The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-06-12

girls.
"Come, don't be shy now. Walter,
this is your cousin, Mabel Cressington,
and this is her good friend and insepa-
rable companion, Irene Vance, come to
help entertain you. Ny nephew, Mr..
Walter Austin, girls. Aud this is Aunt
Cornelia-you remember her well
enough, hey?"
And SO the presentation was merriIy
gotten oven, and Walter found himself
at home in the most pleasant family he
had ever known.
They were remarkably pretty girls,
with blue although Miss Fance's
were decidedly the deeper blue and more
bewitching-and lovely yellow-gold hair.
Walter found himself admiring the style
OF Hiss Vance's couture before he had
known her an hour; and when he went
up to his room that night he felt as if
between the two, roguish Mabel and
sweet little Irene, lie never would come
out heart-whole.
"For Mabelis good little darling, F"
thought he, ''and / Will take great at-uncle
Abiah's advice and fall III love with her,
and thereby secure a generous slice of
the Cressington estates. Egad! that's a
happy thought"
But the handsome young gentleman
went to sleep and dreamed, instead of
Mabel's laughing eyes, of Irene's gentle,
tender ones, and awoke somewhere in the
middle of the night, unable to get to
sleep again for thinking of her.
And the after days were not much bet
ter. Despite the golden value OF Mabel,
there was something about irene Vance
that made this headstrong fellow very
foolishly indifferent to the advice he had
sworn to follow.
because, by Jove! a fellow would
have to be made out of granite to resist
the sweet, Shy ways Of such little dar-
ling as Irene. And III marry her if
she'll have me, and the money and prop
erty may go to the-dogs. I've head
and pair OF hands, and blue-eyed Irene
shall not suffer
1t was not an hour later that lie met
her in the hail, carrying great bows OF
holly, with which to festoon down the
walnut staircase.
Give me your burden, IRENE" said
he, why did you not tell me you we're
going TO gather it, and let me go with
you? 1t is altogether too heavy burden
for your arms to bear
He managed to get the lovely sprays
from her arms, but it required an i'm
mense amount of tardy effort on his part,
and shy, sweet blushing on hers.
''Answer me, Irene. Why didn't you
let me go with you? Wouldn't you have
liked it,"
He demanded her answer in the most
captivating, lordly way, and she dropped
her eyes in great confusion.
Yes"
"Then why were you so cruel to me. .
sI am not crnel TO ANYBODY Indeed
I must go now.'
Walter placed himself squarely in the
way, and was looking down on her rose
tinted face.
''No, you can't go yet. Irene, you are
cruel. or YOU would never deprive one of
the opportunity to enjoy the blesselness
of your society" His voice lowered ton
derby, and he dropped his head nearer
her golden curls. 'sYou know [ think it
cruel in you to be SO distant and shy and
reserved with me-don't you, Irene?"
She shrank away, her lovely form
dropping like lily, her cheeks hanging
out their signals of distress and confn-
sion.
"Oh, please don't talk so to me. In
deed I must go! Mabel is waiting for
the holly, and she-they won't like it
if
But she was prisoner in his tiobt
clasp.
''If what! II they find You and me
talking so confdentially together?'
"No! I mean If I don't take the holly
at once"
Walter put his arm around her waist
before she knew what he was doing.
''Irene, look up. You shall not 20
until you let me see in your ewes if Won
love me as well as 7 love Won, Irene nv
dear little girl, love you very dearly. y
She was silent for one second, and he
saw the culver Of her red lips. Then she
raised her head slowly. shvlv.
"You love me? Oh, Walter, what viii
they all say? Don't you know it is
Mabel you should say that tol [ am no
body, Walter, and Mabel is an beiress. y
Woltar hal hoth arms aro,r5 Lo,, hy