The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-05-09
+ disease to a chair VIII

Wide! Inc Old gentleman start
ceptibly. He looked at the blishin.
at the yellowish gown. He bowel
"And,7 avowed young Rodney, sell
ing his sweetheart a swift smile of e.
couragement, "and-the young lady OF
whom | spoke to YOU
"Oh.' exclaimed Albert Ellsworth.
Then interrogatively: wilde? Was
your father's name Clayton WRde?"
Rosine assented.
''And your mothers maiden name was
Magnolia Kingsley
sob, dear, no! Aunt Magnolia was
never married. My mothers name was
Madeline Kingsley"
"Eh?" cried the dragon.
The forid color had faded from his
his dark mustache. He looked agitated,
perplexed.
my mother died ten years ago." said
Rosine, ''and since then l have lived with
Aunt Magnolia"
Mr.. Ellsworth regarded her grimly.
SIS that" he asked abruptly, "your
aunt's gown you have ont'
The soft rose fire in the girls cheek
~deepened.
'.How in the world did you know"
she counter questioned.
A queer, wayering smile was his only
reply.
A constrained silence ensued. Cyril
gave his uncle an astonished glance.
$50 Magnolia is an old maid?' said Mr..
Ellsworth, abruptly.
''If she is" cried Rosine, stung to de-
Tense by a remark she CHANGED to con-
slider rude, sit is because she vas true to
a lover who proved unworthy of her"
fEh!' calculated Mr.. Ellsworth, more
sharply than before. And suddenly he
turned and walked away.
The following day he insisted on &C
companying his nephew to the gaunt,
ramshackle, once aristocratic old home
in the French quarter, where dwelt Ro-
sine. As they were passing the vaulted
entrance to the little tagged courtyard,
Albert Ellsworth caught sight of a ia
miliar figure moving among the potted
palms and boxes Of blooms.
$50 on, lad!' be had said to Cyril.
He had paused, and was looking through
the brief avenue of gloom to the bright
ness beyond.
Cyril was about to question this new
vagary, when the thought Of a peculiar
possibility made him catch his breath
and do as hidden. lie knocked at the
barred black door, and was admitted to
Rosine's radiant presence. And mean
while his uncle went into the courtyard.
The little old lady standing by the ba-
mana tree looked up at the sound of the
step on the stones.
''Magnolia,' he cried.
Miss Magnolia gazed at him in a dazed,
half frightened kind of way. Did ghosts
ever appear in the daytime? Stouter
than he whom she had known, and with
hair grown gray. But the same. Around
her, in a fantastic dance, the broken
fountain, the long leaved banana tree
and the giant oleanders went whirling.
She didn't faint, but she came nearer to
it than she ever had come in her life.
"Did you think | had deserted you,
Magnolia? When [ left you to go north
on business l believed in you as I've
never believed in any II since. And
while away heard and read that you
had married that young Wilde l used
to be 50 jealous of. So l went to Europe.
And | stayed there"
but Clayton Wilde married Made
line. l always told you he came to see
her"
Eyes, l know that-now. l was a
fool to have been SO easily convinced of
your falsity. You haven't changed a
bit. | knew you the moment saw
you"
Miss Magnolia smiled d~elightedly. She
did not know he had expected to see
her.
Il never forgot the dress you wore the
last time | saw you" declared Mr.. Els
worth, waxing fervent. II recognized it
on your niece last night"
Last night! Are you-surely you are
not the dragon
"Wha-at::"
"The-the dragon,' faltered Miss Mag
nolia.
Mr.. Ellsworth still looked blank.
That" Inurmured the little lady,
feeling she was in for it, and might
as well make a clean breast, twas what
Rosine and / called Cyril's uncle. And
Rosine was going to conquer him."
lie burst out laughing.
We'll, she did. The boy shall marry
Madeline's pretty daughter. And you,
Magnolia-you1l marry me!'
"Oh, dear, no! I'm too old"
Not a day
"And ugly-now!"
"Loveliest woman in the world to me-
insisted the dragon, Loyalty.
''Bless you, my children cried a voice
from above.
The pair in the courtyard glanced up.
On one Of the inner balconies stood Rosine
and Cyril.
vanish, you scamps!' roared the
dragon.
81 shan't allow you to marry a south
ern girl, sir!' shouted back Cyril, as he
and Rosine beat a brisk retreat.
Laughing and breathless they faced
each other in the cid drawing room.
Everything is lovely, sweetheart"
cried Cyril, in an ecstasy.-Kate NJ.
Cleary in New York Ledger.