The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-16
" Mrs. Colonel c|iIluOe'


eyes seemed to laugh at their own re-
Election in the mirror and as the pref
tily curved lips parted they showed the
perfect teeth. DO look it, John? Do
L? For I am intensely anxious as to
the effect wIichI shall produce on your
friends and sneighbors.''
The gray-haired handsome husband
shook his head with smile.
Hardly, Iaam afraid, Rose. A casual
| observer woald be more likely to think
you were young lady spending the
holidays with her grandfather. For
tunately, however, the residents of
these parts know who you are. expect
| they will muster pretty strong at
! church this morning to get a good stare
at YOU
Rose Clitheroe took her husbands
arm as they passed through the gate
way of the priory. The colonel had in
herited the property from an uncle not
long before his marriage. ~
1T looks more matronly to take your
arm, John," she said, laughing. But
then her mood changed and she looked
grave, adding:
Il do really feel nervous I don't
want these people who have known you
all your life to say I am too young and
too giddy, and too altogether unworthy
to be your wife! Do you think they
will be prejudiced against me by my
appearance? chose a bonnet and
this long sealskfn coat because they
make me older than the hat and jack
et''
Don't be anxious, child" and the
coll al .
on his arm. Unless people are hope
! lessly stupid and short-sighted they
| must see at a glance that you are the
| most charming of young women and
l am the most fortunate Of men, and
blessed together beyond my deserts
But whatever they think and whatever
they say, the fact remains that we are
entirely satisfied with each other
Il am more than satisfied" and Rose
spoke emphatically. II often wonder
why such happiness should come to
me when SO many women are miser-
| ably married.
1t was rather a romantic little story,
as things go in these prosaic times,
that story of how Rose Dysart became
Mrs. Col. Chtheroe when she was
Rose declared that she had been in
love with him all her life Certainly
at two years old she had been in the
habit of assuring him, "Rosie'n marry
you when she's big" whereupon he al
ways answered: "All right, little wo-
man, I'll wait for you"
The child's passionate devotion to
the handsome officer was quite an
amusement to her parents. But when
his regiment was ordered off to India,
andsthey saw the little face grow white
and thin, and heard her heartbroken
sobs, they laughed no longer Even
after she ceased to cry for "Rosie's
colonel she never forgot him.
The pretty baby had grown to tall
Slim girl of thirteen when these two
friends met again. BY that time Rose
Dysart was a. pupil at a small and
select boarding school in the environs
OF Paris and on one of the frequent
visits which her father and mother
PAID to their darling they came, by
chance, across Col. Clitheroe, who also
was spending a few days in the gay
capital.
How is Rosie? Has she forgotten
me?' were among his first questions.
Mrs. Dysart laughed
Rose is at school at NeuilIy. Come
with US this afternoon, and then Judge
for yourself whether you have heen
forgotten
The girl had not grown stiff and shv.
She was immensely delighted to see her
friend again, and she told him so He
Joked her about her baby overtures to-
ward him; he reminded her Of how she
would drag footstool across the room
fO L ~ L
busy her small hands with his hair.
on the pretext Of making him mice
and tidy"
Il have grown gray since those
days" he said with half sigh.
Whereupon Miss Rose declared that
she liked gray hair best.
Each seemed to please the other.
they seized in a moment on each other
meaning, they appeared to divine each
others thoughts
Il shall come again. said Col. Clith-
eroe, when the visitors hour was over
and study must begin. IT see that you
and 1 shall be excellent friends. as We
were eleven years ago."
However, he made no second visit TO
the pensionnat'' at Neuilly- sur Seine.
His old uncfe's illness recalled him
suddenly to England, and Rose Dysart
was finished young lady and about
to be introduced into society before
colonel again.
This girls face was not strictly beau
tiful, but it was a charming face She
was immensely admired, both by men
and women. And there must be some
thing lovable as well as lovely in a
young lady of seventeen when those
of her own sex express sincere admit
ration and can praise her whole heart
edly
She will certainly marry young"
said elderly people, but it never oc-
CURED to any of them to suppose that
this sunny-faced Rose Dysart would
refuse three eligible men because she
loved middle-aged colonel.
Like many other parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. Dysart seemed to regard their
daughter as little more than a child.
They scarcely realized that others
viewed her differently
"Of course, like other girls, Ross
piust go into society,"" they said, "but
we hope it may be years and years be-
fore we have to part with her." f.
And they were quite delighted that
she should refuse her first three offers
of marriage.
1t was in the spring and just before
her eighteenth birthday that the Dy-
sarts left their pretty Sussex home for
a furnished home at Elton place, which
they had hired for the season at a
somewhat exorhitant rent.
To the great joy of Rose, Col. Clith-
eroe was one of the first callers. He
also was Inv town for two or three
months, having, during the previous
year, buried his old uncle and inherited
the property.
my dear fellow" said Mr. Dysart
to him, with the familiarity Of a friend
of long standing, you really ought not
TO remain unmarried. Try to remem-
| ~. Alo& sixriTa
woman of an excellent home and C.
still more excellent husband! A man