The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-09
The Old Flame.

"Miss Vaudeville? Of course l
know Miss Vaudeville" said Florian
Fontenel. "There were two sisters of
them, weren't there? One radiant
blonde with such profusion of mag
nifcently Furnished hair, that they call
ed her 'The Princess with the Golden
Locks'-the other, a little brunette,
with black braids coiled at the back of
her head, and solemn eyes that looked
you through and through. Oh, yes, I
remember them very we'll. They were
great bellies in town-was it the winter
before last, or the winter before that?
And everybody wondered they didn't
return last season. So they live here,
do they? Well, upon my word this is
quite an agreeable discovery. 1 must
make it my business to go and call di-
rectly, for, do you know, Ariadne, l
was just the least little bit hit by the
brunette with the great, grave, question
ing eyes,"
Mrs. Major Fontenel shook a cloud
of fragrance from the satin folds of her
fan, and moved her head little dis
dainfully.
Flattering as these brotherly conf
dences might be, their spirit was not ex-
actly in unison with the still tender re-
lations which she would have preferred.
She had been a widow for 10 years
now, and in her own opinion was no
| less beautiful than when she had first
stood at the altar. And after all, what
did it matter that she was five or six
years older than her cousin Florian
He suited her, and she had invited
him to Fontenel Plains to fall in love
with her, and not to maunder about his
old fancies.
eyes," said she coldly, 81 heard
something of their once being in So
ciety. But it didn't last long. Old
Vaudeville, their grandfather, had got
involved in speculations, and when he
shot himself it was no more than people
expected"
"And how do they support them
selves?"
"Oh, don't know. suppose they
| 60 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. Fontenel lifted her brows.
"Quite impossible!'' she said. "They
were selling bouquets out of the green
house until the place; was foreclosed.
Fancy selling bouquets out of ones own
greenhouses for living. And Cassie
has gone somewhere to learn steno-
graphy, and Kate goes around in calico
dresses, exactly like servant-girl!"
Florian smiled to himself. "She is
better posted as to these two girls than
she is willing to admit" thought he.
And the next morning he walked
over the old stone bridge, and out across
the fields to the old house which Leoni-
das Vaudeville had died in. The upper
U1fuuo wCIC oil CdICru11y CIOoSu
bolted as if the old mans corpse stih
lay in the echoing rooms; but the base
ment windows were thrown open to ad-
NIT the fresh October air, and round
dark face, brilliant as that of Spanish
senorita, appeared at the door to an
swer his knock.
sis it the man for the ounce jelly7"
said she. cit is not ready yet. I told
you to come this evening""
81 am very fond of ounce jelly" "
said Florian Fontenel gravely, "but |
fear l am not the excellent individual
whom you are expecting. Don't you
remember me, Miss Kate?"
"It is Mr.. Fontenel," said Kate
Vaudeville, the crimson color mounting
to her cheek.
"Exactly," said Florian. "May Mr..
Fontenel come IMP"
Miss Vaudeville hesitated a second,
then opened the door with a composed
smile.
eyes, walk in" said she, "and see
how industrious am. am working
woman now. 1 do up preserves, pickles,
canned fruit and jellies. 1t isn't such
unpleasant work, except when the wealth
er is warm, and am very literally paid
for it. Cassie is worker too. She is
member of stenographic class, and
is to get two pounds week when she
graduates.
Kate had spoken all these sentences
with a careless grace, which would lead
an Indifferent auditor to infer that ii
was all matter of course. But Florian
Fontenel knew her we'll enough to hold
the true key to her nature. He under
stood how painful it was for her thus
tacitly to acknowledge the blight which
had passed over her fortunes since last
they met.
"I see," he said quietly, "things are
changed, Miss Vaudeville, since I gave
you that sprig of sweet verbena at Mrs.
Lyttell's conservatory that winter night.
You were belle then-the star Of the
evening. People spoke of you as the
beautiful Miss Vaudeville.
"Did they?''
"And told myself" Florian added
'sthat it was useless to hope to win the
love of one so courted and fattered
That 1 had no sort of chance. That i
was best for ME to withdraw from th'
lists before I had got my poor wings
moth fashion, hopelessly SCARED ant
scanned"
"That was so like man," said Kate
with rising color. "You constituted
judge, jury and executioner, all in one
Will you be good enough to step a littl
aside2 I have to pack these glasse
carefully into box, and"
; "Pardon me-" said Fontenel wit