The Portland daily press., 1878-11-16
At tbe summer an Enormous turkey pre-.

At the supper an enormous turkey pre-.
sided fapked by crisp salads, br0ied quails
and the various pies Of the country; but he,
the turkey, didn't preside long,tor he was soon
reduced to much less than skeleton; and
then the sleighs were brought from the sta
BILE, and the heads OF the horses, the horses
nothing loath turned homeward; and the
good natured landsady and the red haired
chambermaid, and Dan Van Rensselaer, and
his chums, had all they could do in the way
of searching for articles OF wearing apparel,
and helping on jackets, and holding shawls
and coaks and tying veils,to at least fifteen
minutes.
"Anrry up" at length shouts some one
from outside, ''if you want to get to the city
before the moon turns her back on U.S." and
down stairs they go pell-mell, helter-skelter,
and jump aud tumble, and are lifted into the
sleighs again.
Harold Brown grasps his own particular
charge from the group as they reach the
roadside, and carefully seating her in his
sleigh, heaps the heavy robes around
her and springs in himself.
Hundreds of silvery bells jingle together In
pleasant discord, the old darkey, whose
Queen Bee has never extracted so much
honey with an ''m'' from the garden of roses
before, filings his battered hat in the air and
shouts "Hurrahp' and then seizes his old
violin and plays "Hail Columbia" as though
every note was soldier of 1776; and away
they speed for home once more.
"How lovely she looked to-night!' begins
Harold after five minutes silence. "You
needn't speak, toad. After that warm room
and the dance, and the supper, it is more
necessary than ever that you shonld be care
full. All l ask OF you is to listen. As listen
er you can't be surpassed, although as
talker, like most women, you are apt to get
things little confused. But don't go to
sleep, for that is an insult can't and won't
stand. Did you ever see such hair?-spun
gold! And how charmingly she wears it!
part in wreath about her pretty head. aud
part floating free over her pretty shoulders.
Blondes! There's only one blonde in the
world, and that's Alberta Lee. Her skin is
like the snow with the moonlight on it; and
being beautiful because she is so fair, sup
pose it wouldn't be fair in me even to dream
of her turning Brown. Hi, Ned! Good heav-
ems! the intelligent brute heard that dreadful
attempt at a joke, and tried to run away.
5000 o, old fellowl I won't do it again.
Aud she never spoke to me, Cora. And yet
when we were boy and girl together, I've
stolen many kiss from that sweet, red
mouth unreproved. and she used to call me
My Harold Let me see-that must have
been eight years ago. And then, as she grew
l.
was Harold still, often dear Harold
until her father, who shows what an idiot he
is, in spite OF his years,by encouraging that
greater idiot. Van Rensselaer,, made that
lucky hit in Wall street and the whole family
vent abroad to learn to play the aristocrat to
humble friends at home. It's true I didn't
go near her tonight. There were too many
around her. The rose that all are prais-
ing is not the ross for me" And the dance
should have liked to have danced with her
her, the dance we danced together in the
Tong ago, she gave to Louis Vance, the very
man came near knocking down one evening
at her house for taking her picture from her
album and putting in his breast pocket, with
some silly, spooney remark about his heart.
How her mother glared at me as I snatched
it from bis hand! and she said, with a cool
drawl, Pray, Mr.. Brown, what is it to your
Deuce take her lovely, exasperating, bewitch-
ing impudence! She well knew wat 1t was
to me, the golden-haired, lily-white little
bypocrite! suppose she'll marry that Van
Rensselaer," and he muttered something
which didn't sound like blessing between
his teeth-''or some of his set, not one OF
whom is worthy to hold her fan, the bonnie
wee thing as our old Scotch nurse used to
say,'-breaking off with what in woman
we would call hysterical laugh. 81 say, sis,
butterfly; just shake your head"
Inc woIsted things and wells that formed
the butterfy's cocoon moved slowly and with
difficulty from side to side.
''All right, dear, feel as though must
talk OF her tonight, and to whom can talk
but you, my darling ?-my little sister, who
has never withheld her love and sympathy
from me, God bless her! But, Cora, if any
poor fellow had loved you all his life long,
and you had led him to believe for many
years that you returned his affection, and
then. growing richer, as he, through no fault
OF MS own, grew poorer-if you turned aWay
from him and smiled upon those who were
only his superiors in wealth and position, I'd
disown you. Mouse of my life, I would,
indeedP' ~'
"But suppose the poor fellow never told
MS love when we met after long separa.
ton % whispers the ''mouse of his iife.''
I'm words you mean? Pshawl there are
a hundred ways in which man tells his love.
ana woman knows every one of them BY
heart"
"But suppose" in another faint whisper,
that when she returned from abroad, she
found him man so much less manly than
the yodth she had left that he could
stoop to believe that because he had be-
come poor, as the world goes, she could forget
the happy, happy days they had spent to-
gether, and-and cared for each other 2
Suppose that he lent ready ear to sillv
reports about heroine, for Instance. that she
was engaged to be married to "that idiot Van
Rensselaer, ?'' va
"Corap'
No answer.
"Cora, sayr'
Perfect silence,
"You tormenting little thing''-shaking
her gently with his strong hand -"why don't
you answer me? won't give you kiss for
week if you don't. There is Something
uncanny about you. Where's your ljsp
You had one short time ago; you know
you did. Cora. p
my names Alberta, please, sir;'' and the
veil that had hidden her face flew aside. and
long tress OF golden hair foated out and
Frightened the night.
The reins fell from Haroid's hands. Al
berta caught them skiiully.
"'Tis WE'LL" she said, 'sthat in those bv-
gone days you taught me how to drive"
Fox one moment her lover gazed at her in
open eyed wonder. Then he gasped "G-eat
heavens! what a foolr
THANK yoa, Mr.. Brown" said the fair
one, with smile.
i. "Notyou, Alberta-thunder and Mars no.
but me, myself-to be so near and vet so far
What consummate --'
SKIP the hard words; there isn't the
slightest need of them," interrupted Alberta.
mischievously. Cora thought she'd like
ride in the big sleigh, and hadn't the heart
to refuse the child. Hope haven't intruded
Mr.. Brown. And now. as we're turning into
our street, you'd better take the reins
again."
Observation-Disclosures saw soma
thing kind to me before we part,;' he pleads
grasping both the reins and the little hands
that hold them. '''AN'
"What shall say, Mr.. Browne"
He bends bis head, and looks earnestly in
her face. 'Say Harold first" =
. Harold" she repeats, with sancy smile
and then wrestling her hands away. she sinks
back and eans her head on his shoulder,
which droops to meet it, and goes on in =
sofLened voice: 'Im not engaged to Dan
Van Rensselaer,, whom you, with charminp
consistency, call an idiot for being in love-
with me; and my papa, who is the dearest
and best papa in the whole world, in spite of
your impertinent remarks about him. cares
nothing for wealth and position, compared to
my happiness; and myself 'liiy-white little
hypocrite' to the contrary, haven't the slight
est objection to turning Brown, ma
Haroldp' NY
''God bless you, dearest"
SYes yes Int 1on't kise mn :,o4 -