Nevada County picayune., 1886-09-01
HER WEDDING PRESENT.

step.'
 And Rosa Eldon sprang to her feet rosy and smiling, with the freshly plucked heliotrOpe trcm- bling among her glossy brown hraids, and her pretty, blue dress floating around her like an azure cloud.
 Only eighteen, and very fair and lovely was our little Rosa--a trihe spoiled and wilfnl, perhaps, but what else could one expnct! Ev- cry one petted and made much of her and Clarence Hyde thought he- the fairest specimen of fcmi. nine humanity that ever the sun shone on.
 Lizzy Eldon made room for her sister--lizzY, just one year young. CT, and scarcelcss less fair, yet very different in character. Lzzy was qnict, and sage, and demnre, while Rosy rattle away likes merry mountain stream flowing over it. messy stones. LiAy thought her sister perfection, while Rosy was alwaS featuring Lizzy in capri. cious fashion, and laying down the law to her eflor the most approved manner of elder sisters.
 "How nice It must be to be en- gagedw said Lizzy with q halfen- couraging smile as Rosa paused at the glass to adjust her hair. "I wish l were engagedw
 "You' Oh, you are nothing but a child," Rosa said, patronizingly. "There, give me my pocket-hand- kcrchicf.'
 And away she went, light and 1.-the as a blue winged butterfly.
 Clarence Hyde was in the parlor, anXious!y awaiting her coming, but Clarence had rather disturbed face. He Was q well-made, hand some youn. fellow, with laughing wine-brown eyes. straight features. | ana brown hair thrown back from Il broad, frank brow.
 "Why, what makes you look so sober?' was Rosa's first arcl, ques- ton, when the ceremonials of greet ing were gone through with, and she had time 10 take d good look into his face.
 "Sobcr! Do F."
 He was playing rather restlessly with the crimson cords that loopcd back the white muslin draperies of the pretty bay-wiudow that made Mrs. Eldon's cottage look like one of the lovely rustic hahtation you see in old English ensravinss. "Exnctly as if you had the tooth. ache or bad conscience"
 Clarence laughed in spite of him, self.
 You are wrong, then, my little riddle gucsser; am afflicted with neither the one nor the other" Yell, what is it, then!'
 "Rosa, what would you Say if it were to become necessary 10 defer our marriage for some time" ; A shadow came over the infan- tile bloom and freshness of Rpsa's face.
 "ro defer our marriage, Clar- encc. l can't imagine what you mean.'
 "Lsten, Rosa, and will tell you. My uncle has just come from Cali fornin. very poor, and confirmed invalid. am his only surviving relative, and to me he naturally appeals for protection and compan- ionship. 1 must give him home, Rosa. You know l had laid mp just enough to begin housekecr ing in a quiet econominal sort of way, but this new plar will necessarily alter my arrangements" "Inever heard of any uncle be- fore"
 .'No, dearest; 1 knew very lttle , of Lim-nothing personaliy-as he never visited my father during his lifetime
 Rosa's face wns turned away from Clarence Hyde's; she was twisting bit of paper round her slender iore-fingcrs. "Rosa," he said, after waiting a minute or two for her 10 make some remark, "tell me honestly, dear one, which you would prefer to begin housekeeping on this new scale-One humber and more