The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-11-28

daughter.
eyes, Mammal" said poor Madeline.
didn't he say he would he be here,
Madelinep''
"Oh yes, mamma; please don't say
any more about it ;" and then the elder
lady walked majestically away, the
feathers upon her head nodding in
mOurnful unison with her thoughts.
And at that moment MIR. Morton en-
tered, making his way to group of ex-
quisitely dressed and beautiful women,
who received him with enthusiasm !:
there really were so very few available
parties that season, and Mr.. Morton was
SO unexceptionable in every way, and
had shown some decided inclination to
grange himself,'' and make somebody
comfortable in their mind about the
wretehed!y uncertain and prOcrastinat-
ing future. He was still in the market,
though his attentions had been rather pro-
nounced of late to Miss Van Vleet; but
she was cold and reserved, and must
take her chance-the tournament was
open to all; SO all these beautiful wOm-
en- fluttered their fans, and in their soft
ly mOdulated musical voices said charm
ing things to the tardy arrival. But Mr..
Morton, with many winning smile and
whispered compliment, went listlessly
by. His face wore that vacuOus and
bored expression which is considered in
society an evidence of cultivation, but in
truth it was only that he was still alb
sorbed in artistic reflections. He went
on to the further end of the room,
where, in feverish, naughty, uncom-
promising but agOnizing reserve, sat
Miss Van Vleet. Her mother had
nudged and frowned and beckoned, all
to no purpose, when Mr.. Morton entered
the room.
"You can at least allow yourself to be
seen," said her mother, acrimoniOusly.
"H he wants me, he can find me-"
said Madeline, with sharp pang of
fear and distrust, which deepened when
at last he reached her side, and said,
in the most commonplace way in the
world,
"Did you save that waltz for meP'
And when she looked up in his face with
a thrill of delight, and found no response
there, only that vague, listlcss, dreamy
expression, her own beautiful face grew
almost haggard with the intensity of her
emotion; it was all she could do to keep
the hot, wretched tears out of her eyes.
"Why are you so absent to-night?"
she said at last. "What is it you are
thinking OFF" And then, as they are
whirling -no, not whirling, but Ian
guidly stepping about in the waltz, he
told her Of his accident, and described
to her infinitely the bit of interior which
had so charmed him.
"The queer, quaint old room," he
went on to say, "with its smoke-colored
rafters, and the cOuntry-woman holding
the lamp over the beautiful sleeper, was
striking in its way; and when
the eyes were opened and full of Opaline
and changing lights, brought about, no
doubt, by the effect of the candle, l as
sure you that it was delightful. l was
really glad, Miss Van Vleet, that a mat
ter of pure art should SO occupy and
divert my mind under the vexatious cir
And there is Sydney now
you'll excuse me, won't you, if 1 60
over to him?''
Certainly she would excuse him.
What else could the poor girl do?
Mr.. Morton led Madeline to her
mother, and that ponderous female ca
gerly whispered: elias he spoken,
Madeline-Only tell me, dear, has he
spoken?''
"Of course not, mamma; how could |
he, in the waltz?''
"He was talking so earnestly. 1
never saw him quite so earnest before. |
[ thought perhaps he had spoken"
You see that word "spoken " was so |
much-so vexatiously much! A man
could talk the core of woman's heart |
out, and yet at the end of it all not have
' spoken"
g He is talking just as earnestly with
Mr.. Sydney now, mamma; he is inter-
ested in art Just nOw' The bitterness
in the voice of her daughter tinged ac-
idly the thoughts of poor Mrs. Van
Vleet.
81 shall not accept the ColOnel's in
7itation for Thanksgiving she said,
lOlefully. In the mean while Mr.. Nor
on was endeavoring generously to give
lisfriend Sydney the subject for sketch,
md the artist was listening with that
Iuizzlcal, amused air that was charac-
eristic of him.
"See here, Norton" said Sydney at
asst, ga horseshoe is sign of good
uck, and your steed shed one, it APP
,ears, at the door of this rustic beauty.
believe your heart followed it. Go in
nd win, old fellow, and then send for
ne to paint her portrait. 1 am not much
.iven to interiors; Il
Shortly after that Mr.. Morton took
cave of his acquaintance in general, :
nd Madeline in particular, and was
DON tossing in his luxurious bed, dream ]
ng in unison with the simple rustic I'M |
er the patchwork quilt at the farm. 1t !
7as not the dark eyes or carefully ma {
ipulated locks of Miss Van Vleet that \
tilted through the dreams of Mr.. Nor
IN; half-opened eyes of blue, and di- ,
heveled curly locks, colored and ar ,
anged by the wind and the sun, haunt t
d him as they did poor Joe. c
Joe awoke the next morning and re- S
)lved once for all to make an end to /
lese witcheries that half maddened S
5 they gladdened him. He would pluck U