter
still after her sunshiny little presence
dawned upon it. It seemed as if, for
instance, there never had been any flow
ers in the house before, although it had
always been OVERLOOKING; it seemed as
if there had been no music there, no
light, or color, or cheer; and now the
place was too dangerously delightful I'll
for a young man who did not want to
marry to frequent. She was such a
lovely little thing; not exactly beauti-
full, that is, she would not have been
beautiful in a picture, but in flesh and
blood, and in Lucian Malvin's eyes, she
was exceedingly beautiful, with her
soft color, her clear dark gaze, and her
bright hair that broke into cloud of
sunny rings about her sweet face; such
a'gentle gayety went with her where
ever she did, such a tender grace of
manner, too, in the intervals of her
buoyant spirits, her voice was such
warbling voice, her ways were such
winsome ways. Lucian Malvin felt
that he must forswear her presence
unless he wanted to make life burden
to himself; and he ceased going to Mrs
Barnetta's where she was staying,
almost as suddenly as the day forsakes
the horizon in that dreary season when
twilights are not. r s. b4
But if he could shut himself out from
the Barnettas, he could not shut Miss
Rosa out from general society; and go
where he would, he met her almost
nightly, laughing gayly, singing sweet
ly, dancing lightly, till he declared to
himself that if this was going to last he
must indeed cease going out at all. But
that was a little too much; he did not
know how positively to deny himself
the mere sight of her. Yet things were
growing very precarious when he could
not take book but he saw that blush
ing, goldenringed face slide in between
| the pages, when he could not make out
a writ without being in danger of sip
| ping her name into the blanks, when
/ he heard the delicious voice murmur-
ing In his ears when he walked, and
walked all night with the little spirit
when he slept. He made compromise
with himself-it was all he could-and
declared that at any rate he would not
dance with her again. 1t was an idle
effort. He might almost as we'll have
danced with her as have stood looking
at her, quite unconscious of his general
air, and all the lover in his glance. Mrs.
Barnetta beckoned him to her side; he
stood there just as Rosa came up from
her promenade and left the arm of one
cavalier to be carried off by another.
"You are not dancing, Mr.. Malvin,"
she said. "Oh, would you hold my
fan and handkerchief? He followed
themw with his eye again as the music
crash ed into dashing galop.
What right had that other man with
his clasp about this darling? Why did
she suffer it? What decency was there
In the society that commanded such
sacrifice? In his embrace-whirling
wildly to this wild music.
''You do hate him, don't your" said
Mrs. Barnetta, ID his ear. eff looks
could STAY -" He started. Was he
carrying his heart upon his sleeve for
DAVIS to peck at? ooh, don't pity you
bit, "laughed Mrs. Barnetta, low-ton-
ed. And, putting out her hand, >she
took Rosa's fan and opened it as she
| talked. "Anybedy," she said, "with
such power of making misery, ought
tok enjoy it, ai1<7'a.
tT-I beg your pardon, Mrs. Barnet
! ia, but if you read me riddles, I must
as you also to be their Sphinx" d5
ooh no; it was the function of the
Sphinx to PROFOUND the riddles, not to
solve them" And Mrs. Barnetta
laughed her low pleasant laugh. "You
do not come to us any more" she said.
"And, as / used to be in your conf
| dence before you deserted nae, I can
imagine the reason. I do not like, to
say that it is very shabby treatment of
an old friend. Of course cannot say
Ethat it Is rude. !. But il, you do not dance
with Miss MERCER this evening I shall
be rfearfully offended. | an. not going
to have my little treasure made unhap-
ply for the sake of the safety of the
prince of all good fellows himself p
Lucian changed color SO suddenly
that Mrs. Barnetta put out her hand in
alright, half expecting see him fall;
but in nom ent he was himself again.
'Do you - Is Miss Mercier - y
he began, and paused half way.
CAS- if I should say another word,
and had not already said together too
ro1,ob % ooid Mioo Oorx,o+to ts1yL