Omaha daily bee., 1883-11-24
ENGAGED IN FUN.

'ANNAN bNAoo NbNNtkV NitlO lilt SUI bIctLce
swayed the lace curtains, he saw his pretty
cousin leaning her head on the gay
sofa pillow in a most disconsolate atti.
tude.
She lifted her head and put her banker.
chief to her eyes a second, then gave q
wintry little smile.
ooh, Eric, l am heartbroken,' And
down went the fair head again, aud pito.
u sobs convulsed her afresh.
A look of dismay was in Mr.. Mostyn's
kind face as he drew a low chair beside
the lounge and carossed the beautiful hair
that was all aglow in its loneliness of
shade and texture.
"Oh, no., my dear little cousin, not
heartbroken. Heartsick and sore because
Lumley Warner has had tho bad taste to
tlirt with Miss Darrell, instead of doing
his duty with his little sweetheart-hurt,
Daisy, but not heartbroken, Hearts do
not break 30 easily"
Daisy lifted her head with n quick,
wondering look.
"You don't know anything about it,
Eric. You are good and kind rs ever
you can be, but you don't know what |
mean, because you never loved any.
body"
Her lips quivered, and she looked at
him tearfully.
He smiled gravely. Daisy could never
have told all that smile hid.
llNn,, o,, ,,,,4ol, ,,, l
you from personal experience. Hearts
do not break, or mine would have broken
long ago when the only one | ever loved
showed her decided preference for an
other"
A quick exclamation answered him,
and a surprised, tender smile, curved her
lips.
"Oh, Cousin Eric, is it possible you
cared 80 much for any one2 How
could she save preferred anybody to
you2 Oh, l am so sorryl i can sym
pathiz with all my heart because-I was
sure h loved me better than anybody
else.'
Somehow her distress hurt him, this
dear little cousin of his, who all her life
had gone to him with her troubles, and
looked to him for counsel, and who, when
she had II day confessed to him that
Lumley Warner had told her he loved
her, and they were engaged-that he
hoped she would be very happy, although
he was fearful that Lumley Warner had
won a precious prize, whose value he had
doubted her lover rightly appreciated;
and he had been noticing the time-it was
just six months now-and here was his
cousin in much distress because hand
some Lumley was flirting with Miss OAR
rell, as no engaged nan had any business
to- do.
"And l don't know what to do about
it," said Daisy, twisting her diamond
engagement r~ing-mocking token-on
her finger. "What must | do, tell me.
Eric2"
He bent a steady, almost wistful look
into her innocent eyes.
''Since you love him so dearly, there is
but one thing to do-overlook his de-
lection, and restore him to favor when he
chooses to cease his truant wandering.
'Who loves much forgives much,' they
say"
A sudden little hot flush flew up into
her face.
"You mean 1 am just to sit down and
wait until Lumley is ready to come
back2"
''That is all you can do, isn't it, since
She Strengthened up from her detected
attitude, her eyes sparkling.
"But, Eric, much as l wish he would
come back, and dearly as | love him, l
never will do that! l will take some
other means. | will punish him and
pique him into coming back Why
couldn't l play the same game that Lum-
ley is playing2 / CAM can! and he will
come right back to me, and he will think
l don't care, and he will make up and be
happier than ever"
She was smiling through the tears on
her dark lashes, and Eric thought what a
scoundrel, what a fool, what a villain the
man was who acted as Warner was act
ing.
swell, Daisy, and how will you do
itl"
Don't you see2 Eric, / will take of
Lumley's ring and put on one of yours
this one, and you must let me be engaged
to you. You will, won't you2 And
We'll tlirt-oh, awfully, Cousin Eric, and
everybody shall know it, and then,
don't you see, Lumley will be so
sorry, and, oh, it will end like a fairy
Mr.. Mostyn had suddenly got up,eo
close the window, the wind was blowing
so keenly, and when he anne lack there
was no trace in his face of,ene white agl
tation he had sprups up to hide from
Daisy's eyes" =,
Engaged to me, ma petite? Well, it
promises very pleasantly for u while. ]
assure you | will make a most de-
voted cavalier. But only think what will
become of me when I'm no longer want
edl'
He laughed ashetook cameo and pearl
ring off his watch chain and slipped it op
finger with a great show of csH.-
mony, just touching the fair hand t. MS
"Oh. Lumley and ] will i've you SO
forever and ever, Eric. Y.d are 30 hlhc
sd az sG hin r R9h;s 70: 4% ,sg eyes, ii cannot
'o~pd you"
A perfect storm of passionate pain
swept over his face for second before he
lightly:
"There's no accounting for such things,
$ there2 Come, my little iiance, let's open
he play with a drive along the esplanade
my bays"
\ 4 4 4 Il
Miss Maude Darrell was looking very
!andROme az sha laaned back anainst Tie