The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-14
R,It gazing in the lookinr.rIass
A PROUD WOMAN.

A PROUD WOMAN.
John Vandor's sky had always been
cloudless. He had Seen life through a
rose-lined haze. and had walked rough
shod over its meadow bloom. Natur-
ally he forgot or never knew that some.
where and sometimes there were sodden
paths to tread, that the meadow bloom
turned to rustling broomstalks, and the
sky to ''under-roof of doleful grey. He
was sunshiny because he had never
peered into the shadows. To have a
purse well filed without knowing who
fills it, to open your hand to a gift of
fortune and have it drop in carelessly,
TO win love without seeking tin short,
to play at living is pleasant occupation.
but very poor discipline. Perhaps John
Wander was trifle selfish, in spite of
his inexhaustible4 good nature, his in
telligence, his invariable "Good form" "
Agnes Earle was the sort Of girl men
spect to their own preferences-dare
p not classify. She had dark and I'M
readable eyes. matched to a shade by a
profusion of crinkled hair, and set off
by long, almost curly lashes-lashes
that would have made the Sistine
Madonna half coquette. Her COM
plexion was that rich, deep, yet per-
fectly clear olive one sees more often in
1.-The best Spanish portraits than in
American life. From remote ancestors
she had perhaps Spanish blood in her
veins. In figure she was neither so tall
as Diana nor so mature as Juno;
neither 1.-the nor willowy describe her
: exactly, though either may help to in
dictate the subtle something in her car
riagewhich made her as graceful in
movement as in repose, in speech as in
silence, in alert attention as in self
saturated reverie. Indeed, Agnes
Earle would have been almost beautiful
if she had no other charm than the
wonderfully pretty hands which had
made John Vandor fall half in
love with her when they first met,
and had helped to persuade him
that he loved her ever after
Fardor was not exactly handsome.
He was, fne-iooking. One could not but
admire his physique. and one could not
help noticing, in looking him full in the
face. that he had brains, e.,
These two began by liking each other
somewhat blindly and altogether unreal
sonably. He liked in her the brilliance
and dash of her style. the suggestive
fiuency of her small talk. and above all,
her compelling beauty. She liked in
him certain strength, a certain sug-
-eestien of restrained power, which
seemed to underlie his obvious conceit
and his superficial empiricism of think
ING, and she liked his open handedness,
his big, brave WAYS, his love of dogs
and horses and of "all outdoors"
81 These Young people were second
Cousins, but they had not met or known
much of each other until he was man
of twenty-siX and she woman of nine
teen. He had come to California for
no good reason-for no reason. One
Saturday afternoon, after, a week of
some comprehensive s'doing" of San
Francisco, he walked into Richard
Earle's study at Berkeley, bearing a
note of introduction from Cousin Mary,
who lived in. Albany. He found a
bronzed grizzly, curt and gruff. who
-scowled him dubious welcome without
rising.
"How long have you been in the
State. young MANI" asked the host.
Just ten days-two in Sacramento;
eight in San Francisco"
Are you broker"
"Do YOU mean out of fupds?n asked
the guest, smiling in spite of himself.
Il mean broke-b-r-o-k-e; busted,
- TO hr,-
srow?'' Es z- +
No. thank You. Z came to pay
you my respects, and wish you a very
good-day" And second cousin Van
dor, turning on his heel, quietly left
the room.
In the hall he was arrested By the I'M
mistakable rustic of feminine drapery,
Just in time to avoid collision with a
lady.
E-E-I beg your pardon he said. rather
stiffy. sffB FttFa
"Have you been quarrelipg with
papa?'
The young lady smiled while she
asked the question, and all the stiffness
bad gone from his voice as he replied
80 Not exactly; am a cousin of your
taeieI s-A OUTS, LOO, " ine way
and had come to be very civil to my
relative. Your father thought L had
come to borrow money"
He had forgotten his anger; forgot.
feu that he ought to have been in full
retreat.
Come back with me, and let me
explain. I'll make him apologize. Oul
cousin must not go away in such 9
fashion, with the afternoon sun about
TO go down upon his wrath. DOM
wonder you, were angry, but then
'twas only father"
your cousin had much rather &C
eept the family apology from you,'
said Nandor.,. laus hing. >" However
Pn go back, and try and explain thai
I'm not broke.