Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-04-21

but the dread Of scene with mamma
could ge. her behind Colonel Rices
horses although | should have been
glad Of the chance; and that is the way
1t has been with one and another for
nine or ten years, mamma said; and
Romano was undoubtedly fixture.
II don't know about your having the
right to hold yourself so inaccessible, ="
said mamma to her one day, as the
winding up of talking-to that sent
Romano out Of the room crying
"What is there about you, that not a
man in America, or Europe either,
that | can see, is fit to marry you, /
should like to know" And Romano
came in where was pegging away at
my French.
Il wish | was Catholic" she cried,
"and then | could go into a convent,
and be rid of it all.
"Well, you're not, you know" | said.
you're a beauty, and therefore you're
expected to marry; and mammall
never give you any peace. and you'd
better do it. What is the reason, Ro-
maine?' | added, directly. "Wy don't
you like any Of them? There's half a
dozen of them could learn to like if
they'd only propose to me-" And then
Romano laughed and looked-oh, so
lovely-in all her glittering tears ana
rosy color. You'd never dream Ro-
maine was twenty-seven-she's Just too
sweet for anything whats the mat
ter with them, nOw-with Colonel Rice,
for instance?" | asked.
Colonel Rice, with his lady-like
manners !"
'Well, the Earl's son, them
"And be looked down on by his fam
lily forever"
Cousin Methodist"
"a great oad-shouldered giant, who
might carry the world, and who spends
his life playing polo and driving an i'm
itation mail-cOach-or does ne 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 Wen, away to her own
room.
She was dancing tnat night with
Cousin Nicholas at Mrs Chances ball.
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, Romaine said
But there was Romaine, so listless, so
lovely, so Indifferent, and Nicholas
looking down at her so eager, so intent,
and then leading her out into the moon
light, 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 r0iS tdiEeuntS and she wouldn't
marry you if you were made of gold.
She wouldn't marry anybody but a sol
der anyway, GALL at once Nicholas face
hghtened up, and him only if he had
been nearly shot to pieces; and only
one soldier out of all of them, | do be-
lieve," | made haste to add, for didn't
want to encourage him.
''How much must q man do to earn
his case?' said Nicholas. in his slow,
languid way, which always did seem to
make him taller and more broad
shouldered than ever. He was hand
some 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
the dark mustache when he smiled. |
didn't see how she could help being at
tached to him-being in love with him,
yon know
GLOW many sears must he show" he
drawled. Does she want you to wear
your uniform and bandages all the
time?' And then his eyes flame he
thrust his fingers through the grey
rings, and | saw where a bullet had
plowed its way among them. THAT
was my ticket to four months of uncon-
seriousness in hospital" he cried. And
then he pulled up the cuff from his
white wrist, and drew his finger across
an indentation there. That lost me
my sword-arm, he said, "What more
does she want? Shall | tell her a ball
made this dimple in my chin? That |
carry the Five Wounds about me? |
suppose if | took off both arms and
both legs every night, she would have
me out of hand
"No, she wouldn't" | said. "She
wouldn't have you unless you were a
tall, slender fellow, whose eyelasheS
were burned of, whose face was coy
cred to the eyes by the torn VISOR
above and by a brown beard below, who
kissed her hand and wore an odd, sill
ver-set diamond crest on his t,nger-I