The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-02
! THE OLD . FLAME.

Miss MardevilIer OF course I know
Miss Vaudeville" said Floriaa Fcntenel
There were two sisters OF them, weren't
therei On. radiant blonde with such a
profusion ofnagniicentiy FURNISHED hair,
that they called her The Princess with
the Golden Locks'-thc other, little
lruEette, with black braids cciled 1T 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 New YcrS-was il
the winter before last, or the winter before
thate And every ody wondered they
didn't return last season So they live
here, do they Well, upon r,y word, this
is quite an agreeable discovery / must
make it my business TO go AID call di-
rectly, for, do you know, Ariadne, / was
Just the least little bit hit by tie brunette
with the great, grave, questioning eyes,
Mrs. MajCr Fontenel shook n cloud OF
fragrance from the satin folds Of her fan,
and moved her head n little dis6airfu y
Flatte-ipg as these brotherly confide,-
ces might be, their spirit was not exactly
in unison with the tender relations which
she would have preferred.
She had been n widow for ten years now,
and IN her own opinion WAS no less beau
tiful than when she had first stood ut 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 Pains TO
fall in love with bsr, Lot TO mauEder
about his old fancies.
"Yes," said she coldly "I heard some
thing of their once being in society. But
it didn't last long. Old Mandcville, their
grandfather, had got involved in spccula-
tions, and when he shot himself it was no
more than people expected"
And how do they support themselvcs,'
'Oh, L don't know. / suppose they 20
out goyernesSing, or take IN sewing or
something. Somehow people always do
get provided for in this woTId.'
Then you don't visit theIal''
Mrs. EouteGel lifted her brovs
''Quite impoSsibler' she said. 'sThcy
were selling bouquets out of the green
houses until the place was fo-erioscd.
Fancy selling bouquets out of ones own
greenhouses Tor living. And Cassie has
gone somewhere to learn stenography,
and Kate goes around in calico dresses,
exlctly ike servant girlr'
tIorian smiled to himself
''She is better posted as TO these two
girls than Sic is willing TO admit, /" thought
he.
And the ne1t morning he walked over
the old stone bridge, and ont across the
fields to the old stone house which Leoni-
das Vaudeville had died I'm.
The upper blinds wese all Us carefully
closed and bolted as If the old mans
corpse still lay in the echoing rooms; but
the basement windows Were thrown open
to admit :hs fresh October air, and
round dark Lace, brilliant rs that OF
Spanish senorita, appeared at the door TO
answer his knock.
SIS it the man for the ounce iellyi" said
she. at is not ready yet. 1 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 Katef"
''It is Mr. Fontenel, !" said Kate Mande-
VILE, the crimson color mounting to her
cheek.
''Exactly," said Florian. "AIay Mr.
Fontenel come ins"
Miss Vaudeville hesitated n second. then
opened the door with n composed smile.
Yes, walk in, - said she, land see how
Industrious / an. am = working woman
now / do up preserves, pickles, canned
fruit and ielIics. II isn't such unpleasant
work, except when the weather is warm;
and am very literally paid for it. Cassie
is a worker, too. She is n member OF
stenoSraphic class, and Is 70 get twenty
dollars u week when she graduate-.'
Kate had spoken all these sentences with
n careless grace, which would lead an in
different auditor TO infer that il was all /,
matter of course. Bot Florian Fontcnel
knew her well enough to hold the true
key 10 her nature. He understood how
painful it was for her thus tacitly to nc
| knowledge the blight which had passed
| over her fortunes since last they met
II see" lie said quietly, "thiDgs arc
changed. Miss Vaudeville, since / gave
Won hat spris Of sweet verbena in Mrs
| Iytteil's conservatory that winter night
| You were belle then-the star of the
| evening" People spoke of you rs the beau-
I tiful Miss Vaudeville"
> ''Did they"
"And L told myself" Florinn added,
4 .'that it was useless to hope to win the
love of one so courted and hattered. That
| i had no sort OF chance. That il was best
<or ne to withdraw from the lists before
\ / had got my poor wings, Inoth-fashion,
! hopclessly Scared AM scanned"
| THAT was 80 like "a man, said Kate