Louisiana capitolian., 1880-06-12

well, l declare,I never began
Just take ME to mamma, If you please
IfPaul heard you speaking so to his
Hang Paul! Hush! hush' he said
dlawing my hand through his arm aud
holding it. You have made me happier
tonight than you ever can again
I think everybody has gone crazyn
cried. And then, instead Of his taking
me to mamma, Cousin Nicholas arm
slid round my waist, and he was whirl-
ing me round the room to the madden
lug waltz music in way that mamma
asserted afterward was utterly indecent
and that Romaine declared took her
breath away. Il should neyer have
thought it Of you,' she said.
Dear me- you don't suppose he's
going to 20 sighing like furnace for
you forever, when you
when I what p
Have refused him twenty times
'Pve never had the chance to refuse
him once. / don't want to have it,
You're afraid you'd accept him, miss,
| exclaimed.
Il don't want to accept HIM
You'd accept him quickly enough if
he vas a 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 Romaiue, with au old silver
set diamond ring on his. You needn't
think hadn't any eyes, if was not but
six. years old, or any memory, or any
faculty Of putting two and two to.
gether.'
oh, how con you be 80 cruel ? she
cried, hiding her face in her hands.
Pm not cruel l said. It's you that
are cruel, aud silly, too. Cousin Nichol.
as is worth dozen of that fellow that
you set up for yourself to bow down TO-
Don't you suppose Cousin Nicholas
would have driven the soldiers out, and
have kissed your hand, toog'
Nicholas, where bullets were tly-
ing"
yes, where bullets were flying, aud
riddlcd with them, besides. And you
don't deserve him, that you don't, if
you are beautiful. But, oh! do de-
I clare, Romaine, when you are so per-
fectly lovely, aud he does love you SO,
for you to
How do you know he loves me 50
He never So id it,
AS if there were no other speech than
just so many words can't SOC how
you can be 80 unfeeling.'
L never said was unfeeling.'
WHAT Really, Romaine' Arc you
in earnest: Do you really call for him,
just little ?
I-l-l mean l could-may be. Rut
but then, you know, dear, I-can't
talk about it, feel a. if l were
pledged-as if were breaking y
bond
TO that other follow! 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 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
and so Iran down tho lawn to meet him
~ he gave his horse to the groom-it
was only the next day after Mrs. Chances
ball.
I've something to toll you,' l said,
taking his arm, and holding it, in way
to drive vexation to Romaine's heart,
for knew she was looking at Us behind
. curtain somewhere. =
And I've something to show you, my
dear child he answered, and he fun
bled in pocket moment, and then,
opening bis hand just little way, let
me SEQ . gleam Of something sparkling
-diam0ndS-silver-
'Nicholas' I cried. And stood open.
mouthed, looking him over from head to
foot.
Ten years make great alterations
he hummed.
But, Nicholas
Hush! hush' be said. DO you be-
lieve she has suspectedi'
oh, never! Oh, make haste! Oh, do 20 in!
she's in the music room, looking out be.
hind the curtain And never was so i'm
patent with anybody in my life as with
the slow, careless gait at which he went
up the lawn and into the house.
ran in. half an hour afterward, to
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