The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-09-25

About two weeks after the arrival o
Aunt Marguerite at the mill thing
came to pass which caused her to begil
fearing lest the seed of trouble had al
ready been sown in Rosalie's life.
was visit from that magnetic younl
cavalier Frank Ellis, who, thinking h
had thoroughly outwitted the govern
ment -deteetivee, he'd ence more begul
his riding into and out of the valley OF
his mysterious business He brough
some papers and magazines for the mem
bers of the mill household, among then
recent number of The Revue des Deul
Mondes for Colonel Chenier, who, from
natura. bent, distaste for everything
American since the downfall of the
south, and from long habit, turned to-
ward France for all his reading. A gay
fashion periodical pleased Rosalie with
its colored plates representing stylish
women and children at northern sum.
mer resort. With all young girls Gu
riosity touching them, she vet seemed
not to think of these lovely and costly
dresses, bonnets and things in connec-
ton with herself.
She mastered with quick chances the
minutest details of their construction
and arrangement, admired the exquisite
blending of colors, the graceful lines of
waist and skirt, the jaunty elegance of
this hat or the quiet charm of that bon
net. Her taste was not at fault. She
chose the simpler things But she chose
them in the abstract and with no per-
sonal view, not with any immediate
sense of their appropriateness to a pur-
pose or need of her own Ellis sat on a
bench beside her and helped her turn
the leaves of the periodical, now and
then Offering some light comment on the
plates
Aunt Marguerite noticed with the
practiced eye of one old in the waysof
society that this young man was no boor
ish mountaineer. He was a keen, thor
oughly sophisticated, self poised man Of
the world-a narrow world, maybe, but
the world all the same. She did not like
his restless eye, his startled glances, as of
hunted man, and she recoiled from his
big pistols, his gun and his bowie knife
He looked to her Ikea bad man, who
could nearly hide his badness under
veneering of suave politsness His voice
had false notes And yet she could see
how easily he might hsve been good
and perhaps even a great man. His large
head, his strong, dark face. his air of i'm
periousness, his firmly rounded jaws,
were the opponents OF high order of
ability.
"How well such a dress as that would
become you!" he said to Rosalie, pointing
out blue silk robe ruffied and fiounced
in the then prevailing style; "your COM
plexion and your pale, bright hair would
blend so sweetly with that color"
This seemed to Marguerite Chenier
Roosevelt piece of cool, devilish wick |
edness. She saw Rosalie glance down |
at her own coarse white dress, dusty |
with Hour, a shadow of self conscious |
ness fitting across her pure face Ellis |
bent closer to her ear. and added in a
very sweet soft tone:
blue and gold: your hair would fall |
over that rich silk like fieeces of sunset !
cloud over blue sky. How ! should |
like to see You in that sort of attire
You are very beautiful. Miss Rosalie-
Miss Chenier. y his voice dropping almost
to whisper
But Aunt Marguerite overheard every
word She could not help it.
A rich blush leaped into Rosalie's
,heeks. and then nallor followed
which affected Aunt Marguerite deeply.
An. this serpent in Edenl The good
woman felt as if she would like to bruise
his head with her heel
Come. Rosalie DEAR she said. ii
want you to go with me to my room.
'lease You know you haven't read to
ne any today
ine young girl rose promptly, with
--'~' -~--~--;,-> smile rs le- erntis