American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-06-19


then he ran down the stairs, and
mounted his horse; aud presently we
heard the last of them trooping over the
h-hill. They took Gulnare and Ali with
them, though, for all of the young Of
ticer; but the very next day Gulnare
came into the yard by herself, and
Weighed for her oats.
Well, now, do you know, l believe
that from that very moment Romaine
made that young officer her hero and
her ideal. She didn't know his name,
she didn't know his regiment, she
didn't know his rank, she had hardly
seen his face; but, for all that, she just
resolved-very likely without putting it
in so many words to hersOlf-that if she
couldn't marry him, she would never
marry anybody, and she would keep
herself and all her thoughts sacred to
this hero. And she did. And that is
what has given her this air of remote
ness, almost rs if she belonged to SUI
perior race, you know. She didn't
know whether her hero was alive or
dead; there were skirmfshes in the
neighborhood, and before long a great
battle farther off; but there were no
means of learning anything, of course,
and he never came back. Somehow |
think she felt that if he were alive he
would, and l think she began to look
upon him as dead, and herself as-well.
don't You laugh-as something like his
widow; at any rate, as vowed to him.
She was only seventeen then, you know.
Oh yes, l know I'm only sixteen my
self, and terrible chatter-box too, Paul
says; but l know that things get fixed
in ones mind at seventeen that even
seventeen more years won't undo, and
Romaine has only ten years more. Bat
Romano has the poetical temperament.
Well, in year or two Uncle Paul
died and left mamma comfortable
fortune. AS the farm really belonged
to 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 us, and sometimes we go to
him. A year ago nearly came back from
school. Mamma said was very pretty,
but very uniformed, and she wondered
what my teachers had been about to
leave all this trouble for her, and she
doubted what sort of a match l would
make. l said how could l make any,
with Romaine still hanging on her
hands? Whereupon mamma said
Romano was tho most preposterous
girl alive; she had just let millions slip
through her fingers, and she didn't be-
lieve the Archangel Michael would
make any impression on her. So l
began to watch Romano, and 1 found
an old brass button was one of her
treasures. and learned what sort of
people it was in whom she felt an
observed the care she took
of Gulnare, although Gulnare was
twenty years old; and l discovered, by
accident again, put away with a lock of
Mrs. Browning's hair and leaf from
Shelley tomb. that brass button and
an old torn VISOR of soldiers cap.
Again, once when we were all recount
ing old times, and mamma was telling of
the fright she had when the soldier was
her cap on a bayonet, and the
gratitude she felt to her deliverer, who,
she always did feel, came straight from
Heaven to help her, and, for all she
knew, went straight back again, |
happened to be looking at Romano in
the glass, whereupOn she turned as red
as a red rose, then all at once grew white |
as a white rose, was faint, and had to
get of the room. l made up my mind |
about Romaine.
was sorry, too; for some of Paurs |
people who used to come incoming |
round her were mighty nice There |
was Colonel Rice-f don't know what |
he was Colonel of, some fancy-fair OF
side walk regiment-Pm sure he'd |
never smelled powder except when |
pigeons; but he had the littlest
foot and hand, and oceans of money, |
and drag. And he did send Romaine |
such flowers! and if she had but thrown |
her handkerchief, there was nothing he
wouldn't have given her-cashmere |
,hawls to walk on, and diamonds |
bright enough to read by. And there |
was an English Earl's son, just back from
who would have made
enough; and goodness knows how many
more of Paufs chums, and Senator
and the regulation swells,
and Cousin Nicholas.
And Romaine disdained them all
every one of Pau's chums of course,
and Cousin Nicholas on account of the
Did family feud that had always kept |
Us apart: he was hundred thousandth
cousin or so. And when the English
man was round, she just out-Ameri-
caned the Americans; and nothing but
the dread of scene with mamma
could get her behind Colonel Rice's
horses, although should have been
glad of the chance; and that is the
way it had been with one or another for
line or ten years. mamma said; and Ro-
maine was undoubtedly fixture.
81 don't know about your having the
light to hold yourself SO inaccessible"
said mamma to her one day. as the
winding up of talking-to that sent
Romaine out of the room crying.
. What is there about you, that not
nan in America, or Europe either, that
can see, is tit to marry you, L should
ike to knowP' And Romaine came
n where l was peggng away at my
French.
81 wish was Catholic" she cried,
. and then | could 60 into a convent,
md be rid of it ALL
"Well, you're not, you know" 1
aid. You're beauty, and because
Tou're beauty you're expected to
marry; and mamma'll never give you
my peace, and you'd better do it.
What is the reason, RomaineP' add
ID, directly. .'Why don't you like any
# themP There S half-dozen of them
could learn 70 like if they'd only pro-
,ose to me-" And then Romano
aughed and looked-oh, SO lovely!-in
III her glittering tears and rosy color.
You never dream Romano was twen-
just too sweet for any,
hingi What the matter with them,
low-with Colonel Rice, for instance?''
asked.
Colonel Rice, with his lady-like
/,
"Well. the Earls son. then?'
" And be looked down on by his ,
amily forever!' -.-
"Cousin Nicholas?'
"a great broad shouldered giant who !