The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-01-11
LOVES WAXING.
The Fickle Bertha Dupre and Her
Husband.
(From the Cincinnati Enquirer }


(From the Cincinnati Enquirer
In the great Algerian smoking room
extended on 2 divan, Bertha felt thai
time laid heavy on her hands. She lost
all thought of the book that she had Just
read, and which had slipped from bel
ap to the carpeted floor, soft, thick and
rich in colors.
The October sun played wantonly
through the slightly opened window
upon The curtain hanglrgs and the gilded
nails of the furniture.
Bertha dreamed of herself as the
maiden; recalled the day of her mar
risge, two munths ago, and one by one
the days, the hours which had since
rolled by, and from time to time you
could see her shrug her shoulders and
pout hec lips.
Bertha is not pretty. yet somehow, il
you could only see her, you certainly
could not help feeling that she merited
being loved. The heavy treasure OF her
chestnut locks massed at the back
Strengthened up her head into an atti-
tude of noble, graceful pride. Her
brown eyes, ordinarily Indifferent, often
mockng, forget themselves sometimes,
and strayed off into dreams. And her
mouth, & little large, perhaps, but it
knew how to laugh one of those clear,
ringing laughs that you felt came from q
real good, honest soul.
Love? Well, no! she did not love.
Why? 1t is that eternal history: : rich
hei-ess, commoner, thoughSsa Partisan,
who promised herself within fifteen
years to bear title and have ''salon,
she had not understood that the brave
young man who called himself simple
George Dupre and lived ten months out
Of the twelve on his landed estate, know
ing Paris only by several weeks Of each
year there, had given to her something
as rare as fine name in bringing to her
his great, good heart and strong youth.
Al, if he had been . man of the world,
if the women had spoken in low tones OF
his follies, the young girl would then
perhaps have remarked that IN the great
blue eyes Of her lover there was enough
frankness for all her confidence; love
enough for wealth Of affection. She
did not know that man has no time for
love in Paris; that solitude and the free
air of the woods are the best counselors
of the heart. Bertha never once doubted
herself, and I should have never guessed
it if she had told me of it, and this was
how it came about. While she lay there
dreaming, the sun commenced to set and
the indiscreet ray cast into her chamber,
slid over the fowery carpet and cum
ningly approached the young woman.
It kissed her feet first, then her knees,
and mounted even to her face. Dazzied
by the light. Bertha rose to go and close
the blinds.
Now, near this window, in the en-
brasure, stood pretty little piece OF
furniture Usually ioeSea with a key.
This day the key had been left in the
lock and one of the drawers was lett
partly open, and among common lot
Of papers Bertha perceived package OF
letters bearing Georges address, and
having nothing else to dc to amuse her
sell, and noting the superscrlptlons to
be IN the fine. light hand of g woman,
and as silence reigned in the closed
chamber, the ray of the sun itself having
disappeared, she united the ribbon that
secured the letters and began the 1ead-
ing of them.
The first said simply:
ssYou are not thoughtful, my dear
friend. I asked for a few roses, small
bouquet for my courage, and you sent
ne sheaf Of flowers! l pardon you,
but see that you are wiser in the future.
By by. "LoU1sE.
4 packet Of letters is like book; one
loves to finger over the leaves and glance
through them before reading them.
Bertha took from the middle OF the
package al envelope ornamented with
silver monogram drew out OF 1t
another billet; it was scarcely larger
than the first, but it sail mofes terml-
mating with these words: "Iou are
handsome!' This time it was signed
stLoulu. y
This gave renewed interest, and, her
curiosity touched, she absorbed herself
in their reading for long time. She
became passionately interested, for her
hands trembled each time she anfolded
letter. One time even she displayed
little shiver of anger, and the tell-tale
red flushed her countenance
Suddenly she heard voice calling her
from without, that of her husband, who
had returned. She closed the drawer
quickly, ran out upon the steps and
found herself face to face with George.
he was standing there, his gun negli-
gently thrown on his shoulder, cap IN
bis hand and little dusty and q little
tanned, but young, stroug and happy.
The day had been good one and &C.
cording to his custom he told her OF his
luck and of the incidents Of his hunt.
Bertha looked without saying any
thing, and in looking at him and listen
ing to his clear, vibrating voice she
seemed to hear another voice, the soft
voice of g woman, breathing into her
ear and saying to her: "Tell him. You
are handsome.
"Cone, tell me, said George to her.
81 have asked you the question now
three times. Shan't We have dinner in
half an hour? am dying OF hunger.
What say?"
"Very we'll; certainly" said she,
comiug out Of her reverle.
While he mounted to his apartment
she remained thoughtful several min.
utes, carcssing with nervous hand
Jack, the fayorite spaniel. OF whom
was she thinking? Stopping for several
minutes she then quickly ran up the
steps and entered.
In the smoking room, before the same
drawer Of the same piece CT furniture,