Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-07
FIRST LOVE.

Kate Dallas was the prettiest girl in So
clety that winter.
Peoples ideas of beauty differ as widely
as the poles, bnt Hates dewy, scarlet lips,
and pearl-clear complexion. with its rich
relief of golden hair and eyes deep blue,
like the petal of lark-spur, claimed a
sort of allegiance from every one-and l.,
as Miss Dallas 6ance of course was the
mark of envy for half the young men
about town. And, to tell the truth, l
could hardly realize my own luck !!
She had really promised to be mine-the
fair, graceful young belle-to become the
bacon star of my home-the guardian
angel of my life 1 tried to think OF these
things when I saw her the queen of the
drawing-room circles and the favorite
were all fair! And I tried moreover to
remember them when it happened, as it
often did, that Kate was unreasonable or
disposed to be capricious and exacting.
"You are late tonight, Fernando!'' she
said, pettishly, one evening as cAme
luGO ueI pI6StuCo.
She was locking bewitchipgly pretty
with her cherry lower lip pouted trlfe
her pretty brows contracted and deep
carmine flush upon her cheeks, while the
violet silk dress that she wore made heI
blonde beauty even more brilliant than its
natural effect.
Gx,o at fhotso oil ~
apologizad, as set down beside her, an6
drew her little hand into mine. by way Of
! making peace with her. But she jerked 1t
pstnlantly away.
'Did you bring the white tea roses =
Il couldn' It get them, Katie, upon my
word. There has been a floral masquerade
somewhere uptown, and every tea rose il
gone. [ ordered a lot of white violets-
| they are sweeter still ~
II don't want them" fretted my ,fancee
"When say tea roses I mean tea roses!'
But, Katie, Pm not magician,t to max
| flowers blossom at midwinter!'
NJ wont have the yiolets, any way y
said Kate tanning herself violently
s'Don't SIT SO close to me, Fernando-yol
have been smoking! with curl of he
pretty lip and an indeseribable grimace o
disgust.
"Only one cigar, Katie, and 1 supposed
that the wind would have removed al
traces of that long before l got here !"
confessed in laughing contriticn.
| II hate cigars !"
| "But, Katie -"
stAnd you know it, Fernando Orr"
| "Indeed, Katie, didn't intend to ammo.
you"
"But you do annoy me-and. you keel
annoying me-and-"
''Stop minute, Katie!' There was
something in Ter tone that warned me tt
protect my own dignity. s'Do you real].
mean what you say ?''
YES" she retorted. II suppose yo'
take me for child, who don't understand
her own words, but I'm not child, and
won't be treated sol
'Ratie!' ~
"And won be scolded either" wen
on the spoiled child, struggling he
shoulders. IN never marry man tina
won't indulge me and look up to me, AFT
let me have my own way in everything.
can't bear to be snubbed, and governed
and scolded, and 1 won't-I'll break tn
engagement first !"
fare you in earnest 20 asked gravely
She tore the diamond ring from her fore
finger and gave it back to me
There ~ she said, deiantly. II al
free from mans tyranny now, at all
events!"
Perhaps she thought would insist O.
her retaining the sparkling token of GU
ngagement-perhaps she expected pref
ty little scene. wherein [ should 60 dow
on my knees and ask pardon for my ciga
and I'll Q missing tea roses, and the fv
minutes of hardness, and the variou
other delinquencies of which 1 had mos
undoubtedly been guilty. But If any sue
mind, she was very soon disabused Of i
had already endured enough to bring n
to the limits of patience, and rose quietl
up.
Good by, then, Katie -
"Good-by, Mr.. OrrI"
I stopped at the door and looked arouns
''Katie, if you should think better {
this during the next week will come
you at any time you choose to send ft
me ~
"You needn't trouble yourself" sal
Kate. haughtily; 81 shall not send -
So we parted for fifteen long years.
; was Loves first young dream with NJ
and was little inclined to be sentlmer
tai about it at first; but then years ate
ward, when l married Florence Sllon, OF
in Chicago, I was as heart-whole youn
gentleman as the United States could
: ford. Florence was not, perhaps, SO rad
r emily pretty as Kate Dallas had been, 81
f11Qa WhIf