Daily Republican., 1884-07-26

Sang a sweet girl voice and q love- |
ly, laughing face peeped out from .
vine wreathed window. A face of
rich, tropical beauty, with dusky vel |
vety eyes, and q wealth of raven hair |
floating in a perfumed cloud TO the
slender waist, while two small hands, |
glittering with diamonds, scattered a |
shower OF fragrant yellow rose leaves
upon the pavement below.
The shower OF gold fiuttered down,
descending full into the face of two
lien who were coming slowly up the l
street
One, with iron-gray hair and beard
tall ,soldierly man, whose every move
ment betrayed his calling The 9th
er-youDg, slight, blonde, and hand
some as a Greek god.
Both glanced upward and removed
their hats, while the elder man cried
gaily.
Mia, you fairy come down."
Coming, papa" cried sweet
voice and the little white robed figure
disappeared from the vine-wreathed
window.
h moment ore and the street door
swung open; the two men entered the
old. fashioned mansion, and the elder
man turned TO the CIR.
/ MIN, NY hO btkduy. bhIb
is my young friend, Floyd War6eld.
| Tire slrl extended her little hand,
and for moment the eyes of the young
man met hers, she turned away
| ~ am happy to meet my fathers
FRIEND" she said, gracefully; "bls
fr lends are always mine u
Floyd Warfield bowed.
| al trust that shall always be worthy
of the honor" he returned, consider
| IL All honor TO be tho friend of General
Valdez"
| An hour passed most aareeably, and
when at last Warfield arose to go, Nita
Valdez could not conceal from her own
heart the truth that, tor the first time
in her life, she was interested deeply in
i one of the opposite sex.
Her father was General In command
OF the troops stationed al that Southern
town, and Nita-his motherless daugh-
lter-was always with him and, Of
course, had been brought in contact
with scores of eligibles, but she had
always been 80 Indifferent that her
father had begun TO think that she
wou Id never care for any one, and he
had brought this fascinating stranger
Into her pres nee without shadow oil
fear for the consequences.
The next day General Valdez sent for
!, his daughter to come to the library.
She found her father quite grave and
pale, awaiting her.
"Nita," he said kindly, at have
been thinking of your future, and, my
child, Mr.. Belmont has asked your
hand In marriage"
She recoiled with low cry.
"Mr. Belmont, papa" she queried ;
that old mai? 1t lie impossible
lquite 70
General Valdez arose to his feet, and
fac, d her with stern, angry eyes.
odd or young, you must marry him,
Nita % he returned. You know
that have only my pay as an officer OF
the regular army land, my'child, have
= not long to live. l am seventy years
old, and besides, have organic disease
of the heart which will certainly end
my life before very long l must set
you married, and well married, befor,
die. DO not refuse me, Nita this il
the dearest wish Of my heart.
lMr. Belmont is good man-he love!
you dearly, and he is very wealthy.
Papa, | cannot-cannot Do no
ask this sacrifice -
General Valdez gazed earnestly int
his daughters face.
lyon were always obedient, Nita =
he observed, q little less sternly. "
cannot imagine what has altered yot
In this way p
She turned away, and crimson tiusl
Istalned her cheek, but she said nothing
"Mr. Belmont will be here mex
! month" her fathers cold, impassive
\. Voice went on slowly it is my desir
q That YOU give him an affirmative an
u swer. By the way" he added abruptly
e "young Warfield dimes with us to day
=, A very good sort of a boy he is my
d private secretary now-and really quit
q superior person for his station
Treat him politely, Nita -
She murmured something, and thel
fastened to her own chamber. Sh'
understood it all like fash it cam
q to her-her own shrinking from tn
= very thought of marriage with MI
Belmont Sudden as 10 all was, Nit
Valdez loved Floyd Warfield
IL will never marry old Belmont !!
she stormed, AZ she paced up an
. down the pretty room "he Ia old
and hateful, and-and--"
Here her argument ended for sh
dared not confess, even to her ow
heart, the new, strange and delightful
Experience which had come into it.
ty She dressed herself with unusual care
however, and in q tlmy robe of biacl
Spanish lace with blood-red roses, he
only ornament, she wac wondrousl
.ic beautiful.
Floyd Warfield could not keep hi
eyes from the lovely face. They passe
an hour or two in each Others society
and when they parted he wore one o
the red roses in his button hole, and ha
promised 10 call the next evening. Mia
II" aunt, who chaperoned her, was an cas-.
~ good woman. Looking upo
~ young Warfield as a mere nobody,
ri. never occurred to her that there wa
any danger in this companionship; /
}. the two drifted on down the stream
and days passed, and they awoke |
last to the knowledge Of mutual low
or The declaration made involuntari !,
At Warfield lost no time in seeking an il
Ige teryiew with the old General. He Wi
me received with insult and contumel
or and contemptuously ordered from Il
ma house. OF course, there was no alte
t native and Nita and her lover we
= !parted.
4 The very next day General Valid
~ fell from his horse stone dead. Disea
a., lof the heart had done its work, al
our moor Mia was fatherless. But that W
ing not the worst blow in store for ht
tes Among her fathers papers was found
letter addressed to Nita; letter Will
nearly broke her heart 1t told her(tr