Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-05-21


bo III eagerness. this is Miss Rosine
Wilde
Wilde. The old gentleman started
creaptibly. He looked at the blushing
gil-at the yellowish gown. He bowed.
And. avowed young Rodney. send
ing his sweetheart a swift smile of n
enlargement, ~and-the young lady Of
whom l spoke to you.
OH" exclaimed Albert Ellsworth
Then interrogatively: wilde: Was
your fathers name Clayton Wilde;"
Rosine assented.
"And your mothers maiden name was
Magnolia Kingsley"
~Oh, dear no, Aunt Magnolia was
never married. My mothers name was
Madeline Kingsley"
"Eh:T cried the dragon.
The florid color had faded from his
cheeks. He was tugging nervously at
his dark mustache. He looked agitated,
perplexed.
~ mother died ten years ago, said
RI ne, land since then have lived with
Aunt Magnolia.
Mr.. Ellsworth regarded her, grimly.
"ls that. he asked. abruptly, your
cunts gown you have on:'
The soft rose-fire in the girls cheek
deepened.
How in the world did you know!"
sh' ounter-questioned.
queer, wavering smile was his only
reply.
\ constrained silence ensued. Cyril
ga his uncle an astonished glance.
o Magnolia is nm old maid;' said
M ellsworth, abruptly.
"if she is. cried Rosine, stung to de-
fense by a remark she CHANGED to con-
slider rude, lit is because she was true 10
lover who proved unworthy Of her
En-" calculated Mr.. Ellsworth more
sharply than before. And suddenly ho
turned and walked away.
The following day he insisted on ac-
companying his nephew to the gaunt,
ramshackle. once aristocratc house in
the French quarter where dwelt Rosine.
As they were pa ing the vaulted en-
trance to the littl tagged courtyard,
Albert Ellsworth caught sight of a fa-
miliar figure moving among the potted
palms and boxes of blooms.
~Go on. lad, he id to Cyril He had
paused, and was ooking through the
brief avenue Of gloom 10 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 bidden He knocked at the
barred back door. and was admitted to
Rosines radiant presence. And meanwhile
his uncle went into the courtyard. The
little old lady sta ing by the banana
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 lone-caved 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 l had deserted you,
Magnolia: When left you to go North
on business. l 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 used to
be so jealous of. So went 10 Europe.
And ! staid there
"But Clayton Wilde married Madeline.
always told you he came to see her. "
"Yes. / know that-now. was fool
to have been so easily convinced of your
falsity. You haven't changed "A bit.
knew you the moment l saw you
Miss Magnolia smiled delightedly.
She did not know he had expected TO sec
her
II 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 arc
not the dragon;"
"Wha-at Z"
"The-the dragon y faltered Miss Mag
nolia.
Mr.. Ellsworth still looked blank.
"That. murmured the little lady,
feeling she was in for it, and might as
well make clean breast, was what
Rosine and called CyriIs uncle. And
Rosine was going to conquer him.
He burst out laughing.
"Well. she did. The boy shall marry
Madeline's pretty daughter And you.
Magzolia-youll marry me :"
"Oh, dear, no! I'm too old. "
"Not 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 TODD
Rosine and Cyril.
"vanish, you scampsl" roared tho
dragon.
Il shan't allow you 10 marry South
ern girl. sir! y shouted back Cyril, as b.
and ROsine beat brisk retreat
Laughing and breathless they faced
each other in the old drawing-room.
~Eyerything's lovely, sweetheart"
cried Cyril, in an ecstacy.
Rosine looked deliciously doleful.
~Thats just the trouble !" with pout
so provokingly pretty that her lover
kissed her there and then. IF he had
only remained hard-hearted, like the
uncles innovels. we could have run away,
and lived in cottage powered in roses
and covered with thatch There isn't
bit Of romance when everything turns
out 50 beautifully-all at once.
VI, LII. l.--.......-.A.- ~ Ii. Lii