The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-30
A GENUINE HERO.

A GENUINE HERO.
A sky Of opal and gold, deep trel4
Used veranda, novel, and q Hammock
slung ut the most comfortable Of angles.
With these conditions it was scarcely
strange that Halcyon Hartford swayed
delightfully."- between dreamlsnd and the
real world that June afternoon, with
the deecy gold Of her hair, all guiltless
of pin or comb, and the bell sleeves, fall
ing enchantingly away from her round
white arms, while one trim slippered
foot hung from the edge Of the ham,
mock.
"Halcyoni Halcyoni Where are your
twas one of those exasperating voices
which, once having been sweet, had now
q vibrant jar to its tones, painfully akin
to shrillnesa
Halcyon frowned little and raised
herself on one elbow.
i "Oh, Aunt Hal, don't scream sol
was just in dream of delight"
well. you should have answered
thenr
Aunt Hal came out Of the wide, shady
hall with an ELUSIVE swing Of her drap-
cries and seated herself In bamboo
chair close to the hammock.
She was comically like her niece-at
least Us much as q woman Of thirty
eight could be like maid Of eighteen.
There was the same yellow luxuriance
of hair. but harsher, drier and suggest
i've OF dye; the same pink and white
complexion, artificially heightened; sim
liar features, cruelty sharpened by the
memorable hand of time, and teeth Just
one degree too white and regular to be
real.
The white dress she wore was painful
~ trying. and she was compelled TO use
gold trimmed eye glasses as she held up
a letter to the view Of her niece.
What has happenedY' drowsily de-
manded the latter. lifting pair of blue
eyes, fringed with dark lashes.
1.-THE strangest thingr'
Another offer Of marriagey' hazarded
Halcyon, settling on the unlikeliest
thing which could, in her opinion. hap
pen.
How did you guess?" with little ex-
ultant cackle. Exactly. The dear,
foolish lad-and he so much younger
than II Why, he couldn't have been
twenty-one when he went to Bombay,
and / was at least thirty them
"Thirty-fve, Aunt Hail." said Hal
cyon, the merciless
WAS it as much as that2 Well, he
seemed desperately in love then, though
of course l never took any notice of the
child. But l suppose in that country of
blackamoors one can't help thinking
about all the women one has ever known
at home, and he has written me two or
three letters"-
Has hef"
Halcyon sat straight up in the ham
mock now. Her blue eyes glowed. The
heat had brought flush to her cheek
which all Aunt Halls carmine saucers
could not rival.
But l never told you,r said the elder
beauty, because l remembered that
there was sort Of boy and girl affair
between you and Charlie Blessen when
you were at boarding school, and
thought you would be nettled. And
here's the proposal at last, dear-with
his photograph inclosed.
LET me see it."
What a bravo, good face II was
slightly older and sterner than she had
looked upon when the Avancanian sailed
away three years ago, but yet SO strong
and manlyi
She laughed Historically.
Shall you accept himT'
Aunt Hal nibbled coquettishly at the
edge Of the envelope; the new false teeth
CLEANED in smile.
"1-think-l-shallI"
And you fourteen years older than
he isr'
People don't think about such things
as they used to do reasoned Miss Hart
ford. the elder. Eros is immortal, you
know"
Halcyon sank back into the hammock
and reopened her book.
you must do as you please, of
course" said she. "After that quota
ton about Eros, 1 have not a suggestion
to Offer
Jealous, poor darlingr' thought Aunt
Hal, with thrill of pity. And she
said:
well, Of course one can't help those
things happening to one, and your time
will come soon, dear, never fear"
"It's good thing" she added to her.
self. "she does not know anything about
dear old Judge Flostroy. There's diff.
ference in age, If you please. and tn,
nj rteH 10 fY,fo I'd l,a,3
old mans darling or Young mans
slave-which?"
While Halcyon thought on her side:
"The silly goosel He has done it nowi
he has been making love to Aunt Hal,
thinking he was counting me. Oh,
thought he knew her name was the
same as mine. Didn't she stand god,
mother to me at st. Chrysolme's and
give me a coral and bells. and an eni
broidered christening robef And now
he has actually proposed to herl Well,
If he is the man take him to be, he'll
stand by his colors, cost him what ii may.
A man who could walk up to the can
mons mouth at Bey-ldonna surely won't
shrink, even from Aunt Hal. And I'd
rather know that he was true hero tn
than have poltroon for my husbandF'
And Halcyon turned her face toward
the pillow and cried great sparkling
tears like dewdrops.
l.
$50 you're back again, lieutenant
Beg pardon: I'd orter said colonel, do
suppose" said the old cab driver at tho
station, whom Charlie Blossom had re-
membered ever since he was a child.
swell, declare l shouldn't hardly havo