Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-06-24

glass, whereupon she turned as red as
red rose, then all at once grew white as
white rose, was faint, and had to get
out of the room. [ made up my nina
about Romaine
| was sorry, too; for some of Pauls
people who used to come incoming round
her were mighty nice. There was
Colonel Rice-I don't know what he was
colonel of, some fancy-fair or sidewalk
regiment-I'm sure he'd never smelled
powder except when shooting pigeons;
but he had the littlest foot and hand, and
oceans of money, and drag. And he
did send Romano such flowers! and if
she had but thrown her handkerchief,
there was nothing he wouldn't have
given her cashmere shawls to walk or,
and diamonds bright enough to read by.
And there was an English earl son, just
back from buffalo hunting, who would
have made countess of her, only give
HIM time enough; and goodness knows
how many more of Paufs chums, and
Senator Catchpenny, and the regulation
swells, and Cousin Nicholas.
And Romano declined them all-every
one of Pauls chums, of course, and
Cousin Nicholas on account of the old
family feud that had always kept us
apart; he was hundred thousandth
cousin or 50. And when the English
man was around, 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 nine or tenyears,
mamma said; and Romaine was undoubt-
edly fixture.
81 don't know abou: yo,lr having the
right to hold yourself SO inaccessible"
said mamma to her one day, as the wind
ing-up of talking-to that sent Romaine
out of the room crying. "What is there
about you that not man in America, or
Europe either, that | can see, is fit to
marry you, 1 should like to know"
And Romano came in where / was peg
ging away at my French.
Il wish | was Catholic" she cried,
"and then [ could get into convent,
and be rid of it all"
"Well, you're not, you know" | said.
you're beauty, and because you're
beauty you're expected to marry; and
mammall never give You any peace, and
you'd better do It, What is the reason,
Romaine?" / added directly. "Why
don't you like any of them There's
half-dozen of them / could learn to like
if they'd onlypropose to me-" And then
Romaine laughed, and looked-oh, so
lovely!-in all her glittering tears and
rosy color. You'd never dream Romano
was twenty Just too sweet
q Al - 80, L,
them, now-with Colonel Rice, for in
stance? ?" asked
"Colonel Rice, with his lady-ike
manners!'
"Well, the earl's son, then"
"And be looked down on by his family
forever 2"
"Cousin Nicholas?"
"a great broad shouldered giant who
might carry the world, and who spends
his life playing polo and driving an imi-
tation mail coach--or does he blow the
horn? | don't want any of them. |
don't intend to marry at all. Il"
and then there came another burst of
tears, and she went away to her own
room.
She was dancing that night with
The delicious waltz music made my feet
Just Jingle Mamma let me go to ball
now and then, to show people what she
had in reserve, Romano said. But
there was Romano, so lstless, so lovely,
so Indifferent, and Nicholas looking
down at her SO eager, so intent, and then
leading her out into the moonlight, as if
he would take her away from all these
people, and into another world. cts
no use, Cousin Nicholas, | said, when
he happened to think of me, half an hour
afterward, and brought me an ice; " she
thinks YOU are one of les rOiS tdiac0ntS,
and she wouldn't marry You if you were
made of gold. She wouldn 'tmarly any
body but n soldier anyway F" Call at once
Nicholas face lighted up);" and him
only if he had been nearly shot TO pieces;
and only one soldier out of MI OF them,
| do believe" | made haste to add, for l
didn't want to encourage him.
"How much must man do to earn
| his ease?' said Nicholas, in his slow,
languid way, which always did seem to
make him taller and more broad shout
dered than ever. He was a handsome
/ 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
1 dark moustache 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 30 he drawled docs
she want You wear your uniform and
your bandages all the time ?" And
then his flashed, he thrust his fingers
through the gray rings, and | sawwhere