The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-11-15
chestnut trees as a red letter day in

IeUsd, Rlouulllyi as tne weeks anC
months glided by, and no epistle
came. 81 do hope he isn't going tc
turn out falsei like the wicked cava
liers in story books"
And When Mr.. BraBazon bought a
huge wax doll, with its miniature
Saratoga trunk and complete outfit
of elegantly-made dresses, at Christ
mas, Rosa few into passion.
"As if l were a baby!" said she.--
"a doll, indeed, and twelve years
old in Octoberl | wonder if he take.
me for child2 Who ever heard of @
gentleman sending doll TO the
young lady he was engaged TOP"
!" My dear Rosa, nsaid her mother
half vexed, half amused, "what non,
sense you are talking!"
1--WE are engaged" said Rosa. See
the ringp
And she shyly pulled it out from
the bosom of her dress.
ut was otls joke" said Mrs
Dale.
sit was sober earnestl" flashed out
Rosa.
"My DEAR" said Mrs. Dale, "haven't
you heard? Mr.. Brabazon is to be
married to Lady Helen Hartford,
Mrs. Pailleton'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
mel'
And then Rosa rushed away int
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 piece of nonsens like that?" said
she. "Really I'm afraid have made
a mistake in allowing her to read
novels. But she was always an i'm.
petuous little creature"
Rosa wrote several narrowing let.
ters to Mr.. Brabazon, all of which
she finally tore up, and when she
saw the marriage proclaimed in the
papers she gave the big wax doll tc
a little girl who was only eleven
years and six months old.
"She won't have any association:
connected with i'll" sighed Rosa.
At about that time she was pro
noted to a higher grade in school
began lessons on the guitar, and put
her unhappy love affair out Of hel
mind.
1t could not have been if1ore than
eight years subsequently that the
collision occurred on the grand canal
at Venice, in which one Of the gon.
dolas capsized and beautiful young
American lady, niece of the United
States consul, received an involnn.
tary ducking.
Perhaps the romantically dressed
gondoliers were intoxicated; perhaps
Miss Barony had, as they asserted,
risen hastily to point out something
and destroyed the balance of the
moldy, black velvet lined old convey.
ance. AT all events Miss Barony was
upset, directly in front of the Palaz
20 di Silvia, where Mr.. Brabazon oc
occupied the first floor, a marble
paved desolation Of old pictures
broken noSed statutes and orange
trees in tubs.
Of course, Mr.. Brabazon sent out
his valet to offer his services. o.
course, they carried Miss Barony in
and laid her on sofa (draped with
tapestry which somebody said Lucre
tia Borgia had helped to embroiderI
and made much Of her.
"But how ridiculous all this isl
said Miss Barony, with merriment
cleaning in her beautiful, dark blue
eyes. 81 am a little wet, to be sure
but otherwise | am entirely unharm
ed. Why didn't they put me in the
gondolia again and send me back tc
my uncle's palazzo2"
Mr.. Brabazon, however, was fa
too hospitable for that. His capped
and spectacled old housekeeper wa
ready with spiced drinks and grea
baskets of grapes and cake, and hi
himself was all politehess and chiv