The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-04-27

He was tall, dark and to my taste al
together charming.
Last evening for the first time We walk
ed in the winding alley of the park. The
straight avente which stretched itself IN
der the windows of the house had been I'M
Til now the only witness to our condolences.
1 loved dearly this avenue, with it's great
oak trees placed at regular distances apart,
the benches for talking quite at ones ease,
the green grass all around and beyond.
When one wandered off a bit, the huge
window panes seemed by the light of the
setting sun great wide open eyes all smil-
ing at our happiness.
"Walk along the avenue with NJ. de Va
lente, Angelo" my mother had said to NE
at the beginning of our engagement. 1.-THE
alleys of the park are altogether too Damp
And 1 walked along the avenue, gently
resisting Raoul-he was named Raoul-
who appeared to have, L do not know why,
a marked preference for the covered alleys.
Mamma says the alleys are damp.
Had we not better remain hereS"
That evening, however, my head was
turned, and something tugged at my heart
strings-he was to leave the next day to
hunt up some paper necessary for our mar
rage.
Eight days without seeing him, How
could I live? And he, taking advantage OF
my trouble, made me turn into the damp
alley, which, by the way, in spite of its
bad reputation, seemed to me as dry as
possible.
"My Angelo, you are not going to for
get me during these eight days?"
Forget you'll Ahi".
/ would have lifted my hands to AXE
heaven as a witness that such a thing could
never happen if he had not held them
tightly clasped in his own. It is not my
habit to lose myself in sentimental protes-
tations-my ~vivacity forbids it-and this
time not more than at others did I play
my nature false.
"Raoul, you love me, do you not? Well,
then / wish to tell you all my faults.
shall be more tranquil if you know them
beforehand. You would see them sooner
or later, SO listen. I am very willful.
will not yield to you-you may as well
make up your mind to it. Then I am quick
as g%unpowder. I stamp my foot, 1 scream,
I even cry at times. Happily all this passes
quickly. Besides that, I am a coquette,
like all women. You will not be jealous,
Ihope. And then, what else? Ican't quite
tell-a little gormand at times, not wicked,
not deceitful-I find nothing else. So
much, then, for the moral side. As for the
physical, what can I have wrong there?
You must know that also. All, one of my
finger nails is not quite the same as the
others-look, but it seems to me that isn't
too ugly"
And releasing my hand I showed him a
little pink nail, a little squarer than the
others, a very innocent eccentricity of ma
ture. Raoul laughed and wanted to kiss
it, but drew away my hand.
~ have also lost a wisdom tooth, which
Is lost forever, alas, so / can never be alto
gether wise. They took it out because it
came too soon. Now, sir, it is your turn.
Confess yourself"
Raoul, visibly embarrassed, remained 81
lent.
go on. Have a bit Of courage. You
may be quite easy. I shall not scold. l
do not know our faults, but it is quite
certain you have some. In the first place,
you are nearsighted, for you wear a mon
ocle instead of an eyeglass, with which, it
seems to me, you would see much better.
Mamma says that glass causes you to
make such fearful faces, but / don't think
SO. You please me as you are. However,
take put the glass 80 that I can see how
you look when your face isn't crooked
Ihad seized with a little, gentle gesture
the string of the monocle, when Raoul
stopped my hand.
"No, my little Angelo, leave it there.
Without it I should no longer see you. l
am nearsighted-very nearsighted, it is
true, and I want to see you, Angelo, for
you are the joy of my eyes,"
Then, before even I had time to think,
he had taken me, drawn me to him and
covered my eyes and my hair with kisses.
"Raoul, how naughty of you! Enough
of that, if you pleased"
"Why naughty Are you not my fiancee,
my darling little wife?"
"When I am your wife, it will be quite
different. Let me go. 1 will not remain
here-it is too dark under these trees"
had succeeded in releasing myself and
holding down my hair, which under those
soft kisses was flying in all directions as
if charged with electricity. / escaped by
running to the avenue. There was no lon
ger n question of making Raoul confess.
Blushing violently, I was thinking of quite
different matters.
The next day he was gone. What a
frightful moment his departure when
standing on the front steps I had turned
away my head so as not to see Joannes
gather up the reins, the horses pull togeth-
ar, the victoria sway-in a word, so as not
to see they were taking him away from me.
Papa had gone with him to the station,
while mamma and l breakfasted together.
II was dismal in the extreme.
Mamma ate as usual, which / couldn't
understand. As for myself, / ate only a
very little, just enough to sustain me, and