The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-15
DORA'S MISTAKE,

n Woodland" and bending forward the
speaker, young m IN with blonde curlt
/ and gray eyes, gently clasped the wais
of the girlish form by his side with hit
I fright arm, while his silken mustacht
swept her red lips with suspicious near
Il lieSS. "
t He was a good-looking young man,
, this Dalton Somers, and in spite of the
vacllating lines around the mouth
which told of weakness and insncerity,
there was gleam'of Shire wd tHtelligel nee
in his eye, giving indication OF brain
! power sufficient 10 battle successfully
; with the world. Just now his feelings
were concentrated on the object OF his
IoVe-making, ana for the time being he
was happy III the-success of his suit.
Dora Hampton would have1been in no
wise remarkab TO u chance observer.
Hundreds of girls passing daily on the
streets were seemingly as fair and In
, teresting. She had good mplexion,
abundant brown hair and pretty large
eyes, which sAone resplendent with love
and trust as she gazed into her loyel'5 IS
face. Hers was ajoy too deep Tor utter
ance, too sacred tor words. Her heart
was thrilled and filed with the iuetfabIe
sweetness of u first love, noble and true.
Her girlish Ideal OF manliness and per
feeti0n was realized lnthe person OF the
ulan who stood her aVowed lover, and.
no shadow of future pain and anguish
dimmed the shunshine of the moment.
which lived in her mind as a pleasant
memory long after she found her idol to
be merely broken clay.
The sweet humility of her mien, the
humble acceptance OF himself, gratlfied
the vanity and conceit of the man. lie
knew that he had made conquest which
was all MS own. A heart fresh and
tpure had gone forth to him. 1t was in
HIS power either to crush it and throw
1t aside, bruised and bleeding, or to.
guard it and care for it through life.
| TO do him justice, he meauI to be true
to the trust feposed in him, and to be
livery kind to his "little Dora" as he
called her, but, alas for good intentions
when no. backed by truth and con-
stancy.
Scarcely three months after their en-
gagement a lady with roster cheek and
more Congenial mind crossed Dalton
Somers' path, and Dora, il not forgot
ten, was neglected.
Happily The city of N, in which
they resided, was large one, and there
was room for both, even if their paths |
were divided, and Dora, who, il loving, |
was also proud, did not hesitate to tell |
him SO, and gave HIM back his freedom. |
If her heart was we'll nigh breaking with
its load OF anguish, when she found only
the ashes where she had looked Tor the.
flowers; If his talsity had turned her
love into bitterness and gall, she did not
tell him SO; she only bade him go ana
be happy If he could. Ii she had waited
Tor him to signify his wish to be re-
yased, and assented to it reluctantly, he
would have been satisfied, no matter
what the effort cost her; but to be coolly
dismissed by the girl WAC, afew minutes
before, seemed TO love him so dearly,
astonished and surprised him.
He Indignantly protested against her
conduct, and then Inconsis tently rallied
at her as being ktalse land lnconstant to
him. He declared that she was Jealous.
stubborn and bau-tempered, and he
knew that she loved him, and that she
always would, even if she married an
other mau.
Dora listened to him quietly, and then
repeated as her ultimatum her first de-
cision.
He went forth angry and abashed.
Ihere was no apparent change in Do
ra's LIE, save that she was little uui.
eter, aud began to develop a taste torJ
literature. People found out that she
had not only mind Of high order, but
also sufficient intelligence and brain
power to blast it. she avoided Dalton
Somers and seldom saw him, although
he threw himself in her way whenever
an opportunity presented itself. He 1
seemed to he on the downward road.
and rumor was busy with the story OF
his designations.
Dora grew very much ashamed of her
love episode, and. although her heart
was empty and torlorn, Congratulated
herself ON her escape. Her engagement
had not been generally known, and her
friends supposed it to be only one of
those common tlirtations with which SO.
cIety is SO fruitful. Now she carefully {
concealed from her circle OF companions
the fact that she had ever been acquaint-
ed with him.
One day Dora entered the drawing
room OF mutua- friend Where small {
party were congregated. Dalton Somers
was the topic of conversation. A young
man, a stranger to Dora, was address ssfnV {
The group. He and Somers had been
and he emphatically de- ,
clared that SomerS was man without /
\ particle OF principle; that there was no ]
good In him, and warming with mis- sub |
ect, said no good and pure woman {
would ever think OF associatIng with /
lin; that she woulu degrade herself be- c
oW the level of a lady by so doing.
~ Dul mug DAuSu Vi shame rushed to 9
)oras cneek as she thought of the 1
Kisses ne had ralned upon her lips, ana
lie sat miserably silent, feeling mex +
II Iessibty unworthy even to remain in t
he presence OF this man who had /
'oinLed out SO thoroughly ner own deg /
auatfon. lie
But the stranger, Albert Barton, was S
naWare OF the pam lie was causing, t
nd after an Introduction to Miss DDra | e
hought her to be a very lovely and in I
efesting girl. /
He was tall, dark and slender, with h
eayy silken mus tache, which con- l.
called the pride ana hauteur about the
Youth. In conversation lie was affabe | Ii
nd agreeable, and well VerseI i'll the II
ender gallantries so acceptable to The h
le ladies. There was, moreover, an | a
If OF truth and earnestness about ey- L
rything which he aid whicn would con- g
Ince one that he was no idle trilier in 5
ne field of lie. t.
Dora felt drawn to him as by some v
power, and found his society a II
Olace TO her empty heart. o
The admiration seemed to be mutual. il
nd in very short time developed into
warmer feeling. And it came 70 pass
laG one beautiful evening, when the i,
Ioon had sIiyered the eartn with her r.,