Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-10-20
CHOOSING A PARTNER.
IIarpers Bazaar.


There were two things patent con-
corning Miss Mary Dunlap--one that
she was an exceedingly pretty girl; the
other, that she was an arrant coquette
as ever bewitched man. She had
hair whose loose locks gilded white
forehead, but whose heavy masses
glistened like fawn-tlnted satin; she had
great black-lashed blue eyes with an
enchanting way of glancing under their
housekeeping fringes; her teeth were
as even rs the kernels Of milk corn,
her features fine as chiseled in ivory
her .dimples, her smile, the rose and
white OF her skin, were lovely and in
nocent rs any baby..s; and the depth of
her guile there was no fatnomi ng. Not
that IL was very guilty guile; it was
but trivial sort after all, 1t consisted
only in making herself charming, and
there was even those who said she
couldn't help it if she would. She felt
an interest III everybody: feeling it she
showed it; and If people chose to think
it meant more than it did that was their
fault and not hers. And there wss no
earthly reason they said, why Mr.. Pop
lson should suppose, when half the
lovely women Of an older generation
had refused his hand, that this spoiled
darling meant anything but commiser-
alton by her tender looks of sympathy
as he told his griefs, after bringing her
great punches of red roses at thirty
cents apiece.
The fact WAS it pleased her that Mr..
Poplson, who had once admired her
tyrannical younger aunt should now
admire her. Then it did no harm to
have James Macarthur see that she
could step into pair of sumptuous
shoes and cross the threshold of the
splendid old PJpison mansion across
the river; and time flew but nlowly, land
the affair amused her; and it wouldn't
hurt poor Mr.. Popison, who was used
to that sort OF thing.
1t was u gay house, the Dunlap. All
the family elements combined there.
There were two grandmothers, a moth
or and father, s,unts ON both sides, two
or thr ee cousins, and Mary Dunlap and
her sisters, and friends and lovers going
and coming; and the time was heavy
to no one but Mary, and might not
have been to her had James Macarthur
had the wit to see what some others
thought they saw.
But James MCArthur, Il handsome,
high-steppIng fellow, with good bust
ness and some ambition, had his eyes
sufficiently wide open. Mary Dunlap
had touched his heart as deeply rs he
dared to let her, for he hesltated about
marrying for love when he could marry
for love and money too, and Mary
would have little money; and he hest
tated, too, about marrying II girl with
whom everybody else was in love. ga
coquette," said the wise young Near
thur, gives her husband little peace;"
and he had different visions. Never
theless the girl could not brush him
with her garments without sending
thrills through MIN, and he had only
to look that way i'll church and see the
rosy edge of her velvet cheek beyond
the pillar to feel the color surge all over
his own face, and the sudden sound of
her voice would ut any time make his
heart cease beating for the fraction of
II second. Still he hesitated.
Not SO Mr.. Popison. He knew what
he wanted, and he meant to have it.
1t is true that he had thought so in
more than one instance before, but
that, he said, WAS IN his green and cal.
low days; and if his hand had been re-
fused he was glad OF it, as that left it
free to offer Mary Dunlap. He had
known Mary Dunlap since she was II
baby; had given her her first gibralters
and her last butter scotches; she had
spent his pennies and sat on his knee,
and combed his hair with her tiny fin
gers, and kissed his mouth with her
sweet innocent lips; he had been her
contidant, and known every thought of
her pure heart; and then she had gone
away to school, and spent winter in
New York society. and had come back
SO gay and brilliant art.breaker
that he had found himself the victim
of passion of which all his other
flames had been mOckeries.
He, past forty-tivo, to hope for the
love of n girl of twenty! Yet, hopeless
or not, he lowered round her like
moth, and found James Macarthur just
enough in his way to hinder urging his
point. Or was it Mary Dunlap herself
whs numbered it-Mary Dunlap unable
to decide whether she preferred James
Macarthur, with his bold block eyes,
his proud comliness and splendid
youth, or Mr.. Popison, just beginning
10 be bald, with his half million of
money. Once when she heard James
Macarthur reproach 81 servant who had
delayed With II note of hers, she
thought Mr.. Popison's indulgent kind
ness was something desirably rest
full. On the other hand when she
looked at James McArthur's dark daz-
sle OF beauty, the daily sight of so plain
n face rs Mr.. Popison's seemed sorry
fate-and Popison WAS such dreadful
namel Mary would not have her
thoughts dwell on more than the step
before her. There was something un-
maidenly in even acknowledging to
herself preference for one who did
not declare love for her. Yet she
could not help the plunging in her
breast when she found James Near
thurs eyes resting ON her with a light
behind them that made her feel the
next moment would bring the word
she awaited; she could net help just
then being especially kind to Mr.. Pop
ison, PaIuy hohu pt'y' paLuy uoLh Ii U.s.
chief, partly and chiefly, lest she be-
trayed herself with James McArtnur-
time and eternity with him-that
seemed dream of earthly romance
and heavenly bliss. And yet
MARY" said her aunt Sophy, ''you
are wrong to encourage Mr.. Popison
so. You certainly can't mean to marry
him."
81 don't know" said Mary, 81 should
always like to have him around"
Days and months went by, and still
things remained as they were. James
Macarthur went his long business jour
neys; and in his absence MIR. Popison
filled the vacant place; ne returned,
and then there were the moon-ht