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 We're two sisters of them.
weren't there? One Il radiant blonde
with such proflIsion Of magnificently
FURNISHED hair, that they called her
The Princess with the Golden Locks
the other. little brunette, with black
braidS coilcd at the back of her head.
and solemn eyes that looked YOU through
and through. Oh, yes. | remember
them very well. They were great bellies
in town-was it the winter before last.
or the winter before that? . And every
body wondered they didn't return last
season. So they live here, do theyp
Well, upon my word, this is quite an
agreeable discovery. | must make it
my business 10 go and call directly, for.
| do Won know. Ariadne. was Just the
least little bit hit by the brunette with
the great, grave. questioning eyes"
Mrs. Major Fontenel shook IA cloud OF
fragrance from the satin folds of her
fan. and moved her head a little dis
| dainfully.
Flattcring Us these brotherly con-
iidences might be. their spirit was not
exactly in unison with the still tenderer
relations which she would have Ger
red.
She had been widow for ten wears
now, and in her own opinion was no less
| beautiful than when she had first stood
III the altar.
And, after ALL what did il matter that
| she was five or six years older than her
cousin Forian? He suited her. And
| she had invited him to Fontenel Plains
| To fall in love with her. not to maunder
about his old fancies.
| Yes" said she coldly. Il heard
something of their once being in society.
But il 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
90 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
We're selling bouquets ont of the green
houses until the place was foreclosed.
Fancy selling bouquets ont of ones own
greenhouses for living! And Cassie
| has gone somewhere 10 learn Steno-
graphy. and Kate goes around in calico
| dresses, exactly like II servant-girl!'
Florian smiled To himself.
'.Shc is better posted a> to these two
| IL 4. .,
| 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 ~ carefully
closed and bolied a. 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 senorita, appeared ut the door
to answer his knock.
lis it the man for the ounce jcllyP'
said she. ut is not ready yet. | told
you to come this evening.
II am very fond of ounce jelly said
Florian Fontencl gravely. ''but fear |
am not the excellent individual whom
you are expecting. Don't You remember
me. Miss Kate?"
1T is Mr.. Fontcncl.' said Kate Mande-
vile. the crimson color mounting 20 her
cheek.
Exactly" said Florian. May Mr..
Fontcnel come IMP"
Miss Vaudeville hcsitatcd IL second
and then opened the door with Il COM
posed smile.
YES. walk in" she said, sand see
how industrious j am. | am working
woman now. ! do up preserves, pickles.
canncd-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 member of Il stcnographic class
and is 10 get two pounds Il week when
she graduates.
Kate had spoken all these sentences
with Il careless grace. which would lead
in indifferent auditor To infer that it
was all Il matter OF course. But Florian
Fontencl knew her well enough to hold
the true key to her nature. He under
stood how painful il was for her thus
tacitly to acknowledge the blight which
had passed over her fortunes since last
they met
II see," he said quietly, 'fhngs are
changed, Miss Mandevillc. since | gave
you that sprig of sweet verbena in Mrs
Lytclrs conservatory that winter night.
You were a belle thcn-the star of the
evening. People spoke of You as the
beautiful Miss Vaudeville"
did they?''
land told myself" Florian added.
"that it was useless TO hope to win the
love of one so courted and flattercd.
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 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
the fashionable horizon. My planet
was gone. | am proud man by nature.
, and / said To myself that If Miss Mande-
vile had cared for me she would have
sgniiied to me. by some sign, however
slight. that she was still i'm existence.
She did not"
you can see why" said Kate with
heightened color. II have received too
many rebuhs from the dear particular
friends of old days TO encourage me to
risk any new dangers. But, with droop,
ing eyelashes, ii have got the sprig OF
sweet vcrbena hidden away in my port
folio yet. don't often get time to look
at it, but il is always there to think of.
Now may go on with the jellyP
Not quite yet" said Fontenel with
n gravity that was truly laudable Mis-
, Vaudeville, if had followed ont the