Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12

did not propose. And Pauline, grow
ing almost sick at heart, counted the
days that still remained Of ''the sea-
SON."
''He will propose tomorrow, or per-
haps the day after" she whispered to
herself. "Oh, surely, it must come
soon"
1t was the evening before the break
ing up of the gay party that had en-
livened the seaside hotel all summer,
and brilliant ball had been gotten
up to celebrate the close of the brief.
happy season. Pauline Sedley had
dressed for this festivity with unusual
care-somehow she felt that it was to
be crisis in her life. She wore
lemon-colored Grape dress on lemon
colored silk, like fair, aureate cloud,
and her hair was looped up, in its
shining braids, by slender chains of
gold. Her toilet, she knew by the
murnur that pervaded the ball roo m
and Harold Livingstone's handsome
eyes rested upon her face with evident
admiration.
But the evening passed away,
throbbing its brilliant hours in music
and perfume, and Harold never came
near her. She had cavaliers in
abundance-she was the cynosure of
all eyes-but he, the man of men,
kept obstinatelY aloofi
'"Take me to the balcony. I am
sitting for want of fresh air." she
said, almost pettishly, to the partner
with whom she had just glided through
the redowa. ''Thank you, I need de
tain you no longer"
And Mr.. Guildersleen, feeling him
self abruptly dismissed, left Pauline
by the side of Major Livingstone and
stalked away in high dudgeon.
Harold" she breathed, softly, with
a pleading glance upward into his
eyes, ''you have not been near me all
the evening"
'I have been busy with the com
panionship of my own thoughts" " he
answered coldly. Il start for Europe
tomorrow morning"
For Europe!"
ITO be gone [ hardly know how
many years. may visit India before
I return
"Harold!"
He bent down his head in cold eour-
tesy:
IT beg your pardon, Miss Sedley-
did you speak?'
"You will leave me, Harold?"
I shall be obliged to leave many
kind friends" he returned Indifferent
~.
There was cold chill at Pauline's
heart-a dizzy blindness before her
eyes, but still she commanded herself.
With her it was no idle matter of
etiquette-itwas struggle for life and
death
"And you can leave me SO calmly,
Harold?"
He lightly whispered the bars of a
popular tune:
Beware, beware of the gay cavalier,
Who loves, and rides away.
Harold" she cries, forgetting in
the moment of agony all her feminine
training, ali her womanly impulses,
II thought you loved me? Oh,
Harold, cannot let you gom
II am not aware, Miss Sedley, of
ever having given you any encourage
ment-"
Encouragement" she answered
bitterly. ''What has this livelong
summer been? What has your whole
course of conduct toward me been2
On, Harold, if you leave me now you
will break nay heart"
Pauline" he said, sternly, ''try
to recall a night in August when
Ralph Montacute, pleading for more
than life, stood before you. A Il you
said to him then, I now say to you:
One must amuse ones self at place
like this, and you certainly ought to
understand the difference between a
mere Irritation and sober earnest [
am now holding to your lips the bitter
cup that he drank TO the dregs How
do you relish the flavor. Miss Sed :
ley, have the honor to bid you adieu
-foreverp
And Pauline was alone on the
flower -wreathed balcony-alone with
the stars shining above and the sor
rOWful music of Strauss waltzes
throbbing and moaning from within.
Truely she had received her iessonl
Harold Livingstone was gone, and she
never saw HIM again.
Pauline was never married; she is
an old maid now with her glorious
beauty faded, and her temper irritable
and exaeting. Who knows what she
might have been if
All, this world is full of ifs
Toe Near the Grave to Lie.