The Worthington advance., 1882-10-12
THE FALSE LOVER.
but do you really mean it, Mr.: Br

hOsa Uale was standing in the illumin-
ated arch way Of the autumn woods, her
bright braids of hair pierced by one or
two wandering sunbeams, her dimpled
child-face framed in, as it were, by
sprays ofred-veined autumn leaves while
her apron was full of the glistening
brown chestnuts which she had picked
up.
John Brabazon leaned against the tall,
smooth trunk of the birch tree and look.
ed at her with lazy, luxurious sense Of
artistic beauty entering into his mind as
he gazcd.
"Of course I mean it," said he.
But | am only twelve years DID,"
cried Rosa, tlinging back the sunny ten
drills of hair that hung over her forehead.
lyon are exactly twelve times as love-
ly as any of the city bellies that congre-
gate hereabouts," said Mr.. Brabazon,
striving to conceal a yawn. "And if
they think ! am cngagcd-don't you see?
there will he some probability OF their
leaving off prosecuting me-"
'Well!" said Rosa, every dimple COM
ing shyly out on Ii p and check as she
stood there.
1T is to be a compact, eh? said Mr..
Rrahazon.
Ross, NODDED her fair little head.
But" she questioned, rather dubious
ly: where is the ring?"
"The-what?'
90 The engagement ring, Mr.. Brabazon," !"
exclaimed Rosa reprOachfully. Don't
l.,,c ], n~<,yx, nj,
novels? And most generally it's dia-
1nond."
"lf you'll believe me-" said Mr.. Bra
bacon, trasically, 81 never thoupft Of
the ring. Bnt here's little opal that
used to be my mothers, hanging on INV
watch chain. Won't that do?''
Rosa held out her brown finger, while
he fitted it OH.
"1ou-you haven't kissed me yet!''
she said. when this ceremony was COM
plete. Lovers always kiss their fiances!'
MIR. Brabazon laughed.
"Come," said he, ''this is getting seri-
Gus. But here's the kiss, before the rest
OF the chestnut party get back. And,
mind, this is to be Il profound secret be-
tween you and me.
Rosa ran back home with vague sen.
satlon Of mysterious delight, and thought
how nice MIR. Brabazon looked, all the
time she was munching her roasted
chestnuts; and Mr.. Brlbazon himself
took advantage of the little joke to pro-
claim himself an engaged man. Nor is
it an cxaggeration to say that the young
ladies' were genuinely disappointed. g
"lt must be i recent thing" said Kate
Kennedy, tossing her head.
'Oh, quite recent" acknowledged Mr..
Bratazon.
"Lovc ut first sight?" asked Miss Day.
"N-no, not exactly" said Brabazon.
In fact, may say that have admired
the young lady since her infancy.
''What delightful eniema" said Bel le
Vernon, looking anything but de lighted.
'Eut of course, Mr.. Brabazon, you'll tell
us her name"'
II am pledgedto secrecy" said the en-
gagged man, solcmnly.
And when he left the Mountain Notch
IN the late autumn, and forgot all about
the wild little woodland sprite who
climbed trees and peltcd him with chest
nuts wadded with brown, dimpled feet
III the toamy waters Of the glen torrent,
and conducted him SO mysterlous]y to
the barn chambers to show him her
empty birds nests, butterfly wings and
diamond bright pebbles, how was he to
know that she remembered the episode
under the yellow-lcaved chestnut trees
rs i red letter day i'll her calendar?
lie ought to write to me-" said Rosa,
gloomily, as the weeks and months glid-
ell by, and no epistle came. lido hopc
he isn't going to turn out false, like the
wicked cavaliers in story books"
And when Mr.. Brabazon bought a
huge wax doll, with its miniature S:lrato-
ga trunk and complete outfit of elegant
!!y-made dresses, at Christmas, Rosa flew
into passion.
CAS- if ! were 4 babyw said she. "A
doll, indeed, and twelve years old in
October! [ wonder if he takes me for a
child? Who ever heard of a gentleman
sending doll to the young lady he was
engaged to-"
"My dear Rosa," said her mother. half
are talking!" "
1--WE are cngaged!' said Rosa. "see
the ring"
And She shyly pulled it out from the
bosom of her dress.
ut was only a JOKE" said Mrs. Dale.
lit was sober earnestv' flashed out
Rosa.
"My DEAR" said Mrs. Dale, "havcn't
you heard? Mr.. Barbazon is to be mar
ricd to Lady Helen Hartford, Mrs. Pail
leton's English niece, next month. The
cards are already out"
''What!" cried Rosa, her sapphire blue
eyes blazing, her rosy lips apart. ''To
be married-and he engaged to mcv'
And then Rosa rushed away into the
barn-chamber, and hid herself for full
two hours, to sob out the current of her
childish grief
Mrs. Dale smiled and sighed.
"WhO would think the child would
have attached SO much importance to a
piece of nonsense like that7'' said she.
Really, Pm afraid have made a mis-
take in allowing her to read novels. But
She was always an ilnpetuous little crea-
ture!'
Rosa wrote several narrowing letters
to Mr.. Rrabazon, all of which she final
~ tore up, and when she saw the mar
riage proclaimed in the papers she gave
the big wax doll to little girl who was
only eleven years and six months old.
She won't have any associations con-
nected with it," sighed Rosa.
At about that time she was promoted
to a higher grade in school, began les.
sons on the guitar, and put her unhappy
love affair out of her mind.
1t could not have been more than
eight years subsequently that the collis-
sion occurred on the Grand Canal at
Venice, in which one of the gondolas
capsized, and a beautiful young Amer
lean lady, niece of the United States
Consul, received an involuntary duck
ing.
Perhaps the romantically dressed gon-
doliers were intoxicated; perhaps Miss
Barony had, as they asserted risen hast
l!y, to point out something, and destroyed
the balance of the mouldy, black-velvet-
lined old conveyance. At all events,
Miss Barony was upset, directly in front
of the Palazzo di Silvia, where Mr.. Bra
bacon occupied the first floor, marble.
paved desolation Of old pictures, broken
nosed statues, and orange-trees in tubs.
Of course, Mr.. Brabazon sent out his
valet to offer his services. OF course,
they carried Miss Barony in, and laid her
on sofa (draped with tapestry which
somebody said Lucrezia Borgia had
helped to embroidery: and made much
sf Rnt hoV, r;I;o,,1o,,o I'll %h;o :cg.s ao,o