The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-05-09
ROSINE'S ROMANCE.

When Miss Magnolia carefully with
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 elasped
her pretty hands and quoted Keats:
"a thing of beauty is a joy forever"
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 been
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 / never wore it but twice.
Dear, DEAR
..You had a lover then, auntie:' asked
Rosine.
ayes, pet. This was n of the dresses
| got for my marriage. But he went
away-on business, he said. And he
never came back. 1t is just the gown
for our fancy dress ball" hurried on
Miss Magnolia. GA trifle short, of
course, but there is quite a piece turned
in at the top that you could let down.
You shall 90 as a lady of long ago"
mot SO very long ago protested Ro-
sine, with a laugh. "But really, %auntie,
don't like to take it. 1t is too lovely!
s.Nor for a raiment of war; Remem-
Der, you are going to conquer the dra-
gon!'
THAT is SO. And the master should
have written, Thrice is she armed who
wears a 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 been
very kind and good to him; had indeed
taken the place of his dead father to
him. So he decided that Rosine should
meet his uncle and put his prejudice to
rout.
aHe is coming to visit an old friend of
his" Cyril had said-"Judge Chartreau.
You know the Chartreau family. Of
course YOU have heard they are going to
give q fancy dress ball next month in
honor of the coming out of their daugh-
ter, Lissette. You will receive 4 card.
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. / don't believe he even
knows your name. His resentment is
general, not particular. AS soon as l
told him 1 was in love with a southern
girl he-he q have to drop into slang,
Rosine)-he sat square down OF me. 1t
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 / 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.
1.-THE very thing" 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 winked
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's
fancy dress ball. The proposed festivity
had been the talk of New Orleans for
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 a 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 that
she was looking uncommonly well--as
indeed she was. Quite a picture was the
pretty young figure, in the clinging
gown of pale ycllowish satin, picturesque
ly pulled and quantity fashioned. The
corsage, cut roundly, revealed the firm,
full throat. Dainty mouse skin swathed
the arms, which, if slender, were also
exquisitely rounded. And the small,
olive tinted face was lit to lo%yeliness by
pansy black eyes. A flash of alteration
succeeded the serene nonchalance Of
Cyril Rodney's countenance as he caught
sight of her. lie made his wav to her
side.
"Queen Rosine!' he murmured. 81
wonder if you know that you're by far
the prettiest girl here tonight! Poor
Uncle Albert! How complete will be his
surrender"
She swept him a hooking courtesy.
"Ah," she said, smilingly, ''if that
conviction were but mine'-
The sentence ended in q long, soft
sigh.
Isl te pas gagne"-he began. Soon
found it, ! never can get my tongue
1900 49,, nt =