The Opelousas courier., 1893-04-29

81 wish | could go Tor q walk and
look into the store windows" she muir
INJURED to herself. II wish Icould 90
slcign-riding. How the merry bells
jinglel How the horses feet fling up
the snow! never had a sleigh ride in
my life! do wonder what It is likei"
And, unconsciously, she fell to repeat.
ing to herself the RHYTHMIC chime:
p Here the sledges with the bells
Silver bellsi
|. foretellsl
How thew tinkle, tinkle, tinkle-'
"Oh, Rosa, how you startled &le'
What is it2"
Little Rosa dropped her very best
German courtesy, presented a card, and
murmured something about ''der yung
Herr"
And between her own boarding school
German and Rosa's mixed.up Swiss
patois, she presently comprehended that
Mr.. Ernest Burgoyne-whoever he might
be-had come with his sleigh to drive
Miss Celeste Belfont out-Miss Celeste,
who was even then adjoining a house
party at Tuxedo.
please excuse all fornality, dear coz"
wrote the unknown masculine on the bach
of the card. "We are near relatives, you
know, though we have never met, and lam
only in town for to-day. Do forego cere-
mony, and tell me how you like my black
Abdallah mare.
"Afectionately your cousin"
And then followed the engraved text
of the card-''Ernest Burgoyne."
"But I'm not Miss Celeste Belfontl"
she cried.
\ Rosa smiled and nodded.
s"Ja, ja!" she answered, complacently.
LVHow IN earth am I to make her I'M
derstand2" said Laura, aloud. "But,
then. why should IL I was only just
longing, with unutterable longing, for a
sleigh-ride, and here it is close within
my reach, with a man who supposes / am
his cousin, and who will be far away
before the real Celeste Belfont m en-
the scene. She is surfeited with pleasure
and homage. ! have nonei l shall
take what lrfk sends me, and be thank.
full"
And Laura Jew to put on her little
blue felt toque, with its wing of deeper
shade, and the rhinestone buckle in the
front, and to button her neat little beaver
jacket around her trim fguie.
$50 you are my unknown cousin9"
said Ernest Burgoyne, advadeing to meet
her, with a smile. s'Isn't it odd that
we have never seen each other before7
And isn't it lucky that IlHe got the
chance to take you for a Zeal Twelfth
Day sleighridea But we must hurry, for
the Abdallah don't like standing in the
cold"
In another moment, as it seemed to
Laura, she was nestled under a superb
white sleigh robe, flying over the snow
crusted pavement beside the very hand
soonest man she had ever seen in her
life.
Was she dreaming3 Was all this real7
But, oh, how delightful, all the same,
and yet-could she be sure that she was
doing right, or wrongs
But Laura Woodbine was only human,
and she put that worrisome conscience
of hers to one side and took to ENJOYING
herself with all her might. And to all
appearances, SO did the unknown
cousin.
The crimson of the sunset on the snow
was all faded away when they jingled
back to the stately Fifth Avenue house,
and the white glitter of the electric
lights wrapped everything in enchant-
ment.
Buygoyne glanced at his watch.
81 have only five minutes to catch the
train" said he. "My man will take Alb
dallah to the stables. But there's time
enough to tell you how glad I am TO have
discovered such a darling new eousini I
may come again when / return to towna"
But Laura shrank back from his
offered hand, and put her two little
gloved palms behind her.
sob, ] beg your pardonI" said she.
"But I am not your cousin. Oh, GO
please gol ! have done very wrongl"
"What9" be cried, in arnazement.
"Holdl Stop a minute! Do you mean
to say you're not Celeste Belfont1
Them
But before he could finish the SEN
tence he was alone.
Time and tide wait for NO man.
Neither does an express train; and Mr..
Burgoyne wal compelled to hurry away,
with the riddle yet unsolved.
SIT must be some practical joke" said
he to himself. ssI'm awfully stupid not
to comprehend it. But she's the pref
hest, most spirited little thing I've seen
for a long time"
That very evening Twelfth Night.
all glittering with stars and fragrant
with frosty sweetness) Mrs. Woodbine
came hurrying around to the big house
Fifth avenue.
A second telegram had been received.
Agneta was much worse, and it was nee,
essary that her mother and sister should |
go to her at once.
So the Masters Belfont lost the COVER
ness, so to speak, before they ever got
her.
ssAnd shall I never see Mr.. Burgoyne
thought Laura, with a chill at
her heart. "Well, I'm ve-very glad
Of It'll"
And then. she burst out crying, all to
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