Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-02-04
SUCHAN ABSURD ENGAGEMENT.
BY NJ. EILEEN HoLAHAN.

III 81 have Ceclded TO go. Nothing
M Won can say or 90, Laurice Wallace,
M will alter that decision but perhaps
Nh If YOU care for consequences, the less
IN YOU say the 6etterl"
nj Il have some authority to remon-
M strate! You are my betrothed wife
and vet you leave me and your aunts
Ma 10 90 out in the world with a vain,
n frivolous woman, whose folly is shield
M ed by her immense wealth"
Nj You 90 for an indefinite period,
81 and yet you forbid me, your betrothed
NJ husband. to visit you at her city
4 home. Lois Crcspigny, you are cruel
n cruel and heartless p
MI The girl with the quaint old name
& drew her small, slender form to its
fullest height, and flashed look of
E superb seorn on him from her great
nj dark eyes.
f Beautiful eyes they were-in every
one Of her capricious moods; but the
. only beauty the small dark face, with
N its settled look of scorn, possessed.
M She was "odd, there was some
"a thing enigmatical and fascinating
III about her, which was one reason Mrs.
@ Wentworth induced the affectionate
@ and idolized their orphan niece from
infancy-to allow her a few seasons"
# IN New York, under her chaperonage.
S Another reason was that she was
| really attached to the dark little crea-
M ture, with the flashing eyes, who could
M amuse the weary woman of the world
as no one else ever had.
She did rot understand her, but it
I Was new sensation to watch the
wondrous changes IN her dark eyes,
M which now flashed on Laurie Wallace
III in supercilious scsrn.
Let it be so then ~ she cried Cru
IA Ell and hCartless anything to break
chains Of whose gallant letters | am
IA weary 1t was always such an absurd
y engagement; but between you, Aunt
Lamar and Aunt Theodosia, | was
~ folc9G aAd persuaded INTO it as though
81 l had no voice in the matter. You
RI follow me everyWhere-giv me no
NJ peace!
Now | mean TO take tue peace you
M will not voluntarily grant Aunt
n Theodosa and Lamar will sympathizs
Il with you, OF counsel wish you fare
well, Mr.. Wallace"
"a And while she rolled away to the
railroad station beside pretty, painted
n Laura Wentworth, and gave her a
n scornful synopsis of that foolish, alb
NJ sutd engagement over which they
both laughed-while the dear, old
" splnster aunts wept and consoled each
81 other IN the dark old cottage facing
the sea, the scorned lover of Lois, and
n the petted idol of her spinster aunts,
Ell Laurie Wallace lay face downward
on the sand IN the very abandonment
OF despairng grief.
tie was so young, and he loved
Is the wild creature with a wild, impe-
Isl tous abandon; and then to have lost
HI her.
lie had lost her-he realized it now,
IN when the wild wakes beat a requiem
N 10 Els dead hopes against the rocky
shore, and the words of Tennysons
brief, beautiful poem rang in his ears,
N as one daY they rang ia hers:
Break, break, break
I'D AZ the foot Of the crags, o sea-
ana qbl , would that my tongue could utter,
81 me thoughts that arise in metz
You are superb, Lois-as you al
ways are! You leave nothing to sug-
n gest. Worth may have realized that
beautiful, unique pansy dress, but |
Il am sure you designed it."
LOIS Crespigny shrugged her pretty
shoulders and surveyed her reflection
Il IN the pier-glass in the dressing room
u OIL her friend--Mrs. Wentworth.
q AN odd attractive reflection it was,
b 10 wendrous dress of white silk into
Which were woven beautiful, golden.
hearted pansies, a huge boquet of
"nlch she carried in her slender GLOW
N ed hand.
q Beautiful women paled into insig-
n nlhcance beside the wierd, nameless.
fascinating influence of Lois Ores.
Il pigny presence.
Although the fashionable wo d con-
q less9d Its failure to understan her
n sseefmlng her an odd girl and
genius, they yet hocked around her,
haklAg ner the absolute fashion of the
4 metropolis.
49, had letter from Aunt Lamar
n nus evening, Laura. They are very
anxious for my return, and--I think
shall go!"
Mrs, Wentworth gave little scream
Of dIsmay.
- cannot spare you Lois-New
lofh cannot spare you, Why should
you 90 back to that old loney cottage,
y pass your life with two old maidsi"
IL IS four years since 1 left, Laura,
anu they love me so much, / begin
reallze nay own selfish ingrati-
A .l1I3 Wentworth laughed.
4 40 would have expected such
Il n TOUR years ago, when [ thought
~ the most heartless, odd creature |
Da1 ever seen, when you threw over