The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-14

generally of stout English cloth, fine and ex-
pensive enough but rough looking, made him
a contrast to the elegant young men hat
Miss Fannie had vainly endeavored to van
quish. The costume was more becoming to
the man than evening full dress, but it pro-
nounced him-exhibited his character-and
gave him tho air of a man who made beauty,
style, elegance in a word, subservient to use
and comfort.
So he would not do for Fannie Lowell.
But he did not know that Her pretty,
dainty-looking head, with its pale, golden hair,
her eyes, dark as the violets that grow in the
moist places upon the banks of southern
streams: her sharply-chiselcd nose, short
upper lip and curved mouth; all these struck
him as rare, choice and precious. She some
what reminded him of a splendid diamond
a priceless ruby-a gem of some fabulous
value, never won and never worn.
The opera-which Sobersides loved for its
music alone-drove her from his mind for a
time, but before he retired that night, he
wrote one of the most ~fanciful and pleasant
little songs in his volume, published the fol.
lowing year, THE Blondes
After this they met somewhat frequently
and Sobersides fell heels over head in love
with the young girl.
There was an spot in his mind
somewhere. He was as bashful and senti-
mental as a hobblededoy. He could not go
straight to the girl, make love to her, until
he found out how she liked him, and offer
himself or drop the matter accordingly. he
lowered about her, keeping just near enough
to be In the way, but not near enough to be
accessible. He sighed and made eyes, this
even-tempered, plain, middle-aged man, and
stood afar of, in hidden corners and alcoves,
gazing upon her when she foated through
the dance, or chatted with gayer and younger
fellows, all unconscious of his alteration.
Love, like wine, brings out all our hidden
strength and weakness.
OF course, this sort of thing could not go
on forever. The first intimation Fannie re-
ceived of her u~nintentional conquest was
from her friends, who, knowing Sobersides,
and easily seeing through the passion he i'm.
agined 50 secretly and sacredly kept from
sight, were disposed to tease her a little
about it.
HI is a grand parti, Miss Fannie" said
Paul Ryder, one evening. "His income Is
good enough, If you are willing to live in
Bohemia. Matrimony can't cure him of
Bohemianism, but it is rather nice, on the
whole. You'd soon get used to pipe smoke
and bachelor suppers."
"And he would write you a little poem
every morning before breakfast, while the
steak broiled," said Grahame Allen.
wouldn't it be charmingF'
II is a very superior man. said Nina
Dashe, the poetess, warmly; "and would
make any sensible woman happy.n
H is horrid," said Miss Fannie, shaking
her ringlets.
Eyes, dear" replied Nina, che would not
do for your
Allen laughed.
Bah there's only one difficulty about
Sobersides. He's too good for this world. /
/ thiuIy lat1 r,aEa m 1rCt-,Iae.tonuo Tu.&l1x
stand in terror of a man who is always in
earnest; always tells the truth; never does
anything for effect, and is never flippanti"
H is SOL don't know whatin said Mis-,
Fannie with a c~ontemptuous expression and a
little conceited-toss of her head.
Paul Ryder, sitting somewhat behind her,
fixed his quiet, expressive eyes strongly upon
her delicate profile, and smiled a sort of bit
ter, sardonic smile at this ridiculous Miss
Nancyism.
"He is your first, my dear child" said he;
you had best take care Of him. Remember
the camel-driver who wouldn't pick dates
because he wanted pomegranates, and finally
went without either"
Perhaps Paul was wise in leaving Mis-
Fannie after this remark and joining another
group. The result of all such joking, how.
ever, was to make the young girl take a VIC
lent dislike to Sobersides. She conceived a
kind of disgust for him. He was "horrid, y
IAN old thing hateful " "a creature
everything. in short, thst any distasteful
person can be to a maiieR ''just out" II
amounted almost to a monomania with her.
She would not go a party where he was in.
vited; when he called at her home she never
appeared; she treated him in the most frig.
idly polite manner when they 'met by
chance" and, in short, nobody but Sobersides
could help seeing that she despised him.
A new phase OF my friends insanity now
appeared. He began sending her splendid
gi~fts-ruining himself to procure the most
wonderful gew-gaws from Rome and Paris
for her. The Lovells were not enormously
wealthy, and fine jewels were not purchased
by them every day. Maggie, in her cha
acter of belle and coquette, had no end OF
nice sets presented to her at various times,
but Fannies first ornament was her pretty
shower OF ringlets.
Sobersides, then, determined that she
should, at least, equal her sister in the way
of trinkets; and 1 don't know what extraor-
binary sums he expended upon rings, brace
lets, brooches, ear-drops, and things One
diamond alone, that l saw first in his pssses
sion and then in hers, must have cost him
twice as much as his whole library-the sec.
ond object Of his affection on earth
When Fannie had amassed, in this way, a
SChiBA1bo W Va ItNtlII, III
n v of all her friends. and the despair Of all
her enemies q never know a very young girl
who hadn't forty foesD she suddenly discov-
cred that 1t was improper for her to receive
gifts from such an ''odious wretch The
chatting ones hadhinted this, in a quiet and
perhaps a cynical way; but it never struck
her 30, until she was well provided wiz
gems and gold. ~
Unfortunately, she announced this convic
I - e a.. ~ L..
and her resolution was taken a little too soon;
for the next day she was surprised by the re.
ceipt of a neat package, addressed to her in
Sobersides' handwriting. A small party OF
us were present when this new offering came,
and we were just in the middle of a tire
mendous onslaught upon Miss Fannie, who,
excited and ashamed, declared that it was
absurd to think Of, that Sobersides should
ever care a pin for her-that she would never
see him again for any consideration-that she
hated the sight of his face, etc., etc.
To all of which we replied that we knew hin
to he dying of love for her, that girls AWAY
disliked at first those whom they afterwari
loved, and that it would ultimately make an
excellent match, beyond the possibility Of a
doubt
In the midst of this storm the package ar
rived.
els the express paidr' asked Courtlandt.
"Ah, yes; another proof of affectionln
Cant you reconsider your determination
about rejecting all future presents from himr p
said Ryder.
Let us see what it is, anyhow said
Maggie Lowell, removing the outer wrapper
of the package.
Tho inside envelope was inscribed, In large
plain letters: For her whose beauty will
best become the gift"
Everybody laughed. It was very cruel