The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-06-14
TRUE TO HER WORD.

TRUE TO HER WORD.
Lf6NoRA L6NsDALE's most partial
friend could not coll her pretty. Her most
impartial commissioning possessed Of
much cleverness, strength Of character,
and hatred Of shams, it followed shc had
q few-declared her ueiv.
For the benefit of those who have never
seen the young lady, and consequently
belong to neither one side nor the other. I
will describe her--beginning with what,
none can deny, is the most prominent
feature of the human face.
Nose OF no particular order, neither
aquiline, straight, pug, turned. up nor
tlrned:do but original and inderend.
ent, and, apparently In the right place
eyes brown with CLINT of topaz-a slight
cast in the left one. pronounced by the
friendly bewitchingly cunning'' and by
the inimical decidedly impis6'
neither large nor small, with full. red
lipa closing firmly over two rows of
strong, white teeth-complexion neither
blonde nor brunette, but clear and rosv
and her 0aon, and chin that only escaped
being masculine by having q dimple in it,
Her head, heavy with q quantity of
straight black hair, was well shaped
enough, and we'll set upon slender neck,
that was again well set upon her sufi.
GENTLY broad shoulders-her hands were
small, but the fingers did not taper-she
was five feet six inches in height, and
looked as though she might be taller if
she chose-had q clear, ringing laugh, q
musical chest-voice-a graceful walk
opinions of her own, and whistled like a
bird.
And yet, Notwithstanding her want of
beauty-her many defects, might say
there were men who had expressed q
readiness to die for LeonOra at need, and
more who had declared themselves per-
fectly willing to live for her.
In fact, to those in whose nature she
touched some sympathetic chord-those
who loved breezy hills, and clear lakes,
and long stretches of grassy fields, dotted
with chance sOwn flowers, and stirring
martial music, and Burns poems, the girl
was simply irresistible.
There was wonderful atmosphere of
freedom, of purity, of bravery about her.
And LeOnOra was worker. Much as
she despised shams and hypocrisies she
despised idleness.
No queen of the hive would she have
consented to be, but one of the seekers
after and bringers- in of honey, and build
ers-of-cells and killers-of-drones.
hate indolence-sheer incidence"
she would say. mature is never idle,
though some poet or other declares that
on midsummer days perfect idlenes
reigns upon the earth and above the earth
the grass and flowers looking idly up
and the sky looking idly down. What an
idiot the man must be! The flowers aud
grass are growing, little slowly it may
be, but still growing, and the sky is quiet
ly preparing for thunder storm or gor-
geous sunset; to say nothing of the corn
swelling and ripening and the pumpkins
turning to gold.
"Day dreamingi don't believe in it.
Do your dreaming at night and work
during the day." and, while she talked,
in bright, cheerful way, each word clear
and distinct, she busily piled her needle,
making little dresses, and jackets and
aprons. ''For whom!' "Oh, for some
poor children around the corner. l had
nothing else to do"
1t was while thus occupied one after.
noon, early in September, seated on the
old fashioned porch, shaded by heavy
grapevine, that Clifford Cameron saun-
tered in and threw himself in an easy
chair beside her. "Cliff'' had been a
chum of Harry Lonsdale's since early
bOyhood, and for just that period had
alternately tried to tease and make love to
Harry Lonsdale's sister.
He was a good looking, sweet.tem-
pered, generous, lazy young fellow, with
no end of money. Grandfather had died
and left him money-father had died and
left him money-uncle had died and left
him money, and lately an old great-aunt,
whom he had never seen, had departed
this life, away off in some obscure corner
of the globe, and left him more money.
He had very fair hair and big, very blue
eyes, beautiful hands and feet, was rather
stout than slender, short than tall, and
spoke in the extreme English manner, at
times SO indistinctly that he could scarce
ly be understood even by near relatives
infatuated men who thought the slight
ing, and who had said they would die of
joy if she'd only graciously permit them
to devote the remainder of their lives to
her.
At least, according to Cliffs statement,
that was what they said.
"Well, Bee," said he, taking up q
small apron and leisurely surveying it.
"Well, Butterfly" was the reply,
"what brings you back from Newport SO
soon!"
"YOu."
"Oh! you've come here to talk that
way again." says the young lady, hold
ing another small apron before her, her
head on one side like birds, as che pom
ders on the effect of bow of green RIO
bon she has sewn on the pocket.
"Right''-1 am afraid it really was
"wight'-"as you always are, my dar-
ling"
"I'm not your darling, and I'll take
that apron if you're quite done with it."
Deuce take the apron, say I. Stop
s ssXin e. beg of you, Leo-it makes me
Cliffordr'
Leonora!'
"Arent you ashamed of yourselfl"
"Don't think l am. Ought to be -
With decision" You should. Were
q young man in good health, not MANNED
or crippled-blessed with the average
quantity and quality of brains
"Thanksv'
I'D do something beside Longing at
watering places in the summer and club
houses in the something in the
shape of work yes, if five hundred un.
cles, and grandfathers, and aunts-"
Couldn't, any way in the world, thank
Heaven, my dear girl, have 80 many rela-
tions."
Left me five hundred fortunes. And
If l tell in love with girl, I'd prove to
her before l proposed marriage, that I,
Myself ~
"'Myselfl Behold mel quoted Cliff,
from Hiawatha.
Could, If an emergency arose, and life
is full of them, support her, and that |
was not entirely dependent upon the in
come flowing in from the Golfers filled by |
my ancestors"
Bravo! Leol You're splendid fel. |
low! That last remark about the collins
of my ancestors was extremely fine. I'd
like to have any one, in the glow of |
my present admiration for you, dare to
hint that you were the tiniest speck |
cross Legged. He or she'd repent in haste. !
But, most admirable Of your sex, what |
would you do If you were . male fellow,
30 unfortunate as to know nothing useful. |