The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27
three months every year until the tern

'Wny, ask ner, OF course
ooh, I should never dare"
"Well, then, obey your father, and
pack off at once"
"Ah, uncle, you do not know Naomi.
A hundred times have l tried to de-
clare my passion; [ have even cotn-
posed speeches, and learned them by
heart; but at the moment of speaking
my courage wanes, and each word
chokes me. Her expression is so sweet,
but yet so grave. The man worthy of
her is not born! Writing was useless.
When my effusions were penned and
ready to be sent, their utter foolishness
struck me so forcibly that 1 was at
pains to tear my notes into small
pieces"
Nevertheless, you must make up
your mind to speak at once. Your
father has not told you all; he sends
you to Clermont because his friend, the
~colonel's daughrer, is destined to be-
come your bride. 1t would indeed be
a good match, but-no protestations-
all this is as nothing. if you are really
in love with Naomi. Love is folly
but it is a kind of folly l should regret
never having been guilty of. Old peo-
pie may call it nonsense, but, perchance,
the nonsense is theirs. If the girl
loves you, you must sacrifice all for her
its stupid, maybe, but right. We
must first ascertain if she loves you,
and now is the time, for they seek to
marry her. All, all! that makes you
shudder and grow pale! You long to
have your rival at swords point, as We
used to say in my young days. Well,
courage; face your beautiful Naomi. II
you are richer than she, her intended
husband is richer than you, besides hav-
ing a title, and being quiet ready for the
ceremony; her trousseau is even being
made. You are not prepared go to hel
declare your loVe-she knows it, but
one is always expected to make the dec.
laration. If she loves you-she must,
for you are handsome, young, and clev-
err. Ii she is willing to wait, write me
SO in a letter which L may keep; then
will 1 prevent this other affair, get your
exchange, and in three years marry
you to Naomi in spite ofyour father
spite of the devil himself!"
Uncle, 1 have an idea" 4
"Well?"
1 will write to her."
"Verv we'll"
After leaving my dear uncle, / set
about writing that note. The writing
was no difficult matter, for / had done
it a hundred times before; the puzzle
was how to give it to her. However,
there was no time for INDIGESTION, so /
soon made up my mind, and, having
purchased a bunch of yellow roses, /
slipped my declaration in among the
flowers. / still recall the words of that
note. After declaring my passion, ]
besought Naomi to love me a little in
return, and to wait three years for me.
If she consented, / asked her, as a sign,
to wear one of my roses that evening.
Then would | dare speak OF my-of our
future plans.
"Ahl you hid that note in the bou-
quet? ?" breathlessly interrupted Madame
Lorgerel.
Eyes, madame"
"And then?"
well, Naomi wore no flower that
evening. / was desperate, and in my
misery sought to take my life. My good
uncle took me to Clermont, stayedthere
two months, and did all in his power to
distract my thoughts from Naomi, de-
claring she never could have really
cared for me-"
"But, uncle,"I used to object; sfshe
always seemed so pleased to see me,
and ~reproached me so gently when l
came later than usuaI.n
Women seek the love Of all men, but
care for very few"
At length / succeeded in banishing
Naomi's image from my heart. / mar
ried the coloners daughter, who, eight
years later, left me a childless widower;
my dear uncle has been long dead, and /
am now alone in the world. Would you
believe it, my friends?1I often to this
day think of Naomi, and she is still to
me, though now quite an old lady, the
Naomi of nv story-my first love-a
tall, graceful girl, with auburn hair,
and, 50 my uncle used to say, black
| velvet eyes.
"You know not what has become Of
her?"
mo, madame"
"Then your name is not sDescoud-
rates pr
"No;t that is the name Of my uncle's
estate; mine is d'Altheim."
III knew it!v
"Why?-how?n
II will tell you what became Of
Naomi-she loved you.
ssBut the note-the roses?'
|" She never found your note. Yon1
sudden departure cost her many bitter
tears, and then she married Monsieur
dc Lorgerel.v
IN. de Lorgerell1
@Whose widow / ann