Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-02-19
A SEASONS JEST.
By HELENA MORRISON eArrs.

A blank look of surprised amaze
ment, deepening into serious concern,
crossed the face of Col. Felix Barring
ton as he stepped through the long
French window of the seaside hotel
L'Herronade and beheld limp. girl
ish figure curled up in pathetic bunch
OF despondent woe on the te!e-a-tste,
sobbing as if her heart would break.
Come, little one; this won't do, you
know
He removed his hat and sat down
by the weeper as he spoke. His voice
took tone of protective gentleuess
Tell me what has happened; there's a
good girl
An exquisite gem Of a scene, all
blue and gold, like an unframed pict.
ure. Ocean Grove was at its fairest,
the sky mammoth forget-me-not, an
avalanche of molten sunshine pouring
down on broad strip of shimmering
sand, which wound in and out, gilt
tering ribbon of light. Far as the eye
could reach the billowy Atlantic,
quivering and scintillating prismatic
colors like huge diamond, lifted its
blue-green waves and tossed them into
foaming shadows at its curling edge.
The salt breeze, pure and invigoraJing
as wine, blew fresh from its waters
and occasionally the faint flap of a
gull's wing might be heard or the echo
of some pleasure seekers voice floated
back from the distant buoyant ami
careless, freighted with happiness.
A summer morning by the sea, fair
as q flower, dew-crowned and fresh
from the hand of creation, but poor
little Rosalind Heath, face downward
on the small sofa, meeting the first,
keen grief of her, hitherto, untroubled
young life, cared nothing for It. She
hated the sun for shining, and won.
dered how people could laugh, while
she lay there SO miserable.
Her soft, brown hair, moist and
curling, at the temples was pushed
back carelessly. Her tiny, drenched
handkerchief was squeezed into a
damp ball; her head ached, and her
\ heart was stone in her breast.
do tell me-
Colonel Felix touched her gently;
he spoke urgently; a faint frown of
perplexity and trouble began to show
itself
Rose ventured to peep out from be-
hind her hands at him as she sat up,
debating whether she should speak.
No; Col. Darlington would not rid
icule her. 1t was quite safe to tell
him anything. Had he not been her
father confessor for ages? Forty
years old, too; he seemed quite a pat
riarch to l9-year- Rose.
'You-you won't laughp Timidly
she ventured the words at last.
Laugh! Do l ever make light of
your troubles, my pet2' He asked the
question earnestly, seriously.
NO. Oh, no, you never do. You
are goodness itself to me, Col. Bar
rington. And because ! think you arc
the best man in the world I shouldn't
like you to think me a silly and in
deed'-the soft, brown eyes SO full of
tears that she did not see him smile at
her innocent fattery-'this is a real
trouble.
4 think | can guess. May ~
Col. Felix took her small, hot hand,
with reverent gentleness His quiet
ly persistent question won her. She
NODDED, looking at him askance.
lis it not young my lord Harry's
latest freak of fancy that frets our lit
tie grip
She flushed under his keen Look,
but she replied bravely.
yes it is.
sOf course, with sudden womanish
defense of her lover, even against her
self, it's only fancy, as you say Col
onel. He doesn't really care for-for
her, but he is SO thoughtless.'
4 'Thoughtlessl I'd like to thrash
the scamp The Colonel's righteous
indignation showed itself-a fame of
wrath flushed his pleasant face, but he
hastened to add as the grieved lips
trembled.
mo, no, my dear child don't look
like that / won't say q word against
your lover (much as it would relieve
me to boot him under his breath. J
Tell me all.
We'll, Of course, you know we'er
engaged Rosalind spoke hesitating-
".
4 was sure he really did love me
till
sAh, yes. Till Ia belle Miss Van
De Venter, the Colorado helress, with
her too apparent diamonds and her
soupcon of western slang, dawned on
us, and Sir Harvey went down like
Pharoah's hosts before her.
tYes.'
Rose WINGED under his scarcasm,
her pale cheek Redeemed proudly, and
she spoke hautily:
You are aware, Col. Darlington,
that / don't want ar unwilling love;
never that. But it hurts us to lose
faith
My dear girl, the sharpest pain we
have to bear is the first doubt of those