San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-03-06

that was grave, dignifed, courteous.
"Uncle Albert" explained Cyril, with
boyish eagerness, "this is Miss Rosin'
Wilde" otL "
Wildei The old gentleman started per
ceptibly. He looked at the blushing cir
at the yellowish gown. He bowed.
"And," avowed young Rodney, send
ing his sweetheart swift smile Of en-
couragement, "and-the young lady oi
whom spoke to YOU"
"Ohl" exclaimed Albert Ellsworth
Then interrogatively: "Wildea Was
your fathers name Clayton Wilder"
Rosine assented.
"And your mothers maiden name was
Magnolia Kingsley" e.3eh
"Oh, dear, no! Aunt Magnolia was
never married. My mothers name was
Madeline Kingsley"
"Eh2 cried the dragon.
The forid color had faded from his
cheeks. He was tugging nervously at
his dark mustache. He looked agitated,
perplexed. aa3
"My mother died ten years ago." said
Rosine, land since then have lived with
Aunt Magnolia"
Mr.. Ellsworth regarded her grimly.
sis that" he asked abruptly, "your
aunt's gown you have onP"
The soft rose fire in the girls cheek
deepened. ~ ~ .3-
"How in the world did you know"
she counter questioned.
A queer, wavering 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. T
eff she is" cried Rosine, stung to de-
fense by a remark she chanced to con-
slider rude, sit is because she was true to
a lover who proved unworthy of herI'
"EhI' calculated Mr.. Ellsworth, more
sharply than before. And suddenly he
turned and walked away.
The following day he insisted on ac-
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 ia
miliar figure moving among the potted
palms and boxes of blooms.
"Go on, lad" he 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 peculiar
possibility made him catch his breath
and do as hidden. He 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.
"Magnolial" he cried.
Miss Magnolia gazed at him in dazed,
half frightened kind of way. Did ghosts
ever appear in the daytime? StouteI
than he whom she had known, and with
hair grown gray. But the same. Around
her, in 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
1t than she ever had come in her life.
"Did you think had deserted you,
Magnolia? When l left you to go north
on business / believed in you us I've
never believed in any one since. And
while away heard and read that you
had married that young Wilde used
to be so jealous Of. So / went to Europe.
And / stayed there"
"But Clayton Wilde married Made. /,
line. I always told you he came to sec .
her," ,,
Eyes, l know that-now. I was =
fool to have been so easily convinced OF I,
your falsity. You haven't changed a !
bit. l knew you the moment l saw .
you."
Miss Magnolia smiled delightedly. She /,
lid not know he had expected to see .
Ter. Z
81 never forgot the dress you wore the I;
asst time saw you," declared Mr.. Ellis /,
worth, waxing fervent. 81 recognized il :,
IN your niece last night" .
Last night Are you-surely you are :,
lot the dragon" =
"Wha-at!" .
"The-the dragon!" faltered Miss Mag. >
Iolia-
Mr.. Ellsworth still looked blank. =
"That," murmured the little lady,
ceiling she was in for il, and might
S well make a clean breast, "was what
.Osine and called Cyril's uncle. And
.Osine was going to conquer him." n
He burst out laughing. i'
''Well, she did. The boy shall marry a.
Iadeline's pretty daughter. And you, n
marry mer' a.
"Oh, dear, mol I'm too old" n
Not day" q
"And ugly-nowr D'
"Loveliest woman in the world 10 me- o.
sisted the dragon, loyalty. b
Bless you, my childrenIT cried a voice o
ON above. 20
The pair in the courtyard glanced up. M
n one Of the inner balconies stood Rosine 70
ID Cyril. m
vanish, you scamps,- reared the "a
agOn. &C
Il shan't allow you 20 marry q south -
n girl, SIR shouted hack Cyril, - be
d Rosine beat a brisk retreat
Laughing and breafhles they faced "a
ch other in the old drawing room. N
Everything il lovely. sreetbezrtl- an
ed Cyril, in an ecstasy.-Kaie n IN
szry in New YORK Ledger. s.
III