Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-02-13
A COQUETTE.
How Ruby Howard Was Taught
a Severe Eut Valuable Lesson.

"How absurdly disagreeable you can make
yourself, Jack. But there-Im not going tc
quarrel with you. How much longer are
you going to keep me up TO abuse mel" and
Ruby laughed aloud in her usual saucy
tantalizing manner. Jack looked at her
his face as black as a thunder-cloud, on
which was written a stern determination
but she was in no way appalled, by it. On
the contrary, she looked at him gayly and
carelessly, as if she were perfectly indiffer-
ent 10 him or his moods.
"Miss Howard he began.
Miss Howard she mimicked, mocking-
ly; "since when, prayl How tremendously
we grow, to be sure"
He resumed, as if she had not interrupted
him: II will not detain you but q moment
longer While l am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to the unhappy way of your
bringing up and TO the influences and fash
ion OF society than to natural hardness of
heart
"Ohi thanks, thanks awfully, you are too
good" she broke in again, laughingly. 1t
was all as good as a burlesque to her, &C
customed as she was to lovers rantings.
II am as firmly convinced" he went on
in so calm tone that it should have warned
her that this meant more than an ordinary
TIL, "that you love me, but, with your
natural perverseness, will neither acknoWl-
edge it TO yourself nor me.'
AS he said this-with an air Of a Judge
pronouncng sentence on some unhappy
prisoner-with his gray eyes fixed on her
face with the sternest gaze they were capa-
BILE of-in spite of herself the bloom on her
soft, round check deepened to bright red
and Tor an instant her saucy, hooking eyes
fell before his. A transient smile passed
over his gloomy face at this evidence of his
power, and left it even gloomier than be-
fore. As he regarded the lovely, half-shy
race before him he commenced again bitter
ly: "And why will you not yield to that
love and make us both happyl 1 will tell
you. You do not wish TO be tied to one; to
receive the love and homage of one is not to
your taste. Oh, no, not for years to come
III would wait patiently and in the mean
time be always ready TO dance attendance
on all your whims, not noticing any one else
and always keepingIn the background when
a desirable Irritation came up, then, per
haps, If you didn't meet some one you pre-
ferred 10 me- after keeping me in suspense
all that time, you might graciously conde-
scend 10 marry me. But L decline to be-
come the slave of any woman; and, as
much as l love you, am going to leave you
forever"
"Ha, hap and her sweet, low laugh rang
out like chime Of silvery bells. "The plot
thickens. Please go on; it is as lovely as a
play"
i know and feel" said Jack, earnestly.
''that we are especially suited to each other,
and believe that in time you will realize
the truth of what say and will regret me.
even as L regret you now-but no more.
I've already said too much-more than in
tended goodbye" and with deep bow he
turned and left.
"Well, of all thingsr she murmured.
"Foreveri Fudgel I'll see him tomorrow
on the promenade the same as usual He
is delicious do like him the best when he
asserts himself. He is grand when he gets
enraged. He looks so stern and glares so
and is so unapproachable that l am almost
afraid of him the darling. II don't lool,
out he will end in making me marry him
before the season Is over. OF course 7
shsh't marry any one else, but I'm not 90
ing TO hurry myself; there's plenty of
time" After which sage conclusion she
went up to her room in gay spirits, thinking
of the good time she would have in making
up with Jack as she had done q number of
times before.
The next day Miss Ruby failed TO meet
Jack as usual. In fact a week passed, and
in all that time he had not called. She had
missed his presence from ball and
opera, and every place that she had graced
with her bright presence. At last, making
a few inquiries, she found that Jack was
out somewhere on the broad ocean ON his
way to China to join his brother, a tea mer-
chant, and was likely to be absent term
of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed to
fha oh IL,
could not conceal from her own heart that
something had gone from her that she
missed and longed for with an indescribaple
longing and wild regret. 1t was all the
more maddening that no one was to blame
for her sorrow but herself. The old places
had lost their charm. Every thing and
every body was inspid, fiat and mouotonous.
All if he would only return, how gladly
would she acknowledge her love- and how
gladly would she marry him at the earliest
date he might mention. Had she known
his address at that time she would have
written to tell him of her love and peni-
tence.
Sour years after Jack had gone Ruby
was AZ fashionable watering place. She
was still the belle of every assemblage
Ter Indifference and utter carelessness.
combined with her rare beauty, brought
almost mad with her coldness She was
still as lovely as ever, but in her big,
brown eyes there was n shade of sadness,
and slightly absent look which gave a
touch OF soul TO a face that had heretofore
sparkled with wit, and glowed with gay
city and high spirits, bat had lacked feeling.
Now it was perfect. II Jack could only see
her now
One day che was taking her morning
stroll, and feeling an unaccountable de-
preston OF spirits. Her great eyes were
wearing their most absent look, and as
they wandered over the crowd, that was
ever coming and going. she started VIC
lently, and her delicate, high-bred face
turned as white as the flmy lace at her
throat She fixed an absorbed gaze on a
vehicle that was slowly passing. The oc-
cupants were a road-shouldered, grand
looking man dressed in gray His shapely
head was crowned with white straw hat,
a pair of large, dishguring spectacles Of
colored glass completely hid his eyes, his
firm mouth was shaded with long brown
mustache, and between his lips was the
inevitable cigar. No whiskers hid his firm
chin and iine rounded throat. A footman
at his side was driving span of spirited
blacks. la an instant the equipage was
Hieuch W tu2 cfoWu, pOJ tbuOyS eyes
would have known that face, that form, il
it had been n far more fleeing glimpse.
She drew long breath, aud by the time
she reached her hotel and looked at herself
in her room, she was startled at the Joyous
brightness that sparkled In her eyes and
beamed from every feature. All day her
face wore an eager, expectant look, her
eyes were ever searching for something.
At the hop that night it was still the same.
Sho withdrew early and sought her room,
weary and heartsicl1.
"Oh," she said aloud, in troubled
voice, docs he know ! am here, and still
remain alopflr .-s