Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-01-04
CHAPTER ia SURPRISE.

| CHAPTER ia SURPRISE.
The morrow came Rose had long
been promised holiday on the 1st Of
January. She had engaged to spend il
with an old schoolfellow living at Clap
ham, and newly married. 1t was loye
match. The young couple were very
poor, but very kind to Rose, and she
looked forward to the dinner of herbs
where love was. Added to this, she
longed to get away. She could not
calmly meet the man she loved as the
affianced of another
Mrs. Pomfret sent for Miss Moss be-
fore breakfast Rose was already dress
ed for her excursion.
II cannot spare you to-day she said
You must put off your holiday. Any
day will do quite as we'll for you
Not so, Mrs. Pomfret," said Rose
my friends expect me. -
Then they will enjoy the pleasures
of expectation-the greatest Of all pleas
ures, the moralists tell us. | require
your services to-day. | pay for them
Added to which, Sir Harry, through
whose kind intercessiOn you are lodged
boarded and salaried in this elegant and
happy home, is expected to dinner here
to-day. Mr.. Pomfret wishes you to
dine at table to meet him. Your alb
sence would be ungrateful and disre-
spectful, particularly as he comes among
us in the new and interesting character
of Miss Domvile's bride groom elect
Pray doff your mourning on this joyful
occasion. You have a white muslin
dress, | know-I mean that Indian mus
lin, with the gold fringes and gold Cir
cassian belt, Sir Henry sent you when
he sent us all such lovely things; | re-
quest you to wear 1t at dinner The
children have holiday, but, as l have
told you before, my high-spirited dar-
lings require as much attention during
their play hours as during their study
ing hours"
The ladies were dressing for dinner
at least, Mrs. Pomfret and Miss Dom
vile were. The latter was under the
hands of the hair-dresser. A golden
mass-bows, plaits, coils, real and sham
was the result She wore the emer-
aid velvet and white satin, the rich lace
and the jewels But no; she would
leave her white neck and arms unadorn-
ed, waiting his New Years gift.
Rose had performed all her thankless
wearisome tasks Her tormentors were
full-dressed and were in the drawing
room. Rose, in her white India muslin
soft, ample and flowing, with demi-
train with hanging sleeves, trimmed
with gold fringe, a gold Circassian belt
setting off her slender waist, and gold
comb in her fine black hair, sat in the
deserted school-room, very sad; but yet
her eyes were very bright and her cheeks
flushed with the feyer of her spirit
She was lovely that evening in the dress
Sir Henry had sent her from India.
A carriage drove up to the door. Mr..
Pomfret rushed out to welcome his
long absent brother He led him into
the library After some talk on other
matters, Sir Harry said: ''The darling
girl is here, | hope?'
! ''She is" was the reply.
"She expects and accepts me?"
'She does. She refused good offer
last evening for your sake, Harry
Il have refused dozen for hers,
said Sir Henry, laughing. I'm my part
of the world ladies propose. Tom, |
shall settle thousand year on her.
Not exclusive of her own fortune, I
presume, Harry" said Mr.. Pomfret.
Her own fortune? What do you
mean, Tom?"
"Why, Della Domvile has at least
'Delia-or, rather, Dahlia Domvile!
What has that gaudy, artificial tiirt to
do with it?''
"Why, Harry, she is the belle of
Bloomsbury"
''Is she, indeed? She the belle. Not
in my eyes, nor in those of any man OF
taste or feeling The only belle of
Bloomsbury, and of the whole world to
my mind, is Rose-divine Rose Rose
Moss rather, Moss Rose. Who
could ever compare that scentless, arti-
fetal, gaudy Dahlia with the sweetest
Moss Rose that ever charmed the eye
and embalmed the air? No, indeed!
Rose is the idol of my heart, | have
long loved her in secret, and | have fan
cied sometimes that she might love me.
Harry" said Mr.. Pomfret, shaking
hands with him, I'm glad of this. .!
wish you joy, my boy! Rose is good
girl-she'll make an excellent wife
Now, listen; she's in the schoolroom
second floor front. Do you take that
candle and go quickly up stairs to her
| must nerve myself and GO and break
the news to my wife and poor Dahlia
who is getting ready to receive you as
her intended. y
Before Mr.. Pomfret had quite done
Sir Henry was off.
A timid knock at the school-room
door was followed by a gentle Come
in" A cry, womans cry, cry OF JOY
from her inmost heart, followed. A
word, a glance, kiss of love explained
the Misunderstanding that had all bu
broken poor Roses heart How rapidly
hearts can mend with such rivets a.
Harry had to offer! While he foldeC
her in his arms, and called her his love
his bride, she wept and murmured:
Dearest, how | do love you-how
will try to make you happy"
A very shrill and angry cry issueC
from Mrs. Pomfret's room, where Mr.
Pomfret had undeceived her. She wa
furious.
''That pale, homeless, dowdy paupe
to be Lady Pomfret, and take prece
dence of her? 1t couldn't shouldn'
bep
Mr.. Pomfret told her it must be. Sh'
took refuge in Mysteries did Mis-
Domvile; but they both recovered il
time for dinner. 1t was getting late ant
they were hungry. Savory odors salut
ed their nostrils. These odors diverted
their thoughts from romance to reality
Mr.. Pomfret went up to the school
room to bring the lovers down to dinner