Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-09
" This is our dance at last. :"
Mamie Dormer looks up.

hldHiiC DOIIleI lOOhb y.
"Ah, yes" she says, SO it isl
q AS this is probably the last time we
shall ever dance together, let US begin
and make the most of it," says Lori
mer.
You will have plenty of dancing dur
ing your voyage" observes the girl in a
low voice. az have heard such glowing
accounts OF the amusement on board ship,
and the charming girls who, by some ex-
traordinary coincidence, always seem to
congregate there"
Do you suppose Indignantly" that
/ shall ever look at girl? l shall hate
them all because they are not you"
She laughs.
"You would not laugh if you knew
how wretched l am" cries the young
man.
" Do you think you monopolize the en-
tire wretchedness of the community p"
she asks, raising her tell-tale eyes to his.
Do you think you are the only person
who"
Mamie, what do you mean ?'-excit-
eddy;
Nothing. How badly you are dane
ing we only just escan4' a collision"
SOiAC lIlO l1G u1uoL nave
FIVE minutes talk with you away from all
this noise and glitter"
1t would be much wiser to stay here"
Wisdom to the winds; remember this
is my last chance"
She resists no longer, and so they go,
these two young hearts beating lovingly,
for each other.
have been watching you nearly all
the evening"" says Lorrimer, sitting down
beside her, "and in the coming years l
shall think of you as you look tonight,
more beautiful than any other living
woman to me. l am selfish enough to
wish you were not so fair, so sought after !;
there might then be little more hope
for me-"
Your wish will soon be gratified," she
returns, with sigh; Beauty and ad-
miration come to an end more quickly
than anything else except happiness"
81 suppose I shall hear some fine day
that you are married. | shall be always
dreading it."
you need not dread it; you will not
hear it."
i must no. ask you to wait for me but
if | thought you cared just a little how
things went with me in the new country;
if thought Mamie Dormer would give me
. welcome when came back, would work
day and night, and bring a true, faithful
heart to lay at her feet"
"Mamie Dormer will be waiting to well
come you" she says, very unsteadily.
"Do youmean that?"
The gray eyes and the brown ones meet
in one long, steadfast look.
You know | mean it." she answers.
"No, no, Lorimer, my boy, it is all nom
sense" says Mr.. DOrmer, fixing his specta-
cles more firmly on his nose. "Here is
Mamie, l9 years of age, and you %, both
young people with your lives before you.
Your worthy uncle sends for you to join
him in Australia, and remarkably fortu-
nate fellow you are to get the chance.
Where would be the sense Of lettering you
and my daughter with long, indefinite
engagement Depend upon it you will
find your wife on the other side of the
water and Mamie will find her husband
on this. What's that about broken hearts
Broken fddlessiczsl l say, go to your
new life free as air: and leave my child
free too"
Nothing will change me-" says the
young fellow, doggedly. "If don't see
her for twenty years l shall never look at
another woman"
well, then, by our own argument,
there is no need to bind either of you by
an engagement; you can be true and wait
for each other without, don't you see? ?"
81 am sure of myself" he returns, con-
fdentl-; but how can be sure of her ?''
"Why, you can't, you know" says Mr..
Dormer. "That is the popularity of wo-
men: you never can be sure of them. Be-
ing engaged has nothing to do with it"
l may see her to say good-by?"
Bless my soul, yes, of course You may
only remember, no engagement--both free
as ARR
And faithful as heavenr' cries Lori
mer, raising his handsome head as if he
were registering vow.
"Ah," murmurs Mr.. Dormer; "just
so :"
Twenty beautiful, golden summers and
sad, cherries winters had passed away
There is to be grand reception tonight
at the house of the fashionable Mrs. Val
laise, one of the reigning beauties of the
season. That is her carriage stopping
now.
Is Miss Doriner at homer asks the
footman, as the door of handsome house
in New York is opened IN response to his
ring. Miss Dormer is at home Mrs. Val
laise alights, and is uShered into luxuri-