Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-05-24

your fathers namo CLAYTON Wilde ?"
Rosine assentoI.
And your mothers maiden name was
Magnolia hingsey:"
"Oh, dear no, Aunt Magnolia was
17c,er married. Ny mothers name was
Madeline Kingsley"
Eth? ?" cried the dragon.
The florid color had faded from hq
cheeks. He was Juggling nrrloJ-lr At
his dark mustache He looked agilatrd,
perplexed.
My mother died ten years ago. eai
Roeinp. "and since then have lived with
Aunt Magnolia"
Mr.. Ellsworth regarded her. grimly.
as That, he asked. abruptly. your
aunt's gown YOU have on"
The soft rosc-hre in the girls check
deepcned.
How in the world did YOU know
she counter-qu"stioned
\ queer, waveriug smile was his only
reply.
\ constrained silence ensuod Cyril
gave his uncle an astomishcl glance.
so 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. it is because she was true to
lover who proved unworthy of her"
En-" calculated Mr.. Ellsworth, more
charpIy 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 house in
the French quarter. where dwelt Rosine.
As they We're passing the vaulted en-
trance to the little tagged courtyard,
Albert Ellsworth caught sight of fa-
mIiar figure moving among the potted
palms and boxes of blooms.
Go on, lad, he said to Cyril He had
paused. and was looking through the
brief avenue of gloom to the brightness
beyond.
Cyril was about to question this new
vagary, when the thought of peculiar
possibility made him catch his breath
and do as hidden. lie knocked at the
barred back door. and was admitted to
Rosine's radiant presence And meanwhile
his uncle Went into the courtyard. The
little old lady standing by the banana
tree looked up at the sound of the step on
the stones.
Magnolia :" he cried.
Miss Magnolia gaZed at him in dazed,
half frightened kind of way. Did ghosts
ever appear in the daytime? Stouter
than he whom she had known. and with
lol, ll1tt no 4
her, i'll a fantastic dance, the broken
fountain, the long leaved banana tree and
the giant oIeanders went whrling. 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. believed in you as I've
never believed in any one since. And
while away heard and read that YOU
had married that Young Wilde I used to
be so jealous Of SO | went to Europe.
And ] staid there.
But Clayton Wilde married Madeline.
] always told you he came to see her."
YES, know that-now Twas a fool
to have been so easily convinced of your
falsit,. You haven't changed a bit. 1
knew you the moment saw you"
Miss Magnolia smiled delightcdly.
She did not know he had expected to sac
her.
~ never forgot the dress YOU wore the
last time saw YOU" declared Mr.. Els
worth. waxing fervent Il recognized
it on your niece last night"
Last night. Are you-surely you are
not the dragon ~
"Wha-at ?"
"The-thc dragon !" faltered Miss Mag
nolia.
Mr.. Ellsworth still looked blank.
"That,' murmured the little lady,
feeling she was in for it, and might as
we'll make clean breast, was what
Rosine and called Cyril's uncle. And
Rosine was going to conquer him."
He burst ont laughing.
"Well, .hn did. The boy shall marry
Madelin"s pretty daughter. And you,
Magnolia you'll marry me |"
"Ob dear. no. I'm too old"
mot a day
And ugly-now !"
"Lovelest woman in the world to me, "
insisted the dragon, Loyalty.
Bless you, my children !" cried q
voice from above.
The pair in the courtyard glanced up.
On one of the inner balconies stood
Rosine and Cyril.
vanish, You scamps!" roared tho
dragon.
Il shan't allow you to marry a South
crn girl, sir !" shouted back Cyril, as ho
and Rosine beat brisk retreat
Laughing and breathless they faced
each other in the old drawing-room.
Everything's lovely, sweetheart"
cried Cyril, in an eCstacy.
Rosine looked deiciouslv doleful.
THAT'S just the trouble !" with pout
so provokingly pretty that her lover
kissed her there and then. "lf he had
only remained hard hearted, like the
uncIes innoveIs. we could have run away,
and lived in cottage powered in roses
and covered with thltch There isn't a
bit of romance when everything turns
out so beautifully-all at once"