Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-10-22
PLAYED AND LOST.

the low porch of her mothers house;
n handsome young man lny stretched
ut her feet on the lawn another
young couple were engaged in n game
Of croquet The suns last CLEAN light
ed up Grace AIunson's face with Il
halo Of beauty, and Bernard Norton
looked at her with uudisguised admiral
ton
There is nothing so lovely as a love
ly woman" he said aloud.
The pale check of ClaIico Barton
flushed as she quickly glanced at the
speaker. 1t was the third time within
the hour that he had referred TO her
cousin Grace's beauty.
Grace is indeed lovely" she said
Il would give half my life to be as
beautiful"
And | would give half my fortune
to have you So
No sooner We're the words uttered
than Norton would have given much
to recall them; but he had poken I'M
thinkingly Clance shrank as though
she had been struck, arose quickly,
ana went mo Ole mousse.
- am in a pretty fix now" Norton
muttcred, as he arose and walked
across the lawn. THAT was nice
speech for n fellow to make to the
girl he expects to marry! And Clarice
is as proud as Lucifer, too-high-Strung
as she is plain, and that is saying a
great deal, by Jove! I never noticed
her lack of beauty SO much before
Grace came. a pity one can't lind all
things combined In one womaul Won
der il ought to apologize! oh, wen.
LIN going away in ten days. and shell
forgive and forget Absence makes the
heart softer" And with this conSoling
thought he strollcd on to join Grace
AIunson, whose companion was just
taking his leave.
Grace WINS like delicate flower
sparkling with the dew of morning.
She had soft blue eyes. an exquisite
complexion, and golden hair Alto
gether she made picture Of rare
beauty, and it was no wonder that
Bernard Norton found pleasure in
merely looking at her
That evening ClaTlce did not appear
in the drawing-room, and Norton was
free to devote himself to her lovely
cousin. Mrs. Barton observed his CON
duct with displeasure; from the first
she had not approved of her daughters
sutton, and wondered what attraction
the careless. frivolous young man held
for her sensible Clarice.
Next morning a note was handed
Norton. Its contents filed him with
mingled annoyance aud relief.
"When you receive this" Clarlce
wrote, 81 shall have gone to my aunt
for a time You do not love me, Ber-
nard, and it is best for our engage
ment to end Be happy in your own
way and be very sure l shall be in
mine"
That was all Demands self-esteem
was seriously wounded by the epistle
But he consoled himself with the
thought that he was now free to WOO
the charming Grace, and at the end OF
the month made q formal ayowal of
love to her
Il have loved you ever since we met
he said. "Clarice saw this and gener-
ously set me free" And Grace, who
had become very much enamored Of
her handsome sutton, gave him the
answer she crayed.
Two weeks later Mrs. Barton and
Clarice were on their way to Europe,
and Bernard was trying to submit to
the stern decree of Grace's father
Eyes, sir, you can marry my daugh-
ter" Mr. Munson had said, If you love
her well enough to wait three years.
l am opposed to early marriages. No
girl is fit for wedlock before she is p,
and 25 is still better"
1t occurred to Bernard that he was
likely to spend the greater part OF his
youth in the capacity Of an engaged
man" and he did not improve in humor
thereby.
Grace was an acknowledged belle,
aud for time he was pleased Mt her
success. But there was a secret bitter
ness underlying his pleasure, Tor he
saw little II his beuothed, except in
society's whirlpool, There would be
no change in this state Of affairs until
their time Of probation ended, and
feeling in false position, he conclud-
ed to spend the remaining year in
travel
When he babe Grace goodbye he
was struck with the fact that she look
ed much older than she did at the time
of their engagement. TWO years Of
dissipation lad left their mark upon
her delicate beauty.
BE careful, Grace" he said Keep
some Of your roses for me until
claim YOU"
He SAID nothing Of her fidelity; he
was only afraid she might lose the
beauty ne worshiped
Grace was sorry to lose her lover;
she felt desolate for . whole day, aud
cried herself TO sleep the first night
But Bernard wrote her charming letters
Of travel and she soon forgot her
grief. She sent him IN return the brief
est of notes. for the charming Grace
lid not excel rs a correspondent. But
one glance at the porcelain picture he