The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-19
MISS DINAH'S RASH vow.

Beautiful, Miss" said Teresa, having
thrown open the shutter and looked out
and up, now looking in again with never
SO pleasant smile on her round, homely
face, now almost handsome in the CHEEKY
sunshine that streamed in. "Not cloud;
no rain to-day, Miss; and he will come for
sure"
"Do YOU think soY" returned Miss
Dinah, smiling brightly also, and rising
from her bed to run across the floor and
peep over Teresa's broad shoulder. YES,
a very pretty morning." after minutes
inspection and a pause to listen to the
birds and inhale the fresh breeze. Dress
me, Teresa"
No longer young was Miss Dinah
Prynne-quite fifty, and perhaps even
more, but wonderfully active, with eyes
as pretty and bright as in her girlhood,
not much wrinkled, and faculties clear
as they had ever been. With springing
step and quick motion she fitted about
the room, making her toilet, hummlng
to herself, stopping now and then to
scold old Teresa, who hobbled after her
that sort of scoldng which is, under GER
tain circumstances, an expression OF good
humor, such as possessed Miss Dlnah this
morning.
"And you think it will not rain" she
said for the tenth time. "This time OF
year thunder storms come up very sud
denly, remember" She spoke as il
Teresa were some important officer on the
staff of the clerk of the weather, and had
better be careful about her predictions.
"Tot! September thunder storms are
rare, miss, and he amt afraid of little
wetting, I suppose. A little thing like
that wouldn't keep him back" replied
Teresa with scorn.
Miss Dinah ate her breakfast in fever
ish impatience, which she strove to hide
Afterward she put on her sun-bonnet ano
mittens, and went into the garden, at
tended by old Teresa, with watering-pot
aud trowel, and rake, and other tools, anC
together they worked among the flowers
Miss Dnah, as she progressed, snappec
off contributions for bouquet-a gen
erous one, very nearly as large as cab
bage.
"Re always liked flowers, Teresa" she
said, smelling this horticultural marye
when it was completed. "He never failoc
to leave me a bunch every morning
Sometimes l let them wither, to veS
him." and she laughed at her beautiful
girlhood's caprices. i, =.
at was pity to worry him, miss, sale
Teresa, with honest reproval.
Pooh! The more | did the fonder h'
was of me. There was nothing | wouldn'
do to pain him, sometimes. That wa
thirty years ago." and, with little slgl
she glanced backward, as one may in
minute, through that long vista.
Thirty years." said Teresa. "Ant
you ain't seen him since, and changed h'
must be now-as changed as you, miss
| mind your pictur' up stairs
~ was nineteen then; It's very IKE
everybody thought 81" interrupted Mis-
Prynne.
"Nobody could tell it for you now"
"Do YOU think so?" said Miss Dinah
disappointed. at will be shock to hin
when he sees me. They say that ole
sweethearts always think OF the fac
that was, and never what time must haV
done. 1t is so, too. can't call him up eN
cept as he was then--Pve tried hundred
of times, but can't-and he was a fin
Young man, Teresa-a beautiful youn
man, with great large blue eyes and
straight nose and white teeth and chest
nut hair and a tall and graceful figure
nobody that I've ever seen since is tn
least bit like him. And he is not
bit altered, Teresa and she laughe
again, almost believing it.
"But he is, Miss He is old an
, crooked and feeble, and you will feel ba
; when you see him-as bad as he will fe'
when he sees you," said Teresa, VII
was Jobs comforter sometimes.
r Miss Dinah looked panied and sighe
l again. 81 almost wish | was not to ST
him again, and sometimes l believe
shall not. Perhaps he will not come aft
: all. You know, II made such FOOLS
i VOW" and she looked a little frightene
l "You often promised to tell me abol
l it, miss" replied her ancient hand-mai
en-, who felt a profound curiosity in a
! that concerned this great meeting tn
was to be to-day.
II will-Ill do so now, and hear VIII
you think. 1t will frighten you, da
! say; but it was only girls folly, al
!. God knows I've repented since"
n They stood now in the shade of Il
!, great cherry tree at the end of the o
c gardcn-thin little Miss Dinah, with h
e great bonnet on, and stout old Teresa
e homely figures, but the picture was
|, pretty one. Bright was the Septemh
it sunshine, and the fragrant air full of t
o sweet music of the birds. And as tn
stood thus, Miss Dinah glanced ba
again through that long vista of thiI
+. years and told her story of her girl
it love; simple, but not without its TRACE
y and pain.
Is "Well, I've told you often how hal
ir some he was and how dearly | loved hi
lie A noble fellow, Teresa! What a foo
te was. There was not girl in the coun
s. who would not have parted with one
r, her eyes to marry Richard Clifford;
lg he cared for no one but me. We W
IS, engaged, of course; but what differel
l does that make? / trifed with him
much as ever, and he was no more s.
Of me than he had been before. Blu
r. loved him. Teresa-he had no idea h
d, much--and | was the most selfish be
o. in the world. While | firted with VIII
,e- | pleased, I did not allow him to look
DIS a girl. I'm not going to make a sh
ed story too long-a painful story tina
ge never want to think of There wa
he Spaniard came to Wildbrook, where
en- then lived--a dark, 1.-THE, elegant fell
Sc with deep, dreamy eyes-1gnacio n
dern his name. lie admired