Middletown transcript., 1883-01-12

ganCly-mau6 dresses, at CnflSLIlldS, hOSd
flew into passion.
GAS if 1 were a baby !" said she.
GA doll, indeed, and I twelve years
old in October 1 wonder if he takes
me for child \? Who ever heard of a
gentleman sending doll to the young
lady he was engaged to 2''
"My dear Rosa,' said the mother,
half vexed and half amused, "what
nonsense you are talking ~
"We are engaged, " said Rosa. "See
the ring !''
And she shyly pulled it from the bo-
som of her dress.
cit was only a joke" said Mrs.
Dale
cit was sober earnest p flashed out
Rosa.
"My dear, " said Mrs. Dale, ''haven't
you heard ? Mr.. Brabazon is to be
married to Lady Helen Hartford, Mr..
Pailleton's English nice, next month.
The cards are already out.
"What p cried Rosa, her sapphire
blue eyes blazing, her rosy lips apart.
"To be married-and he engaged to
me''
And then Rosa rushed away to the
barn chamber, and hid herself for fully
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 a
piece Of nonsense like that ~ said she.
"Really, I'm afraid 1 have made a
mistake in allowing her to read so
many 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 a little girl
who was only eleven years and six
months old.
She won't have any associations
connected with it p sighed Rosa.
At about that time she was promoted
to a 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 col
lision occurred on the grand canal at
Venice, in which one Of the gondolas
capsized, and beautiful young Ameri-
can lady, niece of the then United
States consul, received an involuntary
ducking.
Perhaps the romantically- y-dressed gon-
doliers were intoxicated, perhaps Miss !
Barony had, as they asserted, risen
hastily, to point out something, and :
destroyed the balance of her moldy,
black-velvet-lined old conveyance. At i
all events, Miss Barony was upset di-
rectly in front of the palazzo di Silva, =
where Mr.. Brabazon occupied the first
floor, marble-paved desolation Of old
pictures, broken-nosed statues, and
orange trees in tubs. "
Of course Mr.. BrabaZon sent out his
valet to offer his services Of course
they carried Miss Barony in and laid ',
her on a sofa (draped with tapestry y
which somebody said Lucrezia Borgia :
had helped to embroidery and made
much of her.
" But how ridiculous all this is -
said Miss Barony, with merriment 7
cleaning in her beautiful, dark-blue "
eyes. &C l am little wet, to be sure, :
but otherwise 1 am entirely unharmed. I
Why didn't they put me in the gondola =
again and send me back to my uncle's ,'
palazzo ?''
Mr.. Brabazon, however, was far too s
hOspitable for that. His capped and :.
spectacled old housekeeper was ready :,
with spiced drinks and great baskets of 4
grapes and cake, and he himself was :,
all politeness and chivalrous courtesy -
Miss Barony gazed curiously around. 4
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 in a fringe of dark g
gold over her forehead. :,
Where is Lady Helen Brabazon ~ j
she asked, abruptly. \,
Mr.. BTabaZon WINGED. =.
She has been dead for year." he !,
said. II am a widower. You were :,
acquainted with my late wife ?'' " y
Oh, no, not at all - said Miss Bar =
ony. "Only, of course, all the world "
had heard Of her. She was famous
beauty, wasn't she ?'' -
She was very lovely" said the d.
i"
When Miss Barony was carried away OF
in newly-summoned gondola, whose CO
picturesqe oarsmen were more to be ne
relied upon than their predecessors, Mr.. of
Brabazon asked permission to call at be
the consulate, to inquire how she was, is
IN the course Of a day or two and &c
Miss Barony accorded the permission fis
as young queen might have done. pa
Miss Barony was young, beautiful fc
and piquant. Mr.. Brabazon, whose fiji
life had been nearly badgered out of A
him by the caprices, exactions, and ey
varying temper of the late Lady Helen,
was charmed by her sunny brilliancy,
and at a months end he came to Mr.. th
Barony, at the United States consul, CO
to ask his permission to press his suit hi
with his niece. fr
Mr.. Barony looked conscious. M
Didn't you know" said he, "she OF
it engaged Pn dc
Engaged ~ repeated Mr.. Brabazon, fr