The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-01-08
ROSE JAFFREY'S LOVER.

Was there a niadder little bit of beauty
in all the town than Rose Jaifreys was
Mad In her love of dancing, of music of
dress, of lovers, of life Not that she loved
the lovers, nor one of them. She let them
love her aud hover around her for want of
better But the one she might, she could,
she would have loved only looked on while
she danced.
"Why shouldn't | dance" she said to her
demure cousin Margaret, "because Gordon
Penmorc looks daggers at the dancers?
You should see his (Gord0n's) eyes as he
watches me lying In Hayden Roth's arms
In that new figure, and floating, floating,
floating And I'm not really lying in his
arms at all, you know, but taking care of
myself like a piece of cut steel don't
know why Gordon Penmore should make
it his affair at all. Oh, how | should hate to
be obedient to his whims - to any mans
whims."
And before she had well ceased speaking
the little sprte's face was buried among
the sofa cushions, and she was shaking
with gust of sobs. 1.-The idear' she cried
springng to her feet the next moment
Crying for all ! am worth because Cor
don Penmore isis in existencel What
should care for the great arrow pointed
eyes' will let him see tonightr'
And she did, as she danced at Mrs. Bad
don's ball-danced as the waves dance, as
lightly, as gayly, rs trelessly She stopped
suddenly-stopped just where he Stood at
the conservatory door
ut makes one almost Giddy," she said.
smiling family
Quite" said he gravely.
Thanks, Mr.. Roth Now | am going
to remember my promise for the rest of
the waltz in favor Of my cousin Margaret.
III you want to do me favor you will take
her out. And | will stay beside Mr.. Pen
more till you bring her here"
"You don't approve OF all this, do your"
she said, looking up at Gordon.
Don't approve, he repeated.
"No, you don't approve of it, And
wonder what you are here for. You know
you are just as-as wicked in countenanc-
ing the wrong by looking on as am in do.
ing 1t. Oh, what "A lovely alrl How can
you keep your feet still'"
"You can't" he said, smiling.
"Oh, II you only knew anything about
dancing" she exclaimed, .'you couldn't
either. 1t is like having wings. Ali that
air is simply delicious"
"Well, let us try it," said Gordon Pen.
more, 81 can waltz on occasion. Let me
see il dancing is al you say it is-that is"
remembering himself. "if you will do mo
the honor"
''Oh, honorl" said Rose, laughing like a
mischievous sprite. "You know you don't
regard it so at all You look Mt IL almost
rs degradation. All the same, you are
dancingl And will 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 his bending face
her heart beating 80 that he could feel it's
throbs, was whirling 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
II to breathe the bewildering odors in he
shadow OF group of lemon trees Nei
ther of them spoke, till slowly. as II drawn
by an unwilling fate. their eyes met in
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 to the eternities.
When next morning Gordon Peumore
came, Rose crept into the drawing room
like a guilty child.
81 thought-oh, ! thought" she whis.
pered, after he had reassured her. 'that
you-you despised me-"
II shall never even despise dancing
again, now that it has given me you," he
exclaimed. How could dream you
loved me''' he said.
When he left her that day he left on her
hand ring Of strange and fragile set
Ting that held an old mine stone of rare
brI1liance. ut is the most sacred thing
have" he said. ut was my mothers be-
tr6thal ring; it shall he yours"
Oh" she cried, 81 am not good enough
half ,..I. r..
should have chosen Cousin Margaret, who
ID "A saint, instead Of frivolous butterfly
like me, whose feet are her wings"
"You have wings" he said, but they
areHngels' wings. Oh. never spread them
t0aeave my arms"
And how he loved her. or seemed to love
herj He would have lavished the world
upon her; jewels and all costly things, but
her cousin Margaret would let her have
none of them, and so instead he filled the
house every day with flowers. But her
daHting days were over. After that
night" said he, II can never dance again.
YOU cannot repeat heaven" Nor could he
ever see her thus in the arms of another.
Ignorant of the crown that Rose had be-
slowed on his rival, Hayden Roth still de-
voted himself to her with the ardor that
c6mes from love and hope. And Gordon,
her, became uneasy and sometimes spoke
scpTningly OF him. Sometimes he spoke
stormingy, and once he went out having
foho,idden Rose to recognize the persistent
fellow when next she met him.
But Rose did not mind. "Of course he
did not mean it," she said, when up in her
room with Margaret, rs she combed out
her long lovely hair-hair like spun gold.
'-f1e couldn't mean anything so unknd AS
that. Don't you see how he is reforming
me- Cousin Margaret? ! shall some day
he& much a saint rs you are. He says
alIfah angel nowl Oh, no, he will come in
1eyt. time very likely arm in arm with
Haynon Roth"
"He is coming to take us to the opera to-
night, Cousin Margaret" she said, coming
into the drawing room after luncheon.
"Oh, how happy am! | am 80 happy that
Tfeel as IL something were going to hap
pcnt But suppose" she added, that it
Is otf1y because don't deserve himl He is