Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29
THE SECRET.

ScnleuCal 10 DC gloomy with; and III It's glad
one. somebody 10 be glad with; somebody to
talk IL ali over with. 70 make mich or little of
IL with, 10 conjecture concerning IT, its BEGIN
mig and its end. 10 dwell upon t and gloat over
II. How In the world IS one going TO enjoy any
thing all BY ones SELF III I'm eating peach, |
want somebody to have part OF It. to know how
luscious II Is; and / wouldn't give a sixpence
for d coach and four unless there were some
body by to see me riding. 50 say to myself
what's the use of knowing it IL you're not 10
speak, or look or wink, II you're TO be no wiser
than other people, and let nobody see that you
att? And as for me, am always blushing, and
my tongue Is tripping, and I'm sure to be on the
point OF betraying the whole thing by some
thing j say, and clapping my hand on my
mouth Ike silly child.
stu, although it's nervous ana anxious work.
i can keep a secret II try, or else when he-I
been trusted with it If 1 couldn't. Some people
are so important with a secret and go about as
II they knew enough TO hang the rest of the
world. But never am; only long TO tell It;
and do so want to tell you this one But
there-I promised wouldn't breathe It, and
promise is promise. you know.
i suppose wouldn't care half so much to tell
II IL were only commonplace affair." IL there
were no romance about It at all But there is
Some people are so fond OF romance-our Ro-
n.aine Is: and don't believe that anything
could have pleased her half SO much that hap
pened In the regular, expected way. Our RO-
maine always was so full OF fancies and ideals,
aud when there's anything romantic going 1t
always falls TO her lot. Don't you think shes
a beauty? | do; so tall, so beautifully made so
gracious. such hair-such soft fragrant hair
such eyes like Jewels. and her skin SO like tea
rose. / don't believe any OF those
famous beauties that You read about can
hold candle to her-thaJ l don't, | always
wondered why she didn't take some one OF her
lovers, although knew too, or thought did;
Tor she was just as lovely ten years ago, when
She came home from school at Seveuteen-the
very day those dreadful soldiers came, you re-
collect-aS she Is to-day. She had been gone SO
lOUg-fOur yeaTS--thaU everything about the
place was just as sweet and strange to her as il
II were Kingdom she had just come into; and
she was going round looking at this and eX-
claiming at that, careSSing the creatures, which
knew her, every one OF them, even 10 the par
rOtS-luSt rejoicing in everything; and |, little
siX-year-Od WOrSh1pper. was following her In
alteration, with the peacock following me; when
all al once the lawn was crowded with soldiers
ard the yard was fun OF foragerS and the nor seS
ROmatne's own Gulnare, and mammals, were
being led away, and all the cows were lowing
ard the pigs We're Squealing, and the
fowl were cackltng, as those Wretches took
possession; ana some were building fires In The
yard. and the rest We're Swar1ning into the
house. And they were in the china closet, raw
aging the Store-rOom, were In the bedrooms, in
tine wardrobes, and parcel of them had poor
mamma In a corner, and had torn away her
shawl and one was flour1Shing her cap on the
point OF his bayonet, and Romaine had sprung
into the midst OF them, threatening them with
a wild fury, when suddenly Voice rang over
the upIOar. a terrible commanding voice. some
hCdy strobe through the throng. and selling
by the shoulder first one and then another
OF the men who had cOrnered mamma AMI
Romano, lung them on this size and on that
ard In one moment silence fell, and man b.
man they SUNK away, aItd presently they we're
tumOliDg GOWN the stairs. ana marching our of
the hall by files; and the officer who had
wrought the chaDge-a TALL slender yOu9y fei-
low. OF whom one could see little but the ewes
blazing like wilGtire for the torn and dropping
visor OF his cap, and for the brown beard cover
irg his brown face, ard the sInear5 OF smoke
and pOwder-put mammals shawl about her
shoulders, bowed low 10 R0maine. and took me
in his arms a moment and looked at me- AM
ST. re down again. ard was passing out. when
Rename ran forward ana caught his hand and
He turned and smiled. al deserve no
thanks" he said. And then, half he5itating a
single instant. he Tai>ei Romaines hand. that
sim fCrget1uliy held lis, and pressed IL 10 his
lips. and was gone. And curious old silver
SGT diamond on his hand, whose stones made a
tiny crest. took ny baby eye, so that always
oh. how she locked then, I've never seen aoy-
thing so beautiful since. she blglshed such a
rosy red, and her eyes lighted. and her smile
grew dazzling and I've thought. as | remember
CO II. that just so Eve might have looked VIII IN
she woke and looked upon the world before her.
And he turned IL the COR AMI saw her and then
he ran down the stairs, and noun ed his horse
and presently We heard the last OF them troop
Ing over the hill. They took Gulnare aud Ali
with tlem though, Tor all OF tie young officer;
but the very next Gay GIlnare came into the
yard By herself, and negLed Tor her oats.
Well, now, do you know, 1 believe that from
that very moment Romano made that young
officer her nero aud her ideal. She didn't kn0E
his name, she didn't know his regiment She
Didn't know his rank, she had hardly seen his
face; but. for dl that. she Just reSOlved-yery
likely without putting IL IN so many words 30
herSelf-that II she couldn't marry him, she
would never marry any body. ard she would
Keep herself and ali her thoughts sacred TO this
hero. And she did. And that is what has
given her this air OF TemOteneSS almost "a
II she belonged TO superior race, YOU know.
She didn't know whether her hero was alive
or DEAD; there were skirm1sheS In the neigh
borEcOd- and before long great battle farther
Oh; out there were no means or learning
anything, OF course, and he never came
back. somehow think she felt that II he were
alive he would and | think she began to look
upon him as dead, ard herself as-well don't
You laugh-as something like his widow; at any
rate, e. vowed 10 him. She was only seventeen
then, YOU know. Oh yes Know Pm only Six
teen myself. and terrible chatter-box, too,
Eatl says; bet / know that things gee fixed Ia
ones mind at seventeen that even seventeen
more years won't undo, and Romano has only
Ten ears more. But Roinal1e has the pOetical
temperament.
Vel, in a year or two Uncle Paul died. and
left mamma a comfortable fortune AS the farm
really belonged 10 Paul. when he reached home
mamma decided To come TO the city for our
winters, and TO build this little villa for the
summers, and sometimes Paul comes TO u.s. and
sometimes We so TO hiin. year ago nearly |
Game back from school. Mamma said was
very pretty, but very uniformed. and she Won
GeEed what my teachers had been about to
leave all this trouble for her, and size doubted
what sort of a match / would make said how
could make any, with ROmatne still hanging
On her hands? Nhereupon mamma said Ro-
maine was the most preposterOuS girl alive; she
had just let millions slip through her fingers
and she didn't believe the Archangel Michael
would make any impression on her. So /
began 10 watch Romano. and ! found an old
brass button was one or her treasures and
learned what sort Of people il was In whom she
felt an interest; obSerEed the care she took OF
Guln2re, although GUlnare was twenty years
Old; and i discovered, by accident again. put
away with q lock of Mrs. Browning'S hair and
leaf from ShCley's tomb, that brass button ana
an Old torn visor or solGler's cap. Again once
when We were all rcC0uItn9 old tines. AMI
mamma was telling or the fright she had when
the SOLDIER was fouTisll1g her cap on bayOnet
and the gratitude she FIELD 10 her deliverer. who
she aiW avs did feel. came straight from heavcn
10 help her, and. for all she knew, went straight
bocH again. happened TO be looking at Ro-
ilaIhe IN the glass, WHereup0n she turned
NY q itO rose, then all al Oace grew white
MLite IUoe, was faint, and h10 TO get out VI the
IO1nL Hlale up my mind about Romlile
NdS sorry TOO, tor some OF Paul's usonip ;ho
uSed 10 come incoming round her we're rnie, NJ Y
h.Sc- iLtFe was Colonel Reel d,n'. Know
what he was colonel OF. some Iaic,--air or III.
walk reglIneht-Im sure he'd never Srnn,spt
pc NGer except When shooting pigeons. bYt fa
had the ilttieSt loot and hand and ocaSnS =.
money, and drag And he did send R0rn,,na
such flowers and Ii she had bur throWn -
handkerchief, there was nothing he woulin,t
have given her-caShinere Shawls 10 Wslk on
and diamonds bright enOtIo a road ~