The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-06-17

lanSud way, which always did seem 70
make him taller and more broad
shouldered than ever. He was q hand
some fellow. with his fresh color, his
white forehead, his grizzled hair curling
in tight rings like that of an old Greek
head, his teeth cleaning from under
the dark mustache when he smiled.
didn't see how she could help being at
tracted to him, being--being in love
with him, you know. "How many
scars must he show ?'' he drawled.
Does she want you to wear your uni
form and your bandages all the time ?''
And then bis eyes flashed, he thrust his
fingers through the gray rings, and i
saw where a bullet had plowed its way
among them. "That was my ticket to
four months of unconsciousness in
hospital" he cried. And then he pulled
up the cuff from his white wrist, and
drew his fingers across an indentation
there. THAT lost me my sword-arm,"
he said. "What more does she want
Shall tell her ball made this dimple
in my chin ? that l carry the Five
Wounds about me Isuppose if I took
off both arms and both legs every night
she would have me out of hand"
"No, she wouldn't" 1 said. "Shc,
wouldn't have you unless you were a
tall, slender fellow whose eyelashes
were burned off, whose face was COW
cred to the eyes by the torn visor above
and by brown beard below, who kissed
her hand and wore an odd slver-set
diamond crest on his-I saw it-and
whom she has set up in her sh rine for
ever and ever. Why, Cousin Nicholas,
what is the matter with you ?'' For he
had suddenly burst into the gayest and
most uproarious laugh. You had bet
ter tell me, so that I can laugh, too"
said, feeling as though ought to be an
cry, but deciding that could not be
vexed with Cousin Nicholas. i've no
doubt she'll think better of you when
tell her about your scars, said.
"When you tell her about my
scarsr' he exclaimed, SO that started
about them, you blessed little chatter
box, and I'll kill you! If she won't care
for me without scars, she shan't care for
me at all"
"Well, I declare, never-"I began.
''Just take me to mamma, if you
please. If Paul heard you speaking so
to his"
"Hang Paul! Hush! hushI" he said,
drawing my hand through his arm and
holding it. "You have made me hap
pier tonight than you ever can again."
al think everybody has gone crazy!'
I cried. And then, instead of taking
me to mamma, Cousin Nicholas's arm
slid round my waist, and he was whirl-
ing me round the room to the madden
ing waltz music in way that mamma
asserted afterward was positively inde-
cent. and that Romaine declared took
her breath away. I" sh ould never have
thought it of you," she said.
Dear mel" 1 answered; "you don't
suppose he's going to go signing like a
furnace for you forever, when you"
"When whatP"
''Have refused him twenty times"
"I've never had the chance to refuse
him once. don't want to have it"
You're afraid you'd accept him,
miss" I exclaimed.
81 don't want to accept him."
You'd accept him quickly enough if
he was slender young officer with his
face hidden by bright brown beard
and smooches and smirches of powder,
driving his soldiers out of the house =
the first man that ever kissed your hand,
Miss Romaine, with an old silver-set
diamond ring on his. You needn't
think hadn't any eyes, if wasn't
but six years old, or any memory. or
any faculty of putting two and two
together"
"Oh, how can you be 50 cruelr' she
cried, hiding her face in her hands.
"Pm not cruel" 1 said. Its you
that are cruel, and silly too. Cousin
Nicholas is worth a dozen of that fel-
low that YOU set up for yourself to bow
down to. Don't you suppose CousinNich-
olas would have driven the soldiers out,
and have kissed your hand tooP''
nicholas. where bullets were fly
ingr'
Yes. where bullets were flying, and
riddled with them, besides. And you
don't deserve him, tfiht you don't, il
you are beautiful. But, OH do de-
clare, Romaine, when you are so per-
fectly lovely, and he does love you so,
for you to"
.sHow do you know he loves me so?
He never said it,
"As If there were no other speech
than Just SO many words! I can't see
how you can be SO unfeeling."
II never said was unfeeing."
What? Really, Romaine? Are you
in earnestP Do you really care for him,
JUS a littleP'
"I-I-I mean 1 could-maybe. But
but then, you know, dear, IL can't
talk about it. / feel as if I were
pledged-as If / were breaking a
bond-'
ITO that other fellow? Fiddlesticks'
ends! You, twenty-seven years old, al
most an old maid, and as silly as that!
Now, I'll tell you what, If you don't
turn short corner, I'll see what l can
do myself; and when it's too late for
you, you'll be eating your heart out
with envy and rage. There he comes
now. and I'm going out to see him and
begin 80 and SO / ran down the lawn to
meet him as he gave his horse to the
oroom-it was only the next day after
Mrs. Chances ball.
GIVE something to tell you," 1 said,
taking his arm and holding it, in a way