, 1890-02-08
ROSINE'S ROMANCE.

drew the dress from the great cedar
trunk, unpinned the old damask table
cloth which enveloped it, and spread out
its shining folds for the admiration of her
niece, Rosine, that young lady clasped
her pretty hands and quoted Keats:
"tA thing of beauty is a joy %foreverr"
she said.
Miss Magnolia nodded and smiled. She
was small and round and brown as a
maiden Lady of a decidedly certain age
could be. But her heart, which had beer
full of sentiment once, was a warm and
sensitive organ still. And she took a
deal of interest in Rosine's
YES, my dear, it is a thing of beauty
And to think l never wore it but twice.
Dear, dearl"
You had a lover then, auntie?' asked
Rosine.
Eyes, pet. This was one of the dresses
l got for my marriage. But he went
away-on business, he said. And he
never came back. 1t is just the gown
for your fancy dress ball" hurried on
Miss Magnolia. "a trihe short, of
course, but there is quite a piece turned
in at the top that you could let down.
You shall go as a lady of long ago."
Not so very long ago." protested Ro-
sine, with a laugh. "But really, a%untie,
l don't like to take it. 1t is too ~lovelyi"
"Nor for a raiment of warl Remem-
Der, you are going to conquer the dra-
gonI'
THAT is so. And the master should
have written, Thrice is she armed who
wear u pretty dress!'"
The foe against whom Miss Rosine
Wilde purposed ~arraying herself was the
obdurate uncle of her handsome lover.
Most promptly and perversely had he
opposed the marriage of his nephew.
The young fellow would have ignored
the refusal of his relative, were it not
that the old gentleman had always beer
very kind and good to him; had indeed
taken the place of his dead father tc
him. So he decided that Rosine should
meet his uncle and put his prejudice to
rout.
He is coming to visit an old friend of
his" Cyril had said-"Judge Chartreau.
You know the Chartreau family. OF
course you nave heard they are going to
give a fancy dress ball next month in
honor of the coming out of their daugh-
q AootNbt II ltCClNO Il Cdlu.
You will attend. You will meet Uncle
Albert. And you will take his heart by
storm"
Hopefully had he planned his scheme;
enthusiastically had he explained it. But
Rosine protested. 1t was to be a grand
ball, and she had nothing to wear. Be
sides, she did not like the idea of plot
ting to make a person like her. And
"Bless you," cried Cyril, she doesn't
dislike you. l don't believe he ever
knows your name. His resentment il
general, not particular. AS soon as
told him l was in love with a southern
girl he-he q have to drop into slang
Rosine)-he sat square down on me. II
seems a southern girl Tilted him when
he was young, and he is bound to save
me from a like awful fate. But when
once he sees you he is bound to capitu.
late. He is a regular old brick-Uncle
Albert"
But l have nothing to wear. And,
what is more, l can't buy a dress for the
Chartreau ball. We-Aunt Magnolia
and I-are poor as the proverbial church
mice"
But just then Miss Magnolia came to
Rosine's relief like a regular little fairy
godmother.
The very thingH she cried-"my prim.
rose satin!''
Rosine regarded her obviously, delight.
eddy.
jealousy, she knew, had her aunt al.
ways guarded her trunkful of treasures,
her jewels, her laces, her rich, stiff, glis
tening old brocades.
"Do you mean it, auntie?'
Miss Magnolia's bright old eyes winkeG
very rapidly indeed.
II do, my dear! l was young once
myself"
And that was how Rosine Wilde came
to be the belle of Madame Chartreau'
fancy dress ball. The proposed festivity
had been the talk of New Orleans fol
several weeks. The night long anticipa
ted was cool, crisp, sweet and pearly
Brilliantly lighted was the broad balco
MED old residence on st. Charles street
Many n carriage rolled up, rolled off
When Rosine descended from the ba
rouche of her chaperon she felt a little
nervous, a little elated and conscious thai
she was looking uncommonly well-as
indeed she was. Quite a picture was the
pretty young figure, in the clinginl
gown of pale yellowish satin, picturesque
ly pulled and quantity fashioned. TIL,
corsage, cut roundly, revealed the firm
full throat. Dainty mouse skin swathec
the arms, which, if slender, were ais
exquisitely rounded. And the small
olive tinted face was lit to loneliness by
pansy black eyes. A flash of Alteration
succeeded the serene nonchalance o
Cyril Rodney's c~ountenance as he caugh
sight of her. He made his way to he
side.
"Queen Rosinel" he murmured. {"
wonder if you know that you're by ia
the prettiest girl here tonight Poo
Uncle Albert! How complete will be hi
surrender!'
She swept him a mocking courtesy.
"Ah," she said, smilingly, "if tina
conviction were but mine"-
The sentence ended in a long, sof
sigh.
Isl tie pas gagne"-he began. "Con