Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-20
HER OWN ENEMY.


LIE Strange, and one who had many adj
mirers, but not such as her heart prayed
for. One by one the poor curates were
given their congo, likewise the strug-
Cling authors and erratic artists.
"When poverty comes in at the door,
love flies out of the window" was a
maxim in which Desiree lie Strange be-
lieved.
IF l cannot marry a rich man l will
not marry at allr' this country wears
daughter told herself, with q deep
drawn sigh; this girl who was utterly
sick of cold shoulder of mutton and
plain boiled rice and treacle; who had
to wear her gowns till they were thread
bare, and her shoes till they would mend
no more.
1t was pure accident of course, merest
chance, that just as she reached the old
stone bridge on the left of the moor
the picturesque, lichen-robed bridge
beneath which the river danced and
rippled as smoothly often as limpid
woodland stream-Daniel Vessels
should suddenly appear
80, how you startled metz cried the
girl, whereat the young man laughed
and offered her n penny for her thoughts.
"Well, If you must knew, l was think
ing of you," she returned candidly.
thinking of me?" he echoed, and a
deep flush covered his honest, handsome
face. Something pleasant l hope,
Miss lie Strange? Don't you remember
the ancient adage. Talk of the old gen
tleman,' etc., and | suppose talking
holds good tor thinking?"
81 thought it was Talk OF the angels
and you'll hear their wings" said
Desiree, shyly.
80, so l am white-winged angel,
am l? Well, l could scarcely be any
thing better"
And then, involuntarily it seemed,
they both halted and looked down at
the river with its edge of fallen leaves
and whitening bracken, with its little
wavelets all rosy dimpled and amber.
crested beneath the suns dying smile.
How pretty these flowers are?" re-
marked Daniel presently. 1.-The OK.
eyed daisies are particularly fine"
''Do you think SO? Perhaps Annie
might take them for her parlor vases"
and she held the little bunch up care.
lessly for acceptance. He took them
with quiet Thank you,' but he did
not say he should give them to Annie,
his landlady's red-haired grand-daugh-
ter. In Daniel Vessels eyes there was
no girl so beautiful as Desiree lie
Strange; to HIM she was just perfect,
with her crown of ripping hair, almost
the color of the FURNISHED autumn
leaves, with her scarlet thread of
mouth and wild-rose tinted cheeks, and
eyes deep and blue.
when met you just now," he said
diffidently, ''you said you were thinking
of me, Desiree." in half-timid whis-
per, my darling, think of you al
ways!' And now, the ice broken, he
told her how there was no room in his
heart for aught but her, his soft eyes
dark with intense feeling. Eloquently
he pleaded-passionately. "You will
not throw away a love like mine; no
man will ever love you as lc you.
Desireer' And he moved step for
ward as though to clasp her to bin, but
the girl shrank back terrified.
so how could you mistake my mean
ingr she exclaimed. 81 never thought
can't you understand? | was but
turning over in my mind the probabili-
ty of your eventually coming to care for
Jane or Muriel."
81 could not marry your stepsisters, {"
declared Daniel emphatically. Then in
low, earnest tone, so tender, so gentle,
so pleading, that the words seemed to
find their way to Desiree's heart: you,
dearest, are my ideal woman" don't
you think you could learn to care for