The Portland daily press., 1877-12-29
lHarper's Bazar.]
One NeW-Years i'm a Thou.
sand.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT spoFFoRp.

Spanish face of hers nobody knows. Some
where far back in her ancestry, it may be.
an old beauty bequeathed it; but out of a
race of blondes her face had blossomed as
dark and rich as the pictures of those Span
ish women where the lovely colors seem to
be retiring, every day, farther into the shade
OF the canvas-a golden, tawny skin with a
crushed crimson on the cheek; delicate fea-
lures, with fine curve to the thin nostri
and short one to the red lip, that gave
glimpse of little white teeth; and great black
eyes, whose fash only the long, black, shad-
ing lashes subdued to a soft glow. Yes,
Betty Wilmarth was beauty; full of inno-
cent caprices that set you to wondering what
weuld be the next, and kept your interest
alive; with temper that struck sparks, bnt
which was in the next moment all sweetness !;
impulsive, warm-hearted, charming, willful
piece, setting her lovers by the ears, and
making all the other girls devoutly wish she
would be married and done with it; for OF
course there was no chance for anybody else
so long as Betty Wilmarth was around.
But Betty Wilmarth was in no sort of a
hurry to marry; one by one she filliped off
her lovers lightly as thistle-down. Petted
and caressed and INDUCED to death, as people
said, she declared that she wanted neither to
be an old mans darling nor young mans
slave; and old lovers conseled themselves
and new lovers took their turn, and she was
heart-whole and happy, singing away through
life, and counting her 20 years in the sun
shine as child might count a row of bril-.
liant beads. But one of these lovers was
not to be filliped off as lightly as the rest !;
Will Mannder Ha had con,a for,n ~
Tranohoronoh fro,a b;s roov.oi,, ~ " W
+he 49,, f.res,s os.artho d;So.tn'. s oa1 ~ ~
iast h;, ni ho,o "'roa o," sI e. d;s ny lna.
snd 1rhero 800 Sor h;a o,,a ~
ood;as ha taa Sao non o ' U'noi auu soane oiG
6ettv b.d s.rscL nU h;T, os'n aodSaas anu
hswJ .tH.,s nau auSn mini 9 soIuTSs I1 IiSnt
1sve sas ssrueH a clown' Not snaI WhI Maun-
o1a was eiomn, 4y any neans-1ls Inotnsr,
iauy wno caIIleu ner ,auynoou luto tne
Wvous, nau attehue9 70 All Ihas ana certain
wuo grace ano ruue courtesy accompanied
nis csely actlon. DIe he was a DraWny,
!oug-leggeu' staiwart iellow, Ior all that, aud
eLs, 1ls islf iace nau oeen sun-kissea WIN many
s neSu ~ tler. llngs, 1ue Ret.y knew notning
ADout any uleek neaa Wild close curis OF the
same description, ana would nave liked it no
petter II sne nad ana, OF all things, she
desplseo ireckics. Sne nad an Ideal of the
Iace ana Iorm ana MIND and manners that
s,e MeS W wiz ner On some dlstant day-a day
uissant enough 10 Dorrow enchantment-a
.s .,enaer, knlghtly shape, perhaps, perfect
coun'ehahce, 'ohg auburn iosks-
sbarn wbite lne aded css ths Saie mdere
Glossy above. glossy below" A' AA'i'
She would not have liked il at all If sba had
seen il so and if abe had hnt known II tha
massive limbs and shoulders of Win Mannder N, ter
were much more like the ancient kniohts sha
dreamed about than possibly could be this his
"The dsys Of chiysIry are 90 over sS' now.n I said
Betty. with sigh.
perous and uncomfortable davs Won wonJd
have found them,n said Will.
"Cheerle.s or net, they're over"
"Whst makes you say SO, Betty?" he
asked, from where he sat at her feet.
.sOh, because they arep' she answered.
throwing up her pretty arms and clasping
them above her head as she leaned it back
among the honeysuckles, and looked as sweet
as they, and made poor Wills heart beat
with looking at her. "Oh, because they are !!
Who would dare great adventures for any,
body now-scaie castles, kill giants, enter the
dens OF wild beasts"
81 would-for you, Betty"
"Oh, dear me! How tired I am of hear
ing you say sol They would, for anybody.
Now please don't, Will dear, any more
There are no castles here; don't want any
thing of wild beasts; and you're giant
yourself, you know
Wisu.1 WdSil " OOotys L CuouSo Will
that little Hop-o' '-my-thumb Fred Sammis,
if"
"Oh, that shrimp! l do detest him-he's
such a-such spoon!'
81 thought you didn't like slang, Betty"
81 don't-from anybody else."
"But If you use 1t yourself, you've no
right"
s'Oh dear me! if only those criticised who
were perfect themselves, what delightful,
xsx,1~x IL knt
me, Will Maunder, that you are always
finding some fault with me, and"
ssYOu'ye not been used to it. 7 don't see
,ru fonl. ;,s 30 p.ttuu hn oddod 80 80
emily.
'Oh, there, there, WIN! 10 be stu with
your mooningl Come ln and sing this new
song with me; it needs great, rolling bass"
Ank so Will would go in and sing with her.
his voice trembling as he heard hers; would
go out and Walk with her, TO be lett Tor the
next gallant that sought her side; would be
her abject slave, waiting on her least wish
and every breath, and would get no thanks
Tor MS palas.
"Why isn't IL enough Tor him that like
MIN as ne isT' she would say. He's all
very wen ior cousln-a little TOO good TOR a
etep-cousln; Dut should as soon think oil
falling in love with satyr. He's like the
great Newfoundland, always tumbing at your
ioe% Anu 81 suo Wouiu 30 Oh, WHile sue
looked IN the glass at night and made her
toiiet for sieep-the only ime the little witch
haa for mucn conhdentlal conversation with
herself-and lightly troubled by the parting
look OF his sad, reproachful eyes, that would
return to her like haunting shade. II de-
clare, II were man, would have some
spirt, ana then very likely she began sing
lng-as sne comped out her long halr where
line OF sparks followed the comb, and
knowing that VIII heard every word where
ne sauntereo up and down the garden
II were lover and wooing would 60.
Wond sd ial on ir my Knees ana entdest o. ne no. no.
waist. ''-D
And be off to my eyrie in gallsping haste
Sand IL you did.n Will would mutter
beneath the window. "there'd be the very
deuce to payV'
1t was when affairs were in this posture.
viii pursuing, and with the vantage-gronnd
of residence in the house, Betty retreating,
vet half relenting, that Mr.. Valerino, the
young exile, came to Freneborough to give
lessons in music and in his native tongue
OF course his supposed story fired the Frene.
borough heart-the feminine auricle of it,
and all the romance of Betty's dreams rose Ia
meet it. As for the young exile himself, he