Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-06-12
" FLORINE.

II think you will like her, Alice.
She is very beautiful girl. with unus-
.ually attractive manners, and-what
recommends her 10 us, more than any
thing else, she is rendered quite de-
pendent and pei1niless by the death of
this old man. And I think I can trust
my little Florine to be kind to her, il
she should seek refuge in my home!"
So saying my husband went away,
and I 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 'em all-but don't
lot them inside your door!"
That was what my Aunt Althea had
told me upon the eve of my wedding
day and, as a general thing, Aunt Al
thea's advice was excellent, both in
quantity and quality. And now, here
was tho 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 submlt-and the next week
Florine Fayall came--a pretty lily like
creature with appealing blue eyes, a
soft voice like flute, and q mouth like
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" heard her say one evening, as
she and Charles sat by tho 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.
"Dt it isn't nonsense" persisted
Florine, in that plaintive contralto
of hers. "She is cold-she is distant
~ bo. v,opDor A1o.I ryho+ would
not give to win her hearth"
"Now, Florine, don't cry; that's
good girl" said Charles, who, like all
man, detested scenes. II am sure
Alice is fond 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 a
little Lowell" cooed Florine.
At this stage Of affairs / Judged it
best to enter on the scene, where I
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?" I
asked, with frigid ring in my voice.
"Are you ILL.,"
And Florino, rising to her feet, the
atlically, flung herself into my arms.
Love me a little, dear Alice"
she murmured. "Ah" if you but
knew .-"
II know that you are nearly strang-
ling me-" retorted, pettishly. "Sup-
pose we put off sentiment and light
tragedy until we have had our tea. {"
Charles looked reproschfully at me.
Florine put on the look of an injured
angel, and l swept remorselessly on
down stairs.
But nay relentless snub had one good
effect. Florine left off experimenting
on me, personally, and gradually q mute
antagoni.m 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-
SPAR, when is Miss Fsyall 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"
"Not Xix, her, Alice? You arc preju-
diced. Florine is the sweetest girl in
the world"
"Tastes differ" I responded, shrug-
ging my shoulders. ITO me she's un-
utterably obnoxious"
"Alice."
II believe she has bewitched you,
Charles, / cried out. "And the day
will yet come, in which you will see
that I was right and you wrong in this
mattel"
Alice" said nv husband in a voice
graver and Steiner 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 1 consider myself
honored by her presence in my house"
burst into tears.
"Aunt Althea was right" said I.
when she warned me against my hus-
bands relations" "'%
Charles bit his lip, anda red flush
barred his brow.
"That is sword which will cut on
both sides. Alice" he said, coldly.
"Your brother has been member of
my family nearly as long as Florine,
besides being employed in the count
ing house. And think it no more
than right to tell you that Of late one
or two skillfully- forged checks on our
house have been presented at the bank
and paid. And I do not know who
could have done it, if not"
ooh, Charley, for Heavens sake,
don't say it was WIFI" I gasped. For
my one young brother was inexpressi-
bly, near to my heart. .
. IT say nothing as vet, " my husband
answered." But ] have taken measures
II - lxx>s,e .R rko,,~