The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-26
A LOTUS DREAM

Sitting by the fire in dreamy languor
on dull October evening. Over against
the window pane on which the sleet is
weaving fantastic figures, stands girlish
figure stamping her foot md looking out
Oh the dull, leadcn-colored sky. The
crispy logs burn brightly, and man as
am md thirty, turn to watch the fair
profile Mt tho window. BY and by she
comes toward me, and stands by my
sido, warming her fair hands Mt the fire.
They are symmetrical hands, white and
small her bosom rises and falls, and q
sigh rs gentle rs the zephyr winds in
summer goes out and away. Before mo
is the picture of fair lady of twenty
three, and by my side on the table is a
letter to her I have just finished. I
show it to the little maiden and she
reads and sighs again. Then she says:
You are going down there and you
and Miss Lllie will marry sure enough,
Mr.. Walter. And you'll bring hor back
here md keep this room. And when
You come, would like to be fly crawl
ing around the ceiling"
"Why, Pappoose
"To watch your happiness and tickle
your noses, perhaps" And away she
flew, to help her mamma about her
household duties.
The scene is in the South land, no
matter where. am writer gathering
up incidents for an article in leading
magazine, OF Mt least [ came here for
that purpose, and have prolonged my
stay indefinitely. I have stopped with
widow lady, Mrs. Mahonis, and Laura
is her only child, whom I have nick
named Pappoose. With Southern pre-
cocity, she is a woman while yeta child
Fair complexion, with dark hair md
passionate, dreamy eyes, she is q picture
an artist would love for model, and q
picture I love for it's own sake.
Too young to understand such love,
her mother said to nc to-day.
"I never intend Laura shall marry
until she is Twenty-Five"
And my heart sank, for I thought it
should not be so.
have been carrying on correspond
ence with friend in my native village,
widow, and L show all my letters to
Pappoose. She is the Lllie an soon to
visit.
Loved, practical winter, with the
shadows of night about it; November
with her serc leaves, and chill winds
about lis. Inside the rooms Of n pleasant
mansion. Lulie is nttircd in n seal brown
satin, with the glory of roses in her
dress, the glory of lilies in her hair. I
have just arrived, and 60 about the ball
room with Lulie on my arm. L am
proud Of her and she of me and though
there nre no welded VOWS between us, I
wonder if my little Pappoosc shall over
be fly, and crawl around our rooms.
No, love the child with the dark hal,
and the dreamy eyes better than I do
Lulie.
Out in the conservatory, with the
perfume of exotic plants about us, the
warm air Of q hot-horse to comfort us, l
say
."Lulie, you have been good to me,
and thought loved you, but 7 don't,
my friend. Yours is not the lovo that
would make my restless life happy. l
love child-a child-woman, fair, dark
eyed and dreamy, better than do you. -
ooh, Walter, hush! My poor heart
will break. Listen" And I heard the
blood beat in her heart like the echo OF
n tiny cataract.
She lays her. head upon my shoulder,
she throws her fair arms about my neck,
and forget my child love.
"Walter, you do not mean it My
dream has been such happy one |!
And her head nestled closer to my bosom
and tears hung like dew drops on tlx
fringed eyolids.
What can do? A fly crawling about
tho room changed into black k-eycd,
dark-haired little darling, and L put
Lulie away from mo gently.
"Lulic, mean it. Forget the past
try to forget me-"
She shivcrs just little. The ton,
drops dry up like an April shower
There is q tremulous motion about the
lips, and n softly spoken "good-by,'
and she is gone.
February has come. I nm again in my
village retreat Pappoose is just fifteen,
/ nm lounging on the gallery watching
the fairy figure making snowballs in the
yard. This time she is very shy Of me-
have been here week. and save few
hurried words, have not spoken to her
md yet L came solely on hor account.
begin to wonder if have madc fool OF
myself, and if some village boy has
already won her heart. 1 am nervous
excitablo and passionate and sitting
here, watching the sweet profile, the
studions brow, the long lashcs and the
wealth of raven tresses covering her like
mantle, get mad, tip over my chair
and walk away to the stable to my dcai
old Dan, O gallant roadster, and am soor
sweeping away madly down the rough
village road.
Man, and such fool
A pleasant ride changes my thoughts
and ! come back to meet Pappooso on tho