Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-23
HERO AND HEROINE.

ooh, dear wish could be a heroine
myself" pouted Rose Pemberton, tossing
aside the novel which she had just finished
with deep sigh of discomfort "Ilm pref.
ty enough, I'm sure" casting an appre.
ciative glance at the mirror opposite, in
which her piquant face and curling golden
hair were pleasingly reflected, but moth
ing ever happens-nothing ever will hap
pen either so far as | can see--that has the
least bit of romance in it. just this same
old humdrum life. Pm tired and sick of
1T. If something startling would only oc-
cur! If I could even fall desperately in love
with some one''-
Here the low, discontinued murmur of
Roses voice ceased, and faint blush
crept into her pretty cheeks as her
thoughts drifted away toward certain
''some one" who had never formed Il part
of that humdrum life of which she had SO
often and so bitterly complained.
Rose had numberless admirers, as the
prettiest girl in tho village always will
have, and she could recall an almost equal
number of flirtations which had served to
brighten the monotony of her village life.
But they were tame affairs. Her heart
had never been really interested for mo-
ment.
AS for the grand passion, Rose knew
nothing of it save in her day dreams and
in the pages of her favorite novels
She had laughed at her would be lovers
and declared her conviction that there is
no such thing as love in real life.
But Of late pretty Rose had secretly be-
gun to entertain u somewhat different
opinion on that subject.
A handsome, intellectual face and pair
Of laughing brown eyes were the direct
causes of her change Of heart
Yet their owner seemed in no haste to
enroll himself on the list of her admirers
Indeed, Rose knew him only by sight, for
Wilbur Severance was a stranger in the
village. She had seen him in church two
or three times, and occasionally on the
street, but he had never sought an intro
duction to the belle of the place. and be-
yond % passing glance of admiration had
not evinced any special notice of her at
fractions.
Perhaps that was the very thing which
had awakened Roses interest in him. At
all events, she often caught herself dream
ing of those handsome brown eyes and
wondering what she should say if Mr.. Sew
erance were ever to tell her the story of
love which she had so often heard from
other lips.
But there was little danger Of that APP
parently. Rose bit her lip in chagrin as
that thought forced itself upon her, even
while she was contemplating her graceful
iy,, hn ntn,iy
wide brimmed garden hat she suddenly
quilted the room and the house, and went
hurrying down the path with a kind of
desperate determination in her heart to
get away from the dullness of everyday
existence and wiring all adventure of some
sort from the unwilling hands of fate.
"Tllg go down to the river" she said aft
err a moment of INDIGESTION at the gate,
land If can find boat I'll row about in
the most dangerous places | can find. And
| hope something will happen. But it
won't" she added sarcastically, unless l
upset the boat on purpose.
Turning into the winding road that led
out of the village, she soon came to the
river and found fragile shell of a boat
dancing at anchor on the waves, as if left
there by fate for her especial use.
rose uhlasgeneo the chiilh ana was soon
shooCins swiftly down tne stream' Keep
ing tl,he WIN hef oars 10 her own RESTLESS
Choughos.
Al at once SOUND, breaking the STILL
ness OIL the scene' drew hef attentlon 10 the
shore, and with that glance Roses heart
gave mad bound and then seemed to stop
oeating, ior tnere on the pahk, only lew
Ieet dlstant, puslly arranging pie OF
nshing tackle, sat the hero OF her present
thoughts-the handsome stranger with the
laughing brown eyes.
And they We're quietly laughing at her
now, hose Thought, as blush OF confu-
sion dyed her cheeks.
Ihe sudden start she gave Jostled one OF
the oars out OF her grasp, and, reaching to
recover 1t, the something" which she
had SO recklessly wished for happened, for
herself overheard and laundering about in
the water, looking as little like her ideal
heroine as could we'll be imagined.
MI. severance FASTENED at once to her
rescue, and when he had brought her, pale
and exhausted, to the shore hose, glanclng
shyly upward, saw those brown eyes, no
longer laughing at her, but full of grave
anxiety that thrilled her heart.
II am not at all injured, = she said, re-
plying to that look, "and l hope my boat
isn't, for | must try my luck with it again
by starting home at once
But your strength isquite exhausted, !"
he said decidedly, as she rose slowly to her
feet. II shall row you back to the point
from which you started, and then, II you
Will permit me, ! shall accompany you to
your home. really think 1t unsafe for
you to go alone, !" he added, seeing the
tide OF crimson that swept back suddenly
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