The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-12-30
ROSE JAFFREY'S LOVER.

AeOIh . IL III - LIZ LII.
Was there madder little bit OF beaut,
in al the town than Rose Jaffrsvs was,
Mad in her love Of dancing. OF music. O.
dress. Of lovers. Of life. Not that she love-
the lovers. nor one Of them. She let then
love her and hover around her FOR want o.
better. But the one she might, she could
she would have loved only looked on Will,
she danced.
Why shouldn't dance, shes said to hel
demure cousin Margaret, because Gordon
Penmore looks daggers az the dancers;
You should see his (Gordon'si eyes as hs
watches me lying IN Hayden Roth's arms
in that new figure, aud floating, floating
floating and I'm not really lying in his
arms at all, you know, but taking care OF
myself ike piece of cut steel / don't
know why Gordon Penmore should make
II his affair az all. On, how should hate 70
Be obesiient 10 his whims to any mans
whims."
And before she had well ceased speaking
the little sprites face was buried among
the sofa cushions, and she WAS shaking
with gust Of sobs. The idea" shecried.
springing TO her feet the next moment.
Crying for all l am worth because Cor
don Penmore isis in existeneel What
should ! care for the great arrow pointed
eyess viii let him see tonight"
And she did. as she danced ~ Mrs Bad
dOn's ball-danced as the waves dance, as
lightly, rs gayiy, as tirelessly. She stopped
suddenly-stopped just where ne stood, at
the conservatory door.
1t makes one almost giddy," she said.
smiling family
"Qaite," said be gravely.
Thanks, Mr.. Roth. Now / am going
to remember my promise for the rest Of
the waltz in favor Of my cousin Margaret
II you want 10 do me favor you viii take
her out. And viii stay beside Mr. Pen
more till you bring her here"
You don't approve Of all this, do youg'
she said, looking up AZ Gordon.
Don't approve he repeated.
$40, you don't approve Of il. And
wonder what yon are mere for You know
yon are Just ass wicked in countenanc-
ing the wrong 10y looking on as am in do
ing r. On, what a lovely arr How can
you keep your feet stiils"
You can't. be said, smiling.
''Oh. II you only knew anything about
dancing" she exclaimed. You couldn't
either II i like having wings All that
air Is simply delicious.
'Well, let rs try If, :" said Gordon Pen
more, Il can waltz on occasion. Let me
see If dancing IS al yon say II is-that j.. -
remembering himself. IF you viii do me
the honor"
"0h, honorF' said Rose, laughing like a
mischievous sprite. ''1ou know you don't
regard It 50 atalL Tou look at IL almost
a a degradation All the same. you are
dancingi And viii show you that YOU
have never danced before" And then
Gordon Penmore. with Rose in his arms,
her soft cheek flushing under his eye, her
sweet breath warm on Ms bending face.
her heart beating 50 that he could feel It's
throbs, was whirliBg in the maddest
waltz Of the night But waking from the
dream they were just beside the cOnserva-
tory door once more. and, neither exactly
knowing how, they had wandered down
one OF the dewy alleys, and had paused rs
If TO breathe the bewildering odors in rhe
shadow Of group Of lemon trees. Nei-
ther Of them spoke, till slowly, as if drawn
by an unwilling fate. their eyes met in a
long deep gaze, and his head bent, his
arms were around her, and their lips met
in the strong sweet kiss Of passion that
belonged 10 the eternities.
When next morning Gordon Penmore
came, Rose crept into the drawing room
like guilty child
Il thought-oh, thOught,n she whis-
pered, after he mad reassured her. ''that
yOu-yOu despised me. +"
4 shall never even despise dancing
again, now that it has given me you,p he
exclaimed. How could dream yoa
loved me;" he said
When ne left her that dag be left on her
hand ring Of a strange and fragile set
ting, that held an old mine stone Of rare
brillianee- 1t is the most sacred thing
have" he said. 1T was my mothers be
trothal ring; IL shall be yours"
''Oh," She cried, Il am not good enough
am not half good enough for you. You
shOgld have chosen Cousin Margaret, who
is saint, Instead Of frivolous butterfly
like me, whose feet are her wings"
You have wings he said, "but they
are angels wings On, never spread them
TO leave my arms"
And how he loved her, or seemed to love
her. He would have lsvished the world
upon her; jewels and all costly things, but
her cousin Margaret would let her have
none of them, aud so instead he filed the
house every day with flowers But her
dancing days were over. After that
night. said he. Il can never dance again.
You cannot repeat heaven Nor could lie
ever see her thus in the arms OF another
Ignorant OF the crown that Rose had De-
slowed on his rival Havcon Roth stili de
voted himself TO her with the ardOr th-.t
4 4
who was jealous Of the wind that touched
Der, became uneasy and sometimes spoke
o. him. Sometimes he SPOKE
,torningiy. and once he went out having
forbidden Rose 10 recognize the persisterI
fellow when next she met him.
But Rose did not mind "Of course he
did not mean il, she said. when up in her
room with Margaret, as she cOmbed oct
her long lovely hair-hair like spun gold
He couldn't mean anything 50 unkinii is
Lat. Don't you see now he IS reforming
NE. Cousin Margaret / shall some day
be as much a saint as you are He SAYS !
am an angel nowi On, no. he viii come il
next time very likely arm in arm w.;a
Baysiou Roth"
He is coming 20 take Us 70 the opera %
night, CousiE. Margaret, she said, coming
into the draaiBg room after luncheGa.
-Oh, how haT7y am, am 50 happy that
feel a. II something were going TO h2r.-
pen, But l szppose." F" she added. ''that II
S only because I don't deserve himi He is
50 great and good and fiue and notis
aad''- And then. with her hands elaspei
above her head. she was OF all alone ~
herself, swimming down the room in a
waltz 70 the tune of her own cRroling-
And suddenly a strong arm had stolen
around her. a hand had grasped one OF
hers, and Hayden Roth. who had been
shown in by tbe butler, was waltzing down
the room with her.
Then all at once she sprAug after some
thing that rolled away. and cried in
piercing voice. ''Oh. Margaret. my rinsi
my ring. II is broken-it has come OF
the stone is gone. Oh, what am / 20
do, Oh. it was his mother'sI'' she cried.
forgetting all about Haydon's presence.
''He said il was sacred / mustn't tell
him; he viii think I took no care Of
It. And ! was dancingF7 And she was
moving everything, looking everywhere.