The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-07-27

| ing 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 lit
| tie too much; he did not know how posi-
lively to deny himself the mere sight of
her. Yet things were growing very pre-
carious when he could not take a book but
he saw that blushing gold-enringed face
slide in between the pages, when he could
Not make out writ without being in dan
ger of slipping her name into the blanks,
when he heard the delicious voice MUIR
muring in his ears when he walked, and
walked all night with the little spirit
when he slept. He made Il compromise
with himself -itwas all he could-and de-
clarcd 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
his general air, and all the lover in his
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 an
other "You are not dancing, Mr.. NAL
VIM" she said "Oh, would you hold
my fan and handkerchief?" He followed
them with his eye again as the music
crashed 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 cmbracc-whirling wildly to this
wild music!
You do hate him, don't you?" said
Mrs Barnetta, in his ear. {" If looks could
slay-' He started. Was he carrying
his heart upon his sleeve for DAVIS to peck
at? "Oh, don't pity you bit, laughed
Mrs. Barnetta, low.toned. And putting
out her hand, she took Rosa's fan and
opened it as she talked. Anybody" said
she, with such a powerof making misery,
ought to enjoy it,
81 beg your pardon, Mrs. Barnetta,
but if you read me riddles, l must ask you
also to be their Sphinx"
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 morc,' she said. And
as | used to be in your confidence before
you deserted me, l can imagine the rca-
son. do not like to say that it is very
shabby treatment of an old friend. OF
course l cannot say that it is rude. But if
you do not dance with Miss Mcrcier this
evening, shalt be fearfully offended. l
am not going to have my little treasure
made unhappy for the sake of the safety
of the prince of all good fellows himself
Lucian changed colors so suddenly that
Mrs. Barnetta put outher hand in alright,
half expecting to see him fall; but in a
moment he was himself again.
do you- Is Miss Mercier-' he be-
gan, and paused halfway.
4 T ~, u-nrl
had not already said altogether too much!'
dancing and gone for an ice. What do
you think of round dances, on the whole ~
And they we're, to all appearances, deep in
discussion of the subject when Rosa re-
turned and swept her late partner court
csy, and took shelter on the other side Of
Mrs. Barnetta. Perhaps she had seen the
way Lucian's eye had followed her. and it
had given her a certain illumination that
made her shrink.
Just then the bandS began one of the
Hungarian waltzes, a sweet and rapturous
measure that set the blood itself to dane
ing in ones veins. Why not? One last
dance, one last moment of ecstasy, ere he
went out forever into loneliness. Direct
ly he had crumpled the bit of lace into
his pocket, and was bending before the
little Rosa, who seemed suddenly to have
lost all her light gayety, and who put out
her hand to him with a conscious burning
blush upon her face that his heart reflect
ed in a melting glow. And then there
was no thought of pride, or of negation,
or forgetting; the music was swinging
them at its WILL they circled in each
others arms to its delicious and delirious
movement-etcrnity would hardly have
any bliss for lovers beyond the bliss OF
this moment. Yet only moment was it,
few moments, a brief sweet space of
half conscious time; and then a faint
recognition crcpt through its spell and
warned Lucian of the poison in this
honey. He was in the act of surrender;
he was about to seal his fate and that of
this dear girl to take her away from her
fathers wealth and her luxurious ease,
and condemn her to the carking cares of
poverty. All his nature rebelled; he chose
not to be swayed by the melody of horns
and strings; he would have no passion,
neither music nor love, so master his soul as
to become the element in which it swan, an
exclusion of thought and fear, of sight
and sound, and all other emotion; and
with his imperious determination he
chose to break the enchantment; the real
world crept back upon his senses, he
heard the tune, beyond this cloud that
wrapped them, breaking again into its
distinctive measure, and exerting his will,
he controlled their steps and paused at
last beside Mrs. Barnetta, and, with low
into that lady's care, and passed into the
his lonely rooms.
1t was daybreak before he sought re-
pose, walking the floor till then, hardly
knowing what he did or what he thought,
but intent upon conquering himself. He
would give the world for Rosa Mercier's
love, but he would not give his pride.
To him that pride meant self-respcct; to
marry her, the child of opulence, meant
either to sell himself for price, or to
reduce her to trouble and WEAKNESS in
which her love might soon wear out. He
did not doubt that love now; without a
syllable's speech, he felt sure of it. While
it thrilled him wildly and deeply, it cast
a sudden shadow of regret; he only hoped,
and cursed his fate that forced him to
hope such thing, that presently the love
would pass, and some one who would
make her happier would claim her. At
length, with maledictiOns in the act, he
empticd his pockets Of the gloves, hand
kerchiefs and trifles there, and went to
bed, with the sun coming through the
curtains, and, worn out in body and mind,
slept to the blessed and thorough oblivion
of all the world. "-~-''
When he awoke it was late in the day.
All his trouble rushed over him, but in a
moment all his will to repel it rose too.
He dressed himself leisurely; he meant
to call that night on Miss Mercier, restore
her handkerchief that he had forgotten to
give back after the dance, and in some
indirect way let her know that he intend
ed never to marry, and SO seal his doom
beyond hope. He went into the next
room when he had completed his toilet,
and, after attending to one or two other
affairs, looked for the handkerchief that
he remembered to have taken from his
pocket and to have tossed upon the table
there. 1t was not on the table; it was no.
where in the room.I In a panic, he rang
tie bell; and when it was answered, insti-
tuted an inquiry concerning the thing.
Yes, indeed, Susan had ~ seen it, and
thought it was So yellow and soile6 sho