Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-01-17
Her Own Choice. ;

- h6+{ ttE IL -. rn-EJt 3At -
o1poase mp wsitzing s''asaid Rosa
lind Shirley. .sNot /, indeed And
bid adieaf6 all my delightful 'pti
vate theatricals, when my new
dress fer Lady Teazle' is just fin
;shed, and the cards are out for
Mrs. St. Aubyn's ? Dear me, what
docs the man take ne for e" aiii
Miss El1na Shirley, the aunt and
Guardian (hon1inaHy speaking, for
Rosalfnd had taken tile Curb be-
tween her own teeth ever since
she was ten years old1 OF that young
lady, looked Paiiied and ipazzled.i
sa.ssMy dear, said she, 'syeu lii1nst
learn to submit yourself to your
husband" - =. i'.''.''3-
"But he isn't my husband,' Aunt
Elma !"
"He will be, Rosalind.'
"I'm not so certain of that" re-
torted the girl with rebellious
strengthening of tho small slim
figure, and an ominous scintillation
of the great, hazel eyes. 81 don't
mean 10 put myself in the power of
any masculine tyrant alive. Pve
had my own way for eighteen years,
and l don't propose to give it mp
now"
Miss Elma burst into weak tears.
"Oh, dear, dear 20 she faltered,
"what is to be the end of all this,
RosalinG %
GA declaration of independ.
ence," gaily answered the girl.
"You1l lose the best match of
the season." sighed Aunt Elma.
"He is handsome," owned Rosa.
lind, "and he's rich. And he's very
nice, too, is Ferdinand Alcott, when
he chooses to behave himself. But
when once he begins to make a
blucbeard of himself
And saucy Rosalind snapped
her pink fingers in the air, general
signal of defiance and insubordina-
ton.
She sat down and wrote pretty
little scented note to her love.
"DEAR FE sDY.-I shall do as /
please.
Yours disobediently,
RosALIND."
Mr.. Alcott smiled little over
this compound of violet ink and
ottar of roses.
"She don't mean it, said he to
himself.
And so he bought a ticket for
Mrs. st. Aubyn's great charity
bazaar, the proceeds of which were
to go to an "Asylum for Widowed
Women," and went thither.
But when he saw his pretty
fiancee in pink satin with powdered
hair and huge spangled fan, as
Lady Teazle, his brows contracted
sternly.
"This amounts to open Defiance %
said lie. F,e,-r
And he never even smiled, when
Rusahnd flashed a rogtisil -glance
at him from behind the sparkling
folds of the monster fan.
She fitted mp to him when the
music -sfage Was 8 femoyed, and
dancing had begun.
"Are you very much aggravat-
ed e. said she. = v,a.s.u
81 am deeply annoyed, Rosa
lind" said he. GA girl who openly
scorns the opinions and ideas OF the
man who"
"Awful, isn't it ?" interposed
Miss Shirley. "Sorry I can't stay
to hear the conclusion of that grand
remark. Here comes Bobby Single
ton to dance with me.a
He bowed coldly and stepped
aside. The color mounted into
Rosaliud's cheeks, as she saw the
expression of his eyes. For mo-
ment she hesitated whether to cry
out "Ferdinal.d l love you And
in the name of that love Irenounce
all that would grieve or annoy your
lcal heart -
1t was but for a second, however.
AS tho band struck mp a merry
waltzing air from s.La File du
Madame Angot" she put her hand
on Mr.. Singleton's shoulder and
whirled merrily away.
Mr.. Alcott looked after her a
moment and then pu: OH his hat
and went home.
When Rosalind came down to
breakfast the next morning, letter
lay at the side OF her plate. She
broke the seal and read il, with a
deepening of the roses on her
cheeks.
"Just as 1 expected" said she to
Aunt Elma who was wietfully
watching the expression of her face.
I'm free young woman once more.
Mr.. Alcott has been so obligipg as
to give me back my troth.''
tOh, Rosalind !''
| ssIt's inst as we'll" said Rosalin,l