The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-09-16

daughter would have money enough for
both. Phema, however, made Aunt
Allen vow to keep this q secret; it
pleased her nightly to hear her lover
spin his webs for the future, calculate
his income, discuss ways and means.
and praise the neat and simple style Of
her wardrobe.
"Tne delightful gooser' she Mortified
Aunt Allen by saving, one day, when
Stephen was scarce out of the gate.
'.He thinks am paragon of economy.
He doesn't dream that Dobson charged
me twenty-five dollars apiece for max.
ing these lawn gowns and that every
scrap of lace on them is real thread. q
I'm sure he dOn't!" sighed Aunt
Allen, shocked herself at this revelation
but Phepa only laughed, clapped hel
little dimpled hands together, and
waltzed out into the kitchen. where
she at once leased and pleased Hannah,
the factotum of the house. by trying te
learn all sorts of cooking. And she
succeeded astonishingly. Common
sense. a clear head and deft fingers are
as successful in the kitchen as every.
where else. Her mother shifted much
mentally. of course.) at this new
freak, when Phema boosted of it in hel
letters.
''She is very peculiar" she said with
thin sigh. to her special friend. Mrs.
Sluyter. ''To think of her learning te
cook as an amusement! But that is
just Phema's way-to do something
nobody else would think of.
Mademoiselle did not find it needflll
yet to report her love affair to her moth.
err. She knew very well what that as.
tute lady would think of it, and she
wanted to enjoy the strange sweetness
as long as she might. before she aroused
to the battle which was inevitable. AT
last. however, her call came. Mrs.
Bayard was ready to go to Newport
for it was the middle Of August, and q
fortnight's sea-air might be permitted
even to mourner. Euphemia's elab
crate preparations were all made in the
city. under her mothers eye, while she
was drinking in bliss and pure air al
Desborough; and her wardrobe was s
curious exposition of the delicate shades
into which grief can be carried as an
element OF costume. Itwould have suit.
ed her present disposition better had il
been bridal. But, with the vein of COO
sense that endowed her, alth ough
neither she nor Stephen had any more
doubt of their mutual passion than
Romeo and Juliet, she would not con-
sent to an open engagement till some
months of absence had tested their sin.
cerity and constancy. For three months
no letters were to pass between them.
At the end of that time he was to write
her, if still he held to his purpose; and
if she too was constant, then she would
tell her mother and the thing should be
declared.
So she went to Newport, and made
her expected sensation there. For can
there be lovelier thing than a beauti-
full young girl. with glanciny eyes, and
shadowy curls, and smiling, mis- .hiev-
Gus lips, all illustrated by complexion
of softest rose blush and pearl. arrayed
in films of whitest lace or cleaning
gauzes, her only jewelry strings of pure
pearls, garlands of spotless roses her
only flower, and the dark, delicate head
unadorned save by its heavy, shining
coils and rings? People went fairly mad
about her beauty, her grace and her ex-
quisite dresses, and the very best match
of the season groveled at her feet, in
the ugly person of Pierre Sluyter, the
Millionaire of the country.
How she hated him! How she shrank
from the clammy, trembling hand, the
leering, protuberant eve, the weak
mouth, and lank, shambling figure that
stood as digit before so m my ciphers'
How glad she was to be able to refuse
the honor of his hand. with calm dis
tinctness; and how furious was her
mother!
''That is just Phema's way!" she
declared again to her aggrieved friend,
who should have been the maiden's
mother-in-law. "ltold you her caprices
were never to be relied on
Very well!'' answered the outraged
Mrs. Sluyter. "She is the only young
woman in America who would have re-
fused Pierre. He will easily console
himself"
No doubt Phema enjoyed the season.
She was natural and healthy girl,
spoiled good deal, to be sure; but
four months with Aunt Allen and a real
love affair had done much to improve
her. She enjoyed heartily the gavety
OF Newport, and still more the drives,
the walks, the sails of that enchanting
sOjourn. She was not above a girlish
pleasure in her beautiful costumes and
the great admiration she excited. She
knew her own brilliant beauty was far
better illustrated bv the absence of color
in her dress than it would have been by
the prevailing tints of the day; and she
liked to be liked, as most women do.
To be loved was another matter! This
seemed to enrage her, and from that a
wiser eve than her mothers might have
discovered that her heart was preoccu-
pied.
But wheE at the end of three months
a love-letter, as ardent and as faithful
as the most exacting heart could ask,
arrived at her CITY home and awoke as
tervent response. in the fresh hope
and courage of the hour. she laid all the
facts before her mother. Imagine the
scene!--the rage, the tears, the threats,
the despair! Through it all Phema
stood calmly waiting for this tempest to
sub>ide.
This is just your wavv' were the
first coherent words that burst from
Mrs. Bayard lips; words Phema had
heard SO often from the lips of her
mother and her nurses that now they
gave an air of homely humor to the
tragic scene, and the girl laughed.
This was fuel to the fire. Mrs. Bay
ard ragged and sobbed all the rest of the
day; yet all she gained from Euphemia
was promise that she would not marry
Stephen Mather before the next autumn,
and that she should not ask to have him
received at the house oftener than
twice in that time. Mrs. Bayard count
ed on absence. In nine long months
there were infinite opportunities TO d.
vert Phema's mind, and perhaps change
its bent entirely. "Time and against
any man." might succeed with men;
but he who said it wisely did not in
clude the other sex. With an object in
view, certain to be attained, q woman
oon o,1tUoif tirpo II 10 tho xuapf NJ