Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-06-27
FALSE DAWN.

mo Illttu Will ever KNOW Iu6 exact Irubl
of this story; though women may some
times whisper it to one another after
dance, when they are putting up their
hair for the night and comparing lists
of victims. A man, of course, cannot
assist at these functions So the tale
must be told from the outside-in the
dark-all wrong
Never praise a sister to sister in the
hope of your compliments reaching the
proper ears, and so preparing a way for
you later on. Sisters are women first,
and sisters afterwards; and you will
find that you do yourself harm.
Saumarez knew this when he made up
his mind to propose to the elder Miss
Copleigh. Saumarez was strange man,
with few merits, so far as men could
see, though he was popular with women,
and carried enough conceit to stock
viceroy's council and leave little over
for the commander-in-chief's staff. He
was a civilian. Very many women took
an interest in Saumarez, perhaps, be-
cause his manner to them was offensive
If you hit pony over the nose at the
outset of your acquaintance he may not
love you, but he will take deep interest
in your movements ever afterwards
The elder Miss Copleigh was nice, plump,
winning and pretty. The younger was
not so pretty, and, from men disregard
ing the hint set forth above, her style
was repellant and unattractive. Both
girls had, practically, the same figure,
and there was a strong likeness between
them in look and voice; though no one
could doubt for an instant which was
the nicer of the two.
Saumarez made up his mind, as soon as
they came into the station from Behar, to
marry the elder one. At least, we all
made sure that he would, which comes
to the same thing. She was two-and-
twenty and he was 39, with pay and al
lowances of nearly 400 rupees month.
So the match, as we arranged it, was in
every way a good one. Saumarez was
his name and summary wa' his nature,
as man once said. Having drafted his
resolution, he formed q select committee
Of one to sit upon it, and resolved to take
his time. In our unpleasant slang, the
Copleigh girls "hunted in couples" That
is to say, you could do nothing with one
without the other. They were loving
sisters, but their mutual affection was
sometimes inconvenient. Saumarez held
the balance hair true between them, and
none but himself could have said to which
side his heart inclined, though every one
guessed. He rode with them good deal
and danced with them, but he never sue
ceeded in detaching them from each other
for any length of time.
Women said that the two girls kept
together through deep mistrust, each
fearing that the other would steal
march on her. But that has nothing to
do with man. Saumarez was silent
for good or bad, and as business-likely
attentive as he could be, having due re-
gard to his work and his polo Beyond
doubt both girls were fond of him.
AS the hot weather drew nearer and
Saumarez made 10 sign women said
that you could see their trouble in the
eyes Of the girls-that they were looking
strained, anxious and irritable. Men
are quite blind in these matters unless
they have more Of the woman than the
man in their composition, in which case
it does not matter what they say or
think. | maintain it was the hot April
days that took the color out of the
Copleigh girls cheeks. They should
have been sent to the Hills early. No
one-man or woman-feels an angel
when the hot weather is approaching.
The younger sister grew more cynical
not to say acid-in her ways; and the
winningness of the elder wore thin.
There was more effort in it,
Now the station wherein all these
things happened was, though not little
one, off the line of rail, and suffered
through want Of attention. There were
no gardens, or bands, or amusements
worth speaking of, and it was nearly a
days journey to come into Lahore for
dance People were grateful for small
things to interest them.
About the beginning of May and just
before the final exodus of Hill goers,
when the weather was very hot and
there were not more than twenty people
in the station, Saumarez gave a NOON
light riding picnic at an old tomb, six
miles away, near the bed of the river.
1t was "Noah's ark" picnic; and there
was to be the usual arrangement of
quarter mile intervals between each
couple, on account of the dust Six
couples came altogether, including cha
perones. Moonlight picnics are useful
just at the very end of the season, before
all the girls go away to the Hills. They
lead to understandings, and should be
encouraged by chaperones; especially
those whose girls look sweetest in riding
habits. / knew a case once. But that
is another story. That picnic was called
the "Great Pop Picnic" because every
one knew Saumarez would propose then
TO the eldest Miss Copleigh; and, besides
his affair, there was another which
might possibly come to happiness. The
social atmosphere was heavily charged
and wanted clearing.
We met at the parade ground at 10;
the night was fearfully hot. The horses
sweated even at walking pace, but any