Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-09-29
A GIRLS MISTAKE.
"Well, Rollin, what do you say?"
Annot Brunson's liquid brown eye
he1. lovers faca Tvistfu1Iv

"Well, Rollin, what do you say?"
Annot Brunson's liquid brown eyes
searched her lovers face wistfully.
Rollin Dracut frowned slightly.
.'Where is the use Of my saying any
thing? You've made up your own
mind"
Il don't know why should always
stay just here" pouted the girl, "but of
4 course | shall stay if you wish it"
"Would you really the young man
1 questioned, putting an arm around her
and drawing her to him. II believe you
would, and won't vex you by saying a
word against your going. You mustn't
forget me, though"
'.Indeed shan't; you know, Rollin,
couldn't if tried"
81 hope so but | don't know it," Roll
lin said, with an involuntary sigh. s'The
first city beau you have You'll be asham-
ed of me-"
Annot colored. She was pretty, and
in spite of her love for Rollin she could
not help a throb of pleasure in the
thought Of being admired by city eyes.
The next week she went to the city
with her Aunt Bella Prescott-to stay a
month or two. But the "month or two"
swelled to six, and there seemed no more
prospect of Annot's quitting the city
than during the first week after her ar
rival there.
The truth was that, aside from the
fact that Mrs. Bella Prescott gay and
somewhat attractive widow, and young
still-had taken decided fancy for her
lovely little niece, she found that she
added SO much to the charm Of her ele-
gantly appointed drawing room that she
did not know how to spare her from it.
One morning as Annot finished read
ing letter from RoIlin, Aunt Bella said
to her with a laugh:
'Rollin won't be coming here to see
! you, hope
Annot blushed without replying IN
deed, in this very letter Rollin had an
nounced that he was coming, and An
not did not know for the life Of her
whether she was glad or sorry.
Mrs. Prescott looked seriously annoyed
when she understood the state Of the
case. Annot saw her displeasure, and
her own uneasiness was increased.
Both might, however, have spared any
anxiety concerning Rollin Dracut.
He had brown hands and bronzed
face. but he was large, splendidly
made man and carried himself easily.
Neither Mrs. Prescott nor Annot, am
sorry to say, met him with quite the
cordiaIty they ought. He had antici-
pated something Of the sort from the
tone of Annot's letters, and he had come
to the city to see for himself Just what
the mischief amounted to and whether
anything could be done.
If he could have remained his cool
self, content to rest the matter patiently
ON his own merits, Annot might have
seen in time how infinitely superior he
was to most Of those who surrounded
her and returned voluntarily to that al
legiance which was really considerably
shaken by the batteries that had Of late
turned her pretty, silly head completely.
But he loved her too we'll He was
too inpulsiye and impatient to be able
to stand calmly by and behold his pure
little blossom tossed upon the bosom Of
such stream as this which bore her
now
Annot, too, in her foolish vanity,
could not forbear showing off, for his
benefit some of the new and fashionable
airs she had acquired. She laughed and
chatted with her various admirers and
threw arch. smiling, enticing glances
this way and that, just as she had seen
the city bellies do In short, Rollin Ora
cuts love, his emblem of daintiness and
pure simplicity, fiirted just as any beau
tiful coquettish wording might have
done in her third season.
He was terribly shocked and very
angry. He demonstrated quietly. But
Annot had been petted too long to take
rebuke quietly, above all from one
whom she had expected such unhesitat-
ing alteration and indulgence as from
him. He went home without seeing her
again, and never 50 much as wrote to
her afterwa- He considered her com
pletely lost to him, and Annot, though
reared at first, felt rather relieved to
have everything got along with SO
easily.
About this time appeared upon the
scene the '.conquering hero III the per-
son Of one Raymond st. Ives, hand
some young Englishman of superior in
tellect and fascinating address. Annot
had been hattered and admired TO the
extent of her desires, but strangely
snough, she had not once imagined her
self in love with any Of those gentlemen
who adored her so gracefully and dressed
so unexceptionally.
1t was quite . different thing when
this young Enylishinan came. He con
trived to impress her with vague idea
that he was some great parsonage o.
other in disguise, and lie certainly as
sumed naughty enough airs for a great
lord at the very least
Much TO Annot's surprise, Mrs. Pres
colt did not seem to like her new adj
mirer, and there was just enough will
fulness in Annot to make her like him
all the more for that very reason. Mrs.
Prescott fostered her dislike to st. Ives;
she quarreled constantly with Annot
about him, and finally forbade Annot to
see him.
The result might have been foreseen.
st. Ives contrived to meet Annot out
somewhere, swore that he loved her too
well to live without her and made her
believe him. Late the following night
carriage was waiting not far from
Mrs. Prescotts residence. Annot crept
softly down from her own room and
stole out toward it, and they were driven
swiftly away, Annot sobbing in hys-
terical fright at the step she had taken.
1t had been. understood that they
should proceed Immediately to the house
OF Clergyman and be married, but st.
Ives proposed that they should leave
the city for that purpose, and, as it was
too late to render 1t probable that they
wonld easily find CLERGYMAN. nnstnnna