Middletown transcript., 1883-01-12
THE FALSE LOVER.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES


"But do you really mean it, Mr.
Brabazon ?''
Rosa Dale was standing in the illu.
minated archway of the autumn woods,
her bright braids Of hair pierced by one
or two wandering sunbeams, her dim
pied child-face framed in, as it were,
by sprays Of red-veined autumn leaves,
while her apron was full Of the glisten-
ing brown chesnuts which she had
picked up.
John Brabazon leaned against the
tall, smooth trunk of the birch tree,
and looked at her with lazy, Iuxuri-
Gus sense Of artistic beauty entering
into his mind as he gazed.
"Of course mean it, = he said.
Bat am only twelve years old, !"
cried Rosa, fiinging back the sunny
tendrils of hair that hung over her
forehead.
"You are exactly twelve times as
lovely as any of the city bellies that
congregate hereabouts, said Mr.. Bra
bacon, striving to conceal a yawn.
" And if they think 1 am engaged
don't you see ?-there will be some
probability of their leaving off perse-
cutting me"
" Well ~ said Rosa, every dimple
coming shyly out on lip and cheek as
she stood there.
"It's to be a compact, eh p'' said
Mr.. Brabazon.
Rosa nodded her fair little head.
" But" she questioned, rather du-
biously, where is the ring ?''
" The-what ?''
"The engagement ring, Mr.. Braba-
zon," exclaimed Rosa, reproachfully.
Don't you know there's always a
ring in the novels? +? And most gener-
ally it's diamond" I"
eff you'll believe me-" said Mr..
Brabazon, tragically, 81 never thought
of the ring. But here's little opal
that used to be my mothers, hanging
on my watch chain. Won't that do P''
Rosa held out her brown finger while
he fitted it on. 6 You-you haven't
kissed me yet p she said, when this
ceremony was complete. "Lovers al
ways kiss their fiances.'
Mr.. Brabazon laughed.
"Come," said he, "this is getting
serious. But here's the kiss before the
rest Of the chestnut party get back.
And mind, this is to be a profound Sc
cret between you and me. F."
Rosa ran back home with vague
sensation of mysterious delight, and
thought how nice Mr.. Brabazon looked
all the time she was munching her
roasted chestnuts f.; and Mr.. Brabazon
himself took advantage of the little
joke to proclaim himself an engaged
man. Nor is it an exaggeration to say
that the young ladies we're genuinely
6 1t must be recent thing" said
Kate Kennedy, tossing her head.
"Oh, quite recent" acknowledged
Mr.. Brabazon.
Love at first sight ?'' asked Miss
Day.
"N-no, not exactly" said Brabazon.
/" In fact, I may say that I have ad-
mired the young lady since her in
fancy"
''What a delightful enigma n said
Belle Vernon, looking anything but
delighted "But Of course, Mr.. Bra
bacon, you'll tell us her name ~
g am pledged to secrecy" said the
engaged man, solemnly.
And when he left the Mountain
Notch, in the late autumn, and forgot
all about the wild little woodland sprite
who climbed trees and pelted him with
chestnuts, waded with brown, dimpled
feet in the foamy waters of the glen
torrent, and conducted him so myster-
iously to the barn chamber 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-leaved
as red-letter day in her
calender?
He ought to write to me-" said
Rosa, gloomily, as the weeks and