Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-09

SCAiolOiidA oSAtdiS @ uOAi w eHo sOunS
lady he was engaged tos'
my dear Rosa said her mother,
half vexed, half amused, "what non
sense you are talking r
"We are engaged r said Rosa.
"See the ringl"
And she slyly pulled it out from the
bosom Of her dress.
1t was only joke" said Mrs.
Dale.
1t was sober earnest r. 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
"Whatr' cried Rosa, her sapphire
blue eyes blazing, her rosy lips apart.
"To be married-and he engaged to
me r.
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
piece of nonsense like that?" said
she. "Really I'm afraid I have made a
mistake in allowing her to read novels
But she was always an impetuous little
creature
Rosa wrote several narrowing letters
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 TO little girl
who was only eleven years and six
months old.
She won't have any associations
connected with it r sighed Rosa.
At about that time she was promoted
to 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 CO
lision occurred on the grand canal at
Venice, in which one of the gondolas
capsized and beautiful young Amer
ican lady, niece Of the United States
consul, received an involuntary duck
ing.
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,s
black velvet lined old conveyance. At
all events Miss Barony was upset, di-
rectly in front Of the Palazzo di Silvia,
where Mr.. Brabazon occupied the first
floor, a marble paved desolation of cd
pictures, broken nosed statues and
orange Trees IN tuDS.
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 Lucretia Borgia
had helped to embroidery, and made
much of her.
"But how ridiculous all this is r.
said Miss Barony, with merriment
cleaning in her beautiful, dark-blue
eyes. Il am little wet, to be sure,
but otherwise am entirely unharmed.
Why didn't they put me in the Condo
la again and send me back to my un-
cle's palazzo?"
Mr.. Brabazon, however, was far too
hospitable for that His capped and
spectacled old housekeeper was ready
with spiced drinks and great baskets
of grapes and cake, and he himself was
all politeness and chivalrous courtesy.
Miss Barony gazed curiously around.
How angelically beautiful she looked,
wrapped in the violet velvet cloak
edged with ermine, her cheeks flushed
with softest rose, her eyes sparkling,
her hair hanging a fringe Of dark gold
over her forehead.
"Where is Lady Helen Brabazon? p
she asked, abruptly.
Mr.. Brabazon WINGED.
"She has been dead for year." he
said. q am a widower. You were
acquainted with my late wife2"
"Oh, no, not at alll' said Miss
Barony. "Only, Of course, all the
world had heard Of her. She was a
famous beauty, wasn't she?"
"She was very lovely" said the
widower.
When Miss Barony was carried away
in newly-summoned gondola, whose
picturesque oarsmen were more to be
relied upon than than their predeces-
sors, Mr.. Brabazon asked permission to
call at the consulate, to inquire how
she was, in the course Of day or two;
and Miss Barony accorded the permis-
sion as young queen might have done.
Miss Barony was young, beautiful
and piquant; Mr.. Brabazon, whose life
had been nearly badgered out OF him
by the caprices, exactions and varying
temper of the late Lady Helen, was
charmed by her sunny brilliance; and
at months end he came to Mr.. Bar
ony, the United States consul, to ask