The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-26
THE OLD FLAME.

THE OLD FLAME.
Miss Vaudeville? OF course | know
Miss Vaudeville" said Florian Fon-
tenel. There were two sisters of them,
weren't there? One Il radiant blonde
with such profuSion Of magnficently
FURNISHED hair, that they called her
The Princess with the Golden Locks
the other, little brunette, with black
and solemn eyes that looked YOU through
and through. Oh, yes. | remember
them very well. They We're great bellies
in town-was il the winter before last.
or the winter before that? sAnd every
body wondered they didn't return last
season. So they live here, do they?
Well. upon my word, this is quite an
agreeable discovery. | must make it
nv business Ia 90 and call directly. for.
do you know. Ariadne. was just the
least little bit hit by the brunette with
the great, grave. questioning ewes
Mrs. Major Fontenel shook cloud of
fragrance from the satin folds of her
fan. and moved her head little dis
dainfully.
Flattering Us these brotherly con-
iidenceS might be. their spirit was not
exactly in unison with the still tenderer
relations which she would have fer
red.
She had been widow for ten years
now. and in her own opinion was no less
beautiful than when she had first stood
III the altar.
A. III Il Il :, Al,
she was five or six years older than her
cousin FlOrian? He suited her. And
she had invited him to Fontencl Plains
10 fall in love with her. not to maunder
about his old fancics.
Yes" said she coldly. Il heard
something of their once being i'm society.
But it didn't last long. Old Vaudeville,
their grandfather, had got involved in
speculations. and when he shot himself
il was no more than people expected
And how do they support them
sclves?"
"Oh, don't know. suppose they
go out governeSSing, or take in sewing
or something. Somehow people always
do get provided for in this world"
Then you don't visit them?"
Mrs. Fontcnel lifted her brows.
Quite impoSsibic!' she said. They
were selling bouquets out OF the green
houses until the place was foreclosed.
Fancy selling bouquets ont of ones own
greenhouses for living! And Cassie
has gone somewhere To learn steno-
graphy. and Kate goes around in calico
dresses, exactly Ike servant-girl!'
FlOrian smiled To himself.
h., i m txyn
girls than she is willing To admit"
thought he.
And the next moment he was walking
over the old stone bridge. and out
across the fields to the old house which
Lconidas Mandcv,llc had died in.
The upper blinds were all as carefully
closed and boiled ~ If the old mans
corpse still lay in the cchoing rooms;
but the basement Windows We're thrown
open to admit the fresh October air and
round, dark face, brilliant as that OF a
Spanish scnorita, appeared ut the door
TO answer his knock.
lis il the man for the ounce jclly?'
said she. 1T is not ready yet. | told
you To come this evening.
II am very fond of ounce jelly" said
Floran Fontencl gravely. "but fear !
am not the excellent individual whom
you are expecting. Don I You remember
me. Miss Kate?'
1T is Mr.. Fontcnel, said Kate Mande-
vile. the crimson color mounting 10 her
cheek.
EXACTLY" said Florian. May Mr..
Fontcnel come imp
Miss Vaudeville hesitatcd second
and then opened the door with Il COM
posed smile.
"Yes. walk in," she said, "and see
how industrious am. | am working
woman now. do up preserves, pickles,
canned-fruit. and jcllies. II isn't such
unpleasant work, except when the
weather is warm and / am very liberal
" paid for il. Cassie is Il worker, too.
She is a member of Il stcnographic class
and is To- get two pounds Il week when
She graduates
Kate had spoken all these sentences
with careless grace, which would lead
an Indifferent auditor To infer that il
was all Il matter OF course. But Florian
Fontcncl knew her well enough to hold
the true key to her nature. He under
! stood how painful il was for her thus
| had passed over her fortunes since last
| they met.
II see," he said quietly, things are
changed, Miss Vaudeville. since gave
you that sprig of sweet vcrbena in Mrs.
| Lytcll's conservatory that winter night.
You were belle then-the star of the
evening. People spoke of you rs the
beautiful Miss Vaudeville
did they?''
"And told myself Florian added,
"that it was useless to hope to win the
love of one so courted and flattered.
! that had no sort of chance. That il
was best to Withdraw from the lists be-
| fore | got my poor wings, moth-fashiOn.
hopclessly Scared and scanned"
THAT was SO like man." said Kate,
with rising color. You constituted
yourself Judge, jury, and executioner all
in one. Will you be good enough to
step a little aside? ] have to pack these
| glasses carefully into box, and"
| Pardon me- said Fontenel, without
stirring the tenth part of an inch. "Just
a minute more. Well, left and went
abroad. The next winter. when j re-
turned, other stars were shining upon
|
was gone. am IL proud man by nature.
and ! said to myself that if Miss Mande-
vile had cared for me she would have
signified to me, by some sign, however
slight. that she was still in existence.
She did not
you can see why" said Kate with
heightened color. II have received too
many rebufls from the dear particular
friends of old days to encourage me to
risk any new dangers. But" with droop-
ing eyelashes, Il have got the sprig of
sweet vcrbena hidden away in my port
folio yet. don't often get time to look
at it, but it is always there to think OF.
Now may go on with the jellyP"
mot quite yet" said Fontenel with
a gravity that was truly laudable. Miss
Vaudeville, if had followed ont the
first instincts of nv heart the night