The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-03-30
The Fatal Picture.

The Fatal Picture.
IA pretty face, indeed n' I turned
the little photograph upside down,
held it off at arms length, and
scrutinized it closely vita my eye
glasses.
Henry Wallis looked pleased q
man naturally likes to have bis af-
| fisnced duly admired and appre-
ciated.
so this is the Bessie Armitage l
have heard so1much Of really. Wal
lis, she does credit u your taste. A
blonde, suppose ?"
"Fair as LILLY, with beautl .ul blue
eyes, and the suDniest golden hair ~
"Ah well, l must say | prefer the
brunette style, so far rs my taste
goes but, then, fancies differ, you
know ?p
It was all very well for Walls TO go
into ecstacies over his paliid, fair
haired little Bessie ATmitage he had
never met the glance OF Cecilia Ner-
mons magnificent dark eyes. What
did he know about the true tyne OF
feminine besuty2"
"As you say, fancies differ" Wallis
said, lightly. "But l wish you would
select a handsome frame for it when
you go t. town next--blue velvet,
with gold rim on the margin. or
some such tasteful arrangement"
"Iill see to it," L said, depositing
the picture In its envelope, and plac.
ing it in my inside breast pocket.
"Tou'll be very careful of it ?"
''Careful? OF course / shall.N
l smiled a little loftIly at Wallis's
soIicitude, and We parted.
After all, Henry Wallis was better
of than wss, for he was securely en-
gagged to the dimpled, yelIoV tressed
little object of his Affections while /
was yet, AS il were, in outer darkness,
uncertain whether my peerless Cecilia
returned my devotion, or whether she
secretly inclined toward th.t fellow,
Fitzbugh TTefoil A score uf times ]
had gone 10 the VernOn's house with
the very formula of declaration on my
lips, sud as often had the words died
away uBspoken. Ii fate had only
gifted me with one thousandtb part
of Fitzhugh TrefOils audaeity l
don't think anything short of the DEL
uge could check that fellows cool
seif-possession.
However, love inspires the feeblest
heart with sort of courage. and
was a new man since Miss Vernon
had smiled upon me. What was the
use of dOubting ? Why not de-
eide my fate at once? Henry Wallis
serene content exercised stimulating
influence upon me. l would fain
have been ever as he was.
"rhere is no use in precrastinating
matters any longer" l said, hall
aloud, as 1 walked up and down the
limited domains of nay law office 81
have been doubling fool quite long
enough"
Pm afraid l wasn't-a very amisble
mem Der OF the domestic circle that
afternoon.
al think Paul is growing crOsseF ev-
cry day." said my sister Struggling
her plump little shoulders. "Mam-
ma, ] wish you'd speak to him.
But my mother, bless her wise old
soul, knew better than that. She on
Iy-iooked at me over the rims of her
1 spectaeles, and went on darning stock
ings.
"Panl is worried with business mat
ters, suppose" she said, apologetic-
ally. "Hs will do we'll enough, if
you only let him alone" n
went up TO my room after dinner,
and made an elaborate toilet; but all
the pains 1 bestowed upon it only
served to heighten the general effect
of awkwardness.
'I've two minds 10 wait until to-
morrow" quoth l to myself, abruptly
stopping with my crsvat half tied.
No, might be coward, but was
not such poltroon as that. had be-
i gun the enterprise and | would carry
1t through. Moreover, had an in
spiration. An entirely lew and
original method of putting the mo-
Mentous question had occurred to
me.
"Hang Fitzhugh Trefoil ~ 1 ex-
claimed, gleefully, half aloud, though
there was no ear to hegr my ejaeula-
ton. "I'll win the dark eyed treas
ure yet, in spite of him."
/ opened my writing-ease, and
carefully took out a little carte de
ViSIte wrapped in tissue paper, and
tenderly laid it away with a pink silk
perfumed satchel that Minnie had
made for me once. 1t was Ceciliais
picture she had allowed me to steal
it away from her, with scarcely 8
lremonstrance, a week before. Then
was the time ought to have propos-
ed but, like the timOrOus, Doubt
ing moOn-calf that was, L let the
golden tide of opportunity slip away
I 4 Da1.fn A TO- ..
vacant, doll-hke face from its en-
veiope, snd compared the two with a
thrill of triumph ia my heart.
I "COlOrlts5 water beside crimson,
Sparkling champagne pale violet
in the shadow of royal rose ; pearls,
eelipsed by the fiery flash of dia-
monds ~ / exclaimed. "Henry
Wallis taste may be correct and
classical, but give me my radiant
brunette These bleached- out beau-
ties are not my idea of perfection"
II was a lovely Spring morning as 1
entered the wide graveled path that
led to the broad porch of the old
fashioned Vernon mansion. Squire
Vernon sat there smoking his meer-
scbaum.
"VOn't you sit down and have a
smoke ?' he demanded, Hospitality.
ats a real luxury TO take whit out
of doors after being shut up in the
house all Winter. Or maybe you
prefer going into see Cecil ?r
Sensible old gentleman Z? he bad
not forgotten his own young days I
intimated that the special object of
my visit had been ITO see Cecil e
"WelI, she is in the parior all by
herself" said the sqdire, good-humor-
edly. --H
nWalk in-walk inn
Cecil Vernon was sitting ia the par
Ilor alone, as her father had said, the
bright center OF a cheerful circle OF
iamp-light. A bit of crOehet work
I was lying in her lap and an open
volume OF poems-poems I-had sent
her was on the table. Cecilia VeF-
T non was always fair to look upon, in
my signt; tonight, however, she
seemed more than ordinarily bsauti-
iul.
sat down and began hesitatlngly
upon the never-failing topic Oh the
weather. A proposal had seemed the
easiest thing in the world as walked
along the dewy edges of the peaceful,
star-Eghted road, contemplating il
from afar of but now tnat 1 was
: facing it, Alps of difficulty and per-
piexity seemed to surround its accom-
N..Ns -. 4 l. n