The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-12-23
Cbs Yellow Dragon.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

III + was a quaint old yellow dragon,
with a pointed tail and big wings
and time-worn claws. and a fero-
! cious expression which the designers
clumsiness, or the wear and tear of SO
winters, had made perilously near a
grin. Yet, after all, perhaps he had
cause to smile, since he had seen the
third generation of foolish lovers sit
ting ON the marble rim of the idle foun-
tain. or whispering nonsense as they
walked, with arms entwined, along its
grassy borders.
This afternoon, when pretty Violet
Newman came tripping down the messy
path, i'm her new, white gown with its
favor of pink roses, and her saucy little
hat half falling from her chestnut curls;
when she greeted him with kiss of the
hand from afar, and dropped him a
mocking courtesy as she reached his
precincts-why, even a stone monster
was bound to smile. Indeed, when she
tiptoed to reach down his capacious
throat with her small white hand, a
casual observer would have sworn that
he winked-though really it was an
affection of the eyes for which boy of
two generations back (now portly
dean) was responsible. The dragon was,
in truth, of very hard material, and his
command of countenance was limited.
But he looked at Violet as sweetly as he
could, and no one who knew her would
blame him.
| When she drew paper from between
his threatening jaws and glanced at it,
she gave harmless little frown, and
contorted her red lips into pout.
"Bother!" she said. "You nasty old
Gragon!" But he laughed all the same.
aid swallowed the paper without
| murmnr, when she replaced it. Then
she seated herself daintily upon the
marble rim, leaning against an old urn
full of scarlet flowers. and opened q
book: but something seemed to distract
her. II WONDER" she said, absently,
resting her round chin upon one hand
and looking inquiringly at the dragon.
Blu, he only smiled, and winked with
his injured eye. WONDER" she repeat
ed few minutes later, listening intent
| ly. 1t looked as though she might be at
tending to. the paean of the lark who
was swimming up towards the sun, OF
the bleating of the young lambs in the
dragon, who had seen the three genera
tions of lovers, knew better than that.
He would have chuckled, If his struc-
tural limitations had been less string
ent, when a well-built young fellow
vaulted the fence, just by the warning
| to tresspassers, and came lightly
towards the fountain; and Violet's abb
sorption in her book became profound.
| AS he reached the monster he paused,
and she looked up. Their eyes met and
changed together from expectation,
through doubt and disappointment. to
mutual approval; as though each had
expected some one else, but had found
tolerable substitute.
II beg your pardon. am tresspass-
ing, fear?" he apologized, raising his
hat.
| "Wel|yes; unless you are going to
Mr.. Newman's I'm afraid you are" It
was dull at Duclcsw orth, and she wasn't
| quite sure that she didn't know him.
That was how she came to smile upon
| him-ever such a little smile. So he
stopped, with his hat in his hand, lean
ing against the pedestal of the old yel-
low dragon.
"Idon't know Mr.. Newman very WE'LL"
he explained, studying her very care
fully, 'sbut his niece, Violet Newman,
and l were playmates when we were
youngsters"
Indeed" said she, with start and
i ,s<I, % n
mean very long ago?"
"Why, yes. 1t is over seven years."
He sighed; which was absurd, because
they had been very good years to him.
| "She has altered very much since
then," she observed, thoughtfully.
| "You know her?"
| "Of course. You see am niece of
Mr.. Newman, too. He has about 40
all differenti"
"You are certainly very different
from my little friend Violet, as remem-
Der her." said he, looking admiringly at
her pretty face and slim figure. Man is
an inconsistent animal. Though for
a moment thought perhaps You were
She"
"Ah!" said she, with laugh, '.you
would find her quite changed-almost
as different from what she was as am"
"Yes," he observed, thoughtfully,
"that's the worst of it," She bit her lip
angrily.
"Are you so much attached to her
memory?" a
| "WelEI was" He looked very pleas
ant as he laughed.
"Flattery is nearly as bad as incOn-
stancy," She remarked sternly. "But
I suppose you want to get me to talk
about her?"
"Yes," assented he; "or anything"
"You are Mr.. Mostyn. then, l sup
pose9'