Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-10-21
Their Two Summerings.

Rose Ellis, with eyes as blue as the
June sky that was smiling down on the
fair earth that lovely morning, and hair
as palely god as the first rays OF early
sunshine, and face as pink and fair as
ever maiden's face was. And Vera, her
elder sister, tall, with beautiful, serious,
gray eyes under jetty brows, with lus-
trous jet-black hair, all waves and rip
pies from her broad, low forehead to
the Grecian coil low at the back of her
classic head-the two of them, sisters,
standing under the big chestnut tree at
the lane gate, reading letter, that one
of the farm hands had Just brought
from the village postcflice, along with a
bundle of weekly papers a letter whose
envelope was heavily monogramed and
crested, that was written on faintly-per-
fumed, cream-white paper, in a square,
beautiful hand, and signed Cornelia
Caryl, and dated Newport, day before.
Roses blue eyes danced rs she read il,
and she clasped her hands in a little
ecstatic way she was in the habit OF doing
when she was pleased.
"Vera, it is just too splendid for any
thingl Aunt Cornelia is just too good
isn't she7 OF course it will be you
it should be you'll When shall you gop
Only think-a month at Newport"
Vera folded the letter slowly up again,
smile coming to her royalty beautiful
mouth.
81 am not sure it is l who will ac-
cept auntie's kind invitation. You
haven't been away from the farm for
three years, Rose-not since we all
spent the delicious week in the Catskills.
/ am very sure it is you who will go 10
auntie's cottage at Newport, dear. l
hope So"
Rose laughed gaily.
what an idea, Vera! Indeed, l
shall not even think OF such nonsense.
You're the beauty of the family; you
will go and create sensation, and come
home with a photograph of my future
brother-in-iaw in your pocket--hand-
some, wealthy, elegant and-a German
count. or French duke, or an English
lord, just as like as not. Maybe a Rus
sian princeI OF course you'll go, my
Princess Veram
Vera laughed-s,ie could not help it
at the comical little way in which Rose
salaamed to her-veritably princess by
royal right of loveliness, and grace, and
womanliness.
Honor bright, Rose, wouldn't you
like 70 goP"
The serious gray eyes looked in the
sunny blue eyes, and then tiny flush
began to warm to a deeper lusciousness
on the wild-rose cheeks.
"That's not fair, Vera. That's what
I should emphatica1y call a leading
question. Do you want to 60, tooP"
"And under what head do you place
your inquiry, I should like TO know2"
Rose tossed her pretty head imperi-
ously, with light laugh.
''Iwon't be catechised, but Aunt Cor
nelia's letter must be answered, all the
same, by return mail, according to re-
quest. We will decide whether you are
to go or not-this way"
She stopped and picked up a shining
little pebble from the edge of the flower
bed, and went through some mysterious
motions with her hands behind her,
then held out two tightly-closed, dim
pied fists.
"Take your choice, Vera. If you get
the stone, you go. Vice versa. That's
fair enough. isn't itP"
Vera reached out her finger daintily.
and-touched the fortunate hand, while
Rose gave little shriek Of delight.
"Now--nowl OF course you'll be In
troduced to my rother-in-law-the
count, or the duke, on the lordi Let's
go right back, and while I rip up the
Swiss suit to make 1t over, with pink
and blue Silesia. for one OF your toilets.
you can answer the letter. To morrow.
we'll go to the city and spend the forty
dollars, butter and-egg money, we've
saved, and on II ursday, the seventh,
you will start on Jour tour of con-
quest.
But--sOmehow there were tears, in
cad of smiles. in Princess Vera's gray
eyes.