Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-01-07
CAUTION AND COURAGE.

CAUTION AND COURAGE.
I declare I feel as light as Bird"
Stella Markham observed, as she stood
before the mirror, cor'bing out her
soft brown tresses with the utmost
deliberation. "Your Canadian air is as
exhilarating as champagne, Nora.
Winter in England means fog, damp,
and general disagreeableness. Here is
simply the perfection of weather. Quite
too lovely, isn't it,"
And Stella, who had gone out to
Montreal on visit to her uncle-Gen.
Markham, commanding the garrison
there-only a month before, gave a
deep sigh OF pleasure as she gazed out
of tho window at the glorious prospect
before her.
Her Cousin Nora sat at the window,
looking out upon the same view, with
perhaps as much OF admiration, but
hardly the same amount of enthusiasm,
for she had been nearly two years in
Montreal, and thu novelty was of course
worn off in her case.
"Oh, 1 don't know" she said with q
covert smile of deep significance. "If
one had two lovers always in attendance,
l suppose even desert might be made
tolerable."
A dead silence fell upon the room :;
then Stella went on placidly arranging
several rows of ringlets over her fore
head, wondering what had started Nora
on the warpath, but We, turing no re-
mark until her cousin said, with abrupt
emphasis:
what do you suppose will be the
end of all this, Stellar"
"Of what, pray? Put it in plain En-
glish."
"You know perfectly well what I
mean, and you ought to be ashamed of
yourself. You have no right to trihe
with such men as Alan Douglas and
Maj. Valcour."
my dear Nora, you are without ex-
oeption, the most absurd!y inconsistent
person of my acquaintance"
II do not deny that I have had va
nous little affairs in my time, bnt never
carried Irritation beyond the bounds,
as you have done"
"Indeed?"
III am really in earnest, Stella. I re-
fuse to be party to any such perform
ance, and if this sort of thing is to con-
tinue shall leave you to end the affair
as you see it,"
Dear me! what fuss about nothing!
I don't think they intend to murder
each other just yet"
perhaps not, but you know they both
love you devotedly, and why do you
keep them lowering around? You
can't marry both, and I doubt very
much whether you mean to marry
either"
"Idont know that do, sheanswered,
but the color in her cheeks deepened
somewhat, and she did not meet her
cousins questioning glance.
"Then You are worse than I thought
you werep cried Nora with righteous
wrath. II never should have believed you
capable of such wiokedness, Stella. It's
q sin and shame for any girl to act as
you have donel It's what 1 call con-
temptible!"
rs it, thought" she answered with a
little embarrassed laugh. "Don't get
in such a rage with me, Nora. It isn't
my fault that I'csnt make up my mind.
I am sure would be perfectly willing
to oblige you by marrying one of the
gentlemen, but can't for the life of me
find out which Que to prefer"
you'd better not have either if
you've any doubt about it," Nora said
bluntly.
you said before"
II wish you would have done with
this triaing."
Nothing was farther from nv
thoughts" Stella answered so grave(y
that Nora said in quite different tone
"You are not in love with either of
them them"
CT don't think I am. I believe
I like Al-Mr. Douglas-best; but the
Valcour fortune and family arms quite
balance my preference. So you see
am in q dilemma. All, there they are
nowl We had better put on our things
before We go down stairs, hadn't we?
What a very great swell Maj. Valcour's
goodman is! It's q handsome SLEIGH
too.
Nora went to the wardrobe and cot
ont her hat and furs. As she put them
on, preparatory to q ride with her
cousins rival suitors, she vented her
feelings in the brief remark that Stella
was the queerest girl she had ever met.
The gentlemen were waiting for them
in the sleigh at the front door, and it
was not long before the robes were
wrapped about them, and they were off
at q rafting pace on the road leading
out of the quaint old town.
It was . clear, breezy day, but not
too cold for pleasure, and the ice-boats
those swift-winged sleighs, so COM
mon on the Canadian rivers in winter
were skimming over the frozen sur
face of the water like beautiful white
gulls.
To see these dainty little vessels,
mounted on runners, cutting along
over the ice at . rate of sixty miles an
hour, thrilled Stella's venturesome
soul with envy.
"Oh, I would give anything in the
world for aride on one of those boats"
she cried With girlish extravaganza, Is
her sparkling eyes followed the graceful
movements of the trim little feet.
"Have you never ridden in one?"
Eugene Valcour asked, in surprise.
NO; but 1 have always wanted to.
I should think it would be perfectly de-
hghtful."