The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-02-17


prove her mind. even the best OF men
could not be expected to understand
on completely.
Marie was well verscd In the woes
OF souls misunderstood. She was a
great devourer of books, especially
sentimental novels. of which an un-
| limited supply was constantly coming
into the house for her pretty. pale,
mamma, who lay among the rose
pillows and down cushions of her
lounge reading all day long, except
when Aunt Marion coaxed her out for
a little drive in the brougham, or the
doctor came, or few choice intimatcs
called. To whom she could lament the
state of her nerves and the dreadful
responsibility Of being left with child
to bring up.
When the child came into the room
on her daily duty call. Mrs. Tame in
variably looked to see if her hands
were well kept and her hair brushed
becomingly. and then usually told her
to run away and be good, quiet girl:
and it was matter of perfect indiffer-
ence.to her what books Marie took with
her, so long rs she was not reading
them herself. Marbles nurse had early
found out that book could generally
keep her quiet. and leave herself free
to dirt with the men servants, and
though Aunt Marion had insisted on
her being provided with a governess,
Mile. Duval had soon discovered the
same unfailing recipe TO keep her
charge out OF active mischief and herself
in ample leisure. There were certainly
many things in these books that Marie
could not understand. but this mystery
only made them the more fascinating.
So mamma continued to nurse her
nerves, and Aunt Marion went on in
her bright, busy life of society belle.
thinking her small, white-faccd, deep
eyed niece in good hands, while Marie
watched her with profound admira-
ton. and made her the heroine of a
hundred romances, borrowed from her
books. until now that she had "a ro-
nance of her own.
1t is true that even she was COM
PEELED to recognize decided difference
of age; but, then. wasn't Strathmore
at least thirty years older than that
lovely Lucille whom he adopted as n
baby and married at seventeen? There
were less than twenty years between
herself and Mr.. barrow; and this dis
parity seemed slight by comparison.
She was also forced To admit that she
was rather young; but Juliet was not
full fourteen when she died for love of
Romeo, and was there not real prin-
cess of France who married a real
English king when she was only eight
years old? Marie thought she was
quite old enough to marry if that prin-
cess was.
Reasoning from these famous ex-
amples, She dismissed the question OF
age as certainly not the obstacle which
kept Mr.. barrow from proposal. and
east about for il elsewhere. She found
it in her fortune. She knew she would
be rich some day; for. whenever she
cried over hard lesson or scolding
from madcmoiselle, during that young
lady's occasional paroxysms of disci-
pine. nurse always comforted her with
assurances that it was a shame to
bother her with such things, SO it was,
when she was too big an heiress ever
TO need to know nything hut how to
look pretty. and sure she'd do that
same anyway, the beauty Of the world
that she was. And she knew that Mr..
barrow was not rich. for she had once
heard Mr.. Rogers speak of him as
nothing but beggarly lawyer; and IN
how many of her mammals novels had
not the hero persisted in making the
heroine and himself miserable. from
the first chapter till the last but one
merely because she had money and he
had not? Sometimes this deadly diff
ference had been bridgcd by deter
mined effort on the part of the heroine
and, after long thought, Marie de
cided that such an effort was required
. of her now.
Priscilla proposed to John Alden IL
Longfcllow," she confided to Punch
the pug. who heard more of he
fancics than anyone else in the house
, "and I've known several girls in stories
who did, too. and nobody seemed L
think it was awful of them. Wouldn'
you do il right off. before leap-year i
over, il you were rnc? Honest, now
: Punchie?"
, Punch, thus appealed to, sat up OF
her knees, begged with pendulou
paws, rolled his google eyes lovingl,
at her, and kissed her hand with tn
. tip of his tongue, rs in token o
sympathy and approval; and Marji
fels strengthened in her resolve.
She might perhaps have asked Aun
!, Marion's opinion, too; but Aunt Marion
!. was dressing for ball. and Marji
9 knew that though She would run up +
!, the school room for a moment to kis
I her good night, and let her see he
!. pretty gown, she would have n
!, chance TO talk to her till next day, a
: her noon breakfast, and then it wou
be too late. As for asking her mothc
J, about anything whatever. that will
idea simply never once crossed Marie
mnd
!, Therefore she wrcstled with he
!, problem alone. but for Punch; an
therefore MIR. Alexander barrow foun
in his mail next day a small. squar
letter, with the well-known number o
Calumet avenue engraved across til
= top Of a sheet which held brie
Z STRAIGHTFORWARD offer of marriage
=" .;,.rod Marion Leslie Taine