McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-16
FIRST LOVE.

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 /, as Miss Dallas fiance
of course was the mark of envy for
half the young men about town. And,
to tell the truth, / could hardly realize
my own good luck!
She had really promised to be mine
the fair, graceful young belle-to be-
come the beacon star of my home-the
guardian angel of my life! | tried to
think of these things when / saw her
the queen of the drawing-room circles
and the favorite where all were fair!
And 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, Fernandez
she said, pettishly, one evening as |
came into her presence.
She was looking bewitchingly pretty,
with her cherry lower lip pouted ire
file her pretty brows contracted and a
deep carmine flush npon her cheeks,
while the violet silk dress that she wore
made her blonde beauty even more
brilliant than its natural effect.
Just five minutes, Kate that's air.
apologized, as set down beside her,
and drew her little hand into mine, by
way of making peace with her. But
she jerked it petulently away.
Ibid you bring the white tea roses?"
Il couldn't get them Katie upon my
word. There has been floral hasgue-
rade somewhere up town, and every
tea rose is gone. l ordered a lot of
white violets-they are sweeter stillr'
Il don't want them," fretted my
fiance. when L say tea roses | mean
tea rosesi''
but, Katie, I'm not magician, to
make flower blossoms at midwinter!"
Il wont have the violets, any way!'
said Kate tanning herself violently.
Don't sit so close to me, Fernando
you have been smoking! with a curl of
her pretty, lip and an indescribable
grimace of disgust.
''Only one cigar, Katie, and sup
pose that the wind would have removed
all traces of that long before / got
here!'' l confessed in laughing contri-
ton.
81 hate cigars!' -t-
But, Katie
''And you know it, Fernando Orr
Indeed, Katie, l didn't intend to
annoy you.''
But you do annoy me-and you
keep annoying and"
'.Stop minute, Katier' There was
something in her tone that warned
me to protect my own dignity. do
you really mean what you say?'
YES" she retorted. Il suppose you
take me for a child, who don't under
stand her own words, but I'm not a
child, and / wont be treated sop
Katie!''
'.And 1 won't be scolded, either.''
went on the spoiled child, Struggling up
her shoulders. I'll never marry man
that won't indulge me and look up to
me, and let me have my own way in
everything. l can't bear to be snubbed,
and governed, and scolded, and 1 won't
I'll break the engagement firstn'
''Are you in earnest?' | asked
gravely.
She tore the diamond ring from her
forefinger and gave it back to me!
'.Therer' she said, defiantly. 81 am
free from mans tyranny now, at all
eventsr'
Perhaps she thought l would insist
on her retaining the sparkling token of
our engagement perhaps she expected
pretty little scena, wherein l should
90 down on my knees and ask pardon
for my cigar and the missing tea roses,
and the five minutes of hardness, and
the various other delinquencies of which
/ had most undoubtedly been guilty.
But if any such impression had taken
possession of her mind, she was very
soon disabuSed of it. l had already
endured enough to bring me to the linn
its of patience, and rose quietly up.
..Good-by, then, Katien'
''Good-by, Mr.. ORR
| stopped at the door and turned
round.
katie, if you should think better of
this during the next week | will come
to you at any time you choose to send
for mel
You needn't trouble yourself" said
Kate haughtily: Il shall not send!"
So we parted for fifteen long years.
1t was loves first young dream with
me, and was a little inclined to be SEN
timental about it at first; but then years
afterward, when l married Florence
Silon, out in Chicago, was as heart
whole young gentleman as the United
States could afford. Florence YVES not,
perhaps, SO radiantly pretty as Kate
Dallas had been, but she had one of
those pure faces which make man feel
better and holier only for looking into
its sweet lineaments; and, moreover,
Florence didn't object to cigar smoke,
and had way of being satisfied with
whatever offerings laid at her feet,
whether they were tea roses or white
violets And when l saw Florence
Silon sitting opposite me as my wife, l
could not regret the abrupt termination
of my first engagement, although l still
rendered Kate Dallas golden hair and
limpid eyes, and wondered within my