New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-04-22
FL0RINE.

!, FLvklNE.
II think you will like her, Alice.
She is very beautiful girl, with unus-
ually attractive manners, and-what
recommends her to US, more than any
thing else, she is rendered quite de-.
pendent and penniless by the death of
this old man. And I think can trust
my little Florine to be kind to her, if
she should seek a refuge in my home!"
So saying my husband went away,
and remained sitting at the breakfast
table, idly stirring the spoon around
and around in my egg cup.
Whatever you do, Alice. don't let
any of your husbands relations get a
footing in your house! Wife and hus-
band should be all and all to each other !;
and the instant a foreign element works
its way into the partnership discord in
evitably ensues. Take my advice,
Alice. Be civil to EN- all-but don't
let them inside your door!"
That was what my Aunt Althea had
told me upon the eve of my wedding
day-and, as general thing, Aunt Al
:4hea's advice was excellent, both in
quantity and quality. And now. here
was the serpent already creeping into
my domestic paradise in the shape Of
my husbands Florida cousin!
However, there seemed to be nothing
for It but to submit and the next week
Florine Fayall came-a pretty lily like
creature with appealing blue eyes, a
soft voice like a flute, and mouth like
a cleft cherry, or Cupid's bow, outlined
in vermilion! In her deep black, there
was something irresistibly pleading and
pathetic about her-and yet, hard
hearted as accused myself of being, I
could not learn to love her!
II know Mrs. Ellington can't bear
mel" I heard her say one evening, as
she and Charles sat by the drawing
room fire. The draperies of soft blue
silk had fallen over the portals of the
adjoining door that led to my own bou-
doir. and neither of them knew that it
was not closed.
what nonsense, Florine!" cried out
my husband, stoutly.
Gut it isn't nonsense" persisted
Florine, in that plaintive contralto
of hers. "She is cold-she is distant
r
not give to win her hearth"
Nov, Florine, don't cry; that's
good girl;" said Charles, who, like all
'nen, detested scenes. II am sure
Alice is fand of you in her way-only,
you see, she isn't gushing and demon
-strative, like you southeners."
"Ah, if you did but know, Cousin
Charles, how my heart pines for
little Lowell" cooed Florine.
At this stage of affairs I judged it
best to enter on the scene, where [
found Florine on her knees in most
picturesque attitude, kissing my hus-
bands hand, while poor, honest Char
ley looked about as uncomfortable as
it is in the nature of man to look.
"What is the matter, Florine?"
: asked, with frigid ring in my voice.
Are you ill?"
And Florine, rising to her feet, the
atrically, flung herself into my arms.
Love me a little, dear Alice"
she murmured. "Ah!" if you but
II know that you are nearly strang-
ling me-" I retorted, pettishly. "Sup-
pose we put off sentiment and light
tragedy until we have had our tea. F"
Charles looked reproachfully at me.
Florine put on the look of an injured
angel, and I swept remorselessly on
down stairs.
But my relentless snub had one good
effect. Florine left off experimenting
on me, personally, and gradually mute
antagonism grew up between us, under
the very eyes Of Charley, who blindly
imagined us to be the best of friends.
"Charley!" I cried out one day in de-
&spair, "when is Miss Fayall going?"
"Going!" repeated Charley. "Why
should she go at all? Why shouldn't
she make her home here? I'm sure
she's no more trouble than kitten -"
But don't like her, Charles"
No1 Ike iuei, ALICE Lou are pTeJu-
diced. Florine is the sweetest girl in
the world" 80
Tastes differ" I responded, shrug-
ging my shoulders. ''To me she's I'M
utterably obnoxious"
1eAice."
ri believe she has bewitched you,
Charles" cried out. "And the day
will yet come, in which you will see
that was right and you wrong in this
matter"
"Alice," said my husband in voice
graver and sterner than I had ever
before heard him use, II will not suffer
even my wife to use such language as
this. Florine is as pure and beautiful
as an angel, and I consider myself
honored by her presence in my house,"
y