Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-08
A ROBBERS PRIZE.

1t was no wonder loved her; the Won
der would have been if had not-iso-
lated as we were, shut out from other
society or diversions; | young and sus-
reptible, she Queenly and fascinating.
She was two years my senior. She
had been belle two seasons, and, dis
gusted in the midst of the third, ran
away to my aunt's to recruit and forget.
bhe was there when | came home from
school at the summer vacation. l was
twenty, she was twenty-five, and we
spent all those lingering scented sum-
mer months in the same house. dare
say she never thought of anything so
improbable as my falling in love with
her.
Her look when | confessed the state
of my heart said all that and more The
regal head turned languidly on the GRIM
son cushion against which she reclined,
and she regarded me with most pro-
voking, steady incredulity in her beau
tiful face. The full, finely cut lips quiv-
cred with suppressed smiling.
"Does any honest love deserve to be
laughed at, Miss Ruth?' | questioned,
with half angry tremor in my voice.
"Certainly not" said Miss Ruth. 81
dare say you are honest enough, but
you're not old enough"
Ruth Bonange sank back among her
cushions, convulsed with laughter. l
stood meanwhile, every nerve tingling,
passions of anger devouring me.
"Miss Ruth" said, Il am waiting
for my answer"
"You ridiculous Steve, haven't you
got it?" she said, sitting up and staring at
me.
"You won't laugh the next time tell
you love you, Miss Ruth" said to my
self as she gathered her sil1en draperies
around her and swept into the house.
ga gentleman in the parlor to see
Miss Bonange," heard tho one servant
my aunt kept say.
Miss Bonange was lounging the morn
ing away il my aunt's room! She seemed
to hesitate two minutes, nervously pull
ing to pieces the card Peggy had brought
her, then with her proudest mien swept
from the room.
Stepping through the window l care
fully gathered the fragments of torn
pasteboard from the carpetand put them
together on the palm of my hand
"Richard Dunkirk, ESQ.," was what l
read
"It is her lover!" Ny brow throbbed
at the thought.
The door slammed. "She is coming"
4 thought, and fed to the veranda again,
hust in time to hear her voice in tones
bf expostulation answered by another's,
icy with sternness.
Hers said haughtily:
81 would never marry you We're l
thrice as much in your poweras amr
"Who them" was the response in ac-
cents of slow sarcasm.
"No matter, so it is man more man
ly than you."
could hear her quick drawn breath
and the angry rustic of her dress as she
moved away from him. 1t was coward.
ly to stand there eavesdropping. I felt
30, bat set my teeth and staid.
"If were a man." heard her say
presently, ~ would force you to yield
me my property"
"Your property! These are mine
made mine by yourself, a free agent"
"What will you do with them?"
"Present them to my wife on my we'd
ding day, or, that failing, to your hus-
band on yours"
could have sprung into the room
and throttled this cowardly threatener
of woman, but instead 1 slipped O
sash of the veranda, and, leaping down
among the flower beds, hurried out of
sight and hearing. Half an hour after
I saw handsome, rather distinguished
looking man stalking through the gar
den path toward the road. l made
turn and met him. The distinguished
look CHANGED to be sort of daredevil
recklessness of air and manner as I ap-
preached him, and he seemed decidedly
out Of humor.
lifted my hat courteously as we
passed; he did the same, with half i'm
pudent stare, turning to look after me
as / sauntered up the walk.
I found Richard Dunkirk, Esq, an
Cling in the trout stream below the house
the next morning. l angled, too-not
for trout, but for his acquaintance. He
scowled at sight of me, but l baited my
hook cleverly and presently he became
civil. saw that he was trying to dis
cover who was and my relations with
Miss Bonange.
. We separated with apparent mutual
pleasure in each other. We encountered
again the following day, quite like old
acquaintance. and I invited him to dine
at my aunts. He gave sort of startled
stare, but assented. 1t was too good an
opportunity to be lost.
"An acquaintance of yours, believe,
Miss Ruth" l said simply as 1 care
lessly announced to her and my aunt
that Mr.. Dunlzirk had come to dinner.
! Miss 'Bonange had seemed out of sorts
for day or two. She gave me a half
desperate look at the announcement.
"You see am not jealous, Miss Ruth"
] said in an undertone.
"You are certainly generous" she re-
piled coldly.
I was half of the opinion that she
would not come to dinner; but she did.
We were on the whole quite pleasant
party. Dunkirk spent the evening,
rather at my solicitation. Once or twice
saw Miss Bonange change color at
something he said, but she staid in the
parlor and maintained her ease and
AL,z-e,,1roco orooo1;po1,, uo 1f