Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-10

Eyes, eUeTythisg," said Amy; .'but you
don't get that if you are tied to man you
don't care for. Perhaps you never did love
Mr. Charters as much as you fancied, or
you would't talk as you do. But | am
quite certain you are not girl to be happy
with husband you couldn't love"
"Why are You certain?" asked Valerie,
with curious flash in her dark eyes.
''Oh. from many things; and mamma
you know she is very keen in matters of
characteristic that for you to play tricks
with your heart would be like a child play
ing with fire"
Valerie grew white, and set her teeth.
Il half know that myself, she safd-did
she not wholly know it?-"but you know,
Amy. aunt Constance had me up to marry
me OFF,
II know she did But wouldn't you
sooner go home again than marry merely
for money!"
Go back to that dull, quiet lifer' said
Valerie, with a shndder. "No, no, not
now. | couldn't endure it! Don't you re-
member Hans Anderson's story Of the
mermaid, who was given legs and feet that
she might live among mortals. only, as a
punishment, every step she took was like
treading on the edges of swords? Still,
she bore the agony rather than return TO
her old life in the caves under the sea-"
Again Amy looked steadily at her friend.
This golde n-haired girl of eighteen was an
enigma.
But Valerie" she said, 'if remember
rightly, it was not the love of the world
that made the mermaid accept the pleas
ure with the pain, but the love of a mortal;
she is in love with some prince"
Valerie did not color now; she felt as if
all the blood in her body rushed TO her
heart For full minute she could not
| move or speak; but she had thrown her
head so far back that Amy could only see
her features imperfectly, and attributed
| her silence TO perpleXiJy at the failure Of
her simile.
Was that its" the girl said, at length,
| when she could trust her voice. "But of
course | only used the comparison. Knight
| do as much for the world as the mermaid
did for love"
IF you do, Valerie, you will find that the
| pleasure is not worth the pain"
'''Oh, c'cst rGmour, rGm0ur, Udmour,
Quj f0jt tOlpHCr IG mOndC,'"
| chanted Valerie, under her breath; but she
! did it mockingy, and Suddenly started for
ward, us someone knocked at the door
Come in!' .le said, quickly, and Fanch-
| on entered with the evening papers.
con, military madw cried Amy, laugh
| ing, as the maid retired and Valerie turn
| cd eagerly to the kilograms, purpOsely
| bending down her face 50 as to hide it.
IL am soldiers daughter" she retort
| ed; land know so many of the men COM
ing home--I feel as if l knew them all"
"You ought to marry a soldier, Valerie. I"
They're generally poor!' replied the
| girl, with laugh that was almost hard
| and might, to listener of longer expert
| ence Of human nature, have sounded sus-
picious; but Amy was only panied, not en-
| lightened
'Here she is" added Valerie, almost di
rectly. How fast and thick her heart was
beating; and yet, with scarcely an effort,
she could speak without betraving too
much interest in the news she read. "'The
-, with the-th regiment under Colonel
Beauregard, touched at Gibraltar to-day
that is yesterday-'at s p. m, and sailed
for Plymouth at 10 o'clock So they will
be home in a few days! There's Il battalion
of the til on board, too" Valerie went
on, quickly, though they don't say so
here and Major TraYers and Mr.. Dallas
with it-such nice fellows they both are,
especially Dallas. / wish Mrs Fanshawe
was coming, too; but the General remains
ont there with the army of occupation"
Wont it be jolly-all these heroes COM
ing Overt Won't we make much of them!"
| exclaimed Amy. COZ course you liked
Colonel B2auregard best, didn't you, Va.
lerie?'
Everybody liked him best" replied the
other, still looking over the paper, but no
longer taking in the sense of what she read.
81 am wild to see him." pursued Amy;
care you not, Valerie?"
"Of course | want to see him; he was
very kind to me at bennington" said Va
lerie feeling as if treading on swords
blades would be paradise compared with
the fortunes she was enduring now.
Relief came Unexpectedly in the person
of Mrs. Langley, who, with a preliminary
tap, opened the door, and said:
Girls, have you forgotten the time? Va
lerie, you are not dressed for dinner"
oh" cried Valerie, starting to her feet,
''this dress will do! Amy will stay to din
ner, and she isn't dressed for it, Come,
AMY, you must stay, and you can go with
us to the theatre afterward. Pll lend you
an opera cloak. Gomez"
And she dragged Amy, laughing and
willing to her dressing room.
At the theatre Aston Lawford came into
the Langley box. and Valerie would hardly
speak to him. Mrs. Langley said after
ward:
valerie, take care; a man OF Lawford's
age and character won't stand too much
caprice"
And Valerie shrugged her shoulders. and
when she was alone, took out Max Beau