The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-22
rying and taking among my Washington

/ friends a."
She had been growing winter and
whittier listening to him. She saw that
the end had come. But, for his part
he was as much astonished, in his su-
preme Instrumentation, IS Il it had
ightened out of blue sky, when her
think you Will take any pleasure in mar
rying me. I understand that we are
totally untitled for each other. hope
you win find q better-bred woman for
your wife. Good-by!" And then she
was gone, and she had called the chill
dren round her; and, whatever it cost
her to do it, she was frolicking with
them as before, let her heart break or
not.
Mr.. Vincent Maurice was speechless
with indignation and amazement. But
he had no idea that his engagement was
broken-how could it be when he had
not broken it? He turned and walked
up to the house, but when, after an
hour, she did not follow him, he went
to the inn, and thence to Mrs. Stant0n's
for the evening; and receiving word
that there was no answer, on sending
up card in the morning, he returned
to town.
It was not till q letter, made up of
equal parts of reproach, anger and love,
was remailed to him unopened that he
began to think the matter serious, and
to ask himself if he had not made mis-
take. When Saturday came, although
badly injured, he could not help going
down again; he felt, after all, as If he
must see the lovely face again, again
touch the sweet lips. he hardly knew
how to wait longer for the pressure of
the dear arms. But the house was
closed. The two old servants left in
charge said they had no instructions ex-
cept to 3" stay on And nobody could
say whittier Miss Rivers was gone. No
body knew, in fact, that she had any
where to 60 to, it being generally sup
posed she was that fortunate being
born to good estate without relatives,
her cousin Francis Rivers and his wife
being quite overlooked.
But it was to the shelter of her cousin
Francis Rivers's Newport villa that
she had betaken herself, . welcome
guest, during the two months that they
fingered there after the full swing of
fashion was over; and when they re-
turned to their home in Philadelphia,
after q round of rather quiet if elegant
gayeties there, she departed with him
and his wife for European
journey, and all that Mr.. Vincent Maui
rice heard of her for the next TIVE years
was notice in some newspaper that
Mrs. Francis Rivers and Miss Kate Riv-
ers had been presented to the Queen by
the American Minister, and the beauty
and the exquisite dress of the younger
lady had created q sensation at the
Drawing-room.
If at the end of it all the child of nature
had not been transformed into the bril-
liantly artificial woman of the salon, it
was because of the gentle wisdom of her
cousins, who knew just where to stimu-
late and where to repress, until the
graciously developed brain and soul
were evident perhaps q trife sooner
than they would have been otherwise ;
for Mr.. Vincent Maurice need not have
troubled himself with any fear that,
when the bud was already so lovely, the
full blossom would be less than perfect,
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stead of rudely tearing it open.
He was not a very happy man in those
days; he remembered with increased
bitterness the brief happiness of other
days. He longed now with all his heart
to see Kate Rivers once again, sure that
all would then soon and easily be made
right.
His longing was answered; he saw
her again. It was in the court of the
Grand Union at Saratoga, one evening
when the electric light was burning, and
the fountain blushed in the hues Of all
the precious stones, and the trees waved
their boughs through vast lights and
shadows, under which the people moved
Enthusiastically while the band breathed its
music. A group stepped out from
among the others, and went in from the
night air. He followed, and saw them
again in the ball room; Count Beaure-
paire-he had seen him before-a tall,
heroic looking man, attached to the
French legation, or in Washington, rath-
er, on special mission; perhaps it was
Mrs. Rivers on his arm; Just after them
came General Francis Rivers, and with
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Kate. A woman whose rounded shape
wore its lace and silken raiment as q
hand wears its glove; whose face, with
its tinting of rose and ivory, with its nut
brown hair in Raffaelle locks about the
snowy brow, with its great innocent blue
eyes half contradicted by the archness
of the smile running over in dimples,
was the face of his dreams, of his ideal,
of Kate Rivers as he had never dared
hope to see her.
He sprang forward; but they had
paused only one moment, and then
Count Beaurepaire had bent before her
with questioning air, and they were
gliding down the room together in q
waltz that made Mr.. Vincent Maurice
gnash his teeth. She was taken back
to her cousins presently, and the Count
drew about her the swans down wrap
that Mr.. Rivers had held, and they went
out on the piazza, and she passed with
in yard of him, without seeing him,
without dreaming of the eager, pallid
face, without seeing the quick move
ment, the half-outstretched hand, as un-