Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-07-14
,SS5J5555 $3.50 1853 $500 asfsstA,
TRIAL BY FIRE. !
BY GHehO0lEa 0VERT0R. (
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generals and some OLD captains who
hold that Isabel Hnmpden WIS the most
attractive woman who ever graced the
frontier; and In their time most women
seemed attractive because Of their
scarcity She was handsome, and ac-
complished, and clever, and something
more ethan all these which was mex
plicable but very potent. She had been
/ brought up in garr!sons and large cities,
and by the time she was twoand-twenty
she knew the world rather we'll More,
over, she knew men-not girls and wom-
en-, but men.
Because she had been allowed TO live
In posts during most of what should
have been her boarding days,
ard because she was pleasant 10 look
upon and TO converse with at an age
when most girls are impossible, men
had fallen in love with her pretty much
ever since she could remember. 1t was
said that she had refused all the bache-
lors In all the frontier regiments. This
was not far from the truth. y woman
who had married one OF the rejected
ones said that refusing was habit
Miss Hampden had formed, and that
il began to look as ii she might never
break herself of II. Il the nature OF
things, this was repeated TO the girl.
Her good temper was one of her charms.
1T is so much better a habit than ac-
cepting them ALL" she argued, sweetly.
Nevertheless, she wondered If there was
not some truth mingled with the malice.
But Lieut.. Loring was the last vie
tim of her practice. He proposed to
her, unfortunately for himself, just
after she had met young Ardsley.
II thought this morning that maybe
I would marry you." said Miss Hamp-
den but I've changed my mind, some
way
Loring was accustomed to great
deal OF frankness from her, but 1t
olashed With his notions of feminine
modesty for q woman to have enter
tanned thoughts of marriage before the
offer thereof.
Weren't you just trihe prompt in
determining my Intentions he asked.
HAS the event proved me wrong?"
she returned.
He lost his temper, You are spoiled"
he said.
IF you knew how often Ishave heard
that. Yet 1 do not think 1 am. l am
simply sincere, and you are a little too
vain, all of you, to grasp the differ
ence. like you awfully well-no, now,
don't misunderstood me. I don't love
you And you are too nice fellow
10 be married TO girl who only likes
you. No." she repeated, Il do not think
I'm spoiled. I am not agitared and
fearful, as / ought to be, perhaps, un-
der the circumstances. l used TO be,
but I've passed that. I have been so
placed that men were making love
me at an age when other girls were
PLAYING dolls. It's partly because I'm
pretty, and partly, largely, because
there are so few women out here. When
I have been In the east, haven't made
much of a sensation. I've grown bit
hardened perhaps. Custom has dulled
the edge-whicn was fearfully keen and
cutting, at frst-of being told that
am breaking a heart. But though am
only 90, Pve lived to see dozens OF you
marry aud be hai ipy. You'll do the
same"
"Ohl no, shall not" moaned Lor-
ing.
"Oht yea, you will, Jack. And
sha'n't mind. Now I've promised to
dance this with the new Mr.. Ardsley,
and II we stay out here any longer
everyone will guess what has hap
pened."
They'll know, when they see me-"
Don't be goose, Jack. It's only the
heart that Ia trying to take itself seri-
ously that exhibits the pain"
Don't discuss subject yop know
nothing about. You have no heart"
He left her, with an exaggerated bow,
as young Ardsley came up.
AS Miss Hampden waltzed off with
Ardsley, she knew that Loring was
wrong; that this tall boy, fresh from
West Point, as new IN experience of
the world as the brass buttons on his
blouse, was the man she was going to
love. He would love her, Of course.
II is TO be feared that It did not enter
her head that he might not She liked
his strong, rough-cut face, and his
jolly, stone-gray eyes, and his drawl-
ing, heavy voice, and his waltzing, and
the way he held her. After the dance
she determined that she liked his hands,
and when she looked at them, she saw
a ring.
"Is thnt your class ring?" she said.
Yes" he told her.
May see it1''
He gave II to her, and while she ex-
amined it he sat and admired her. On
his part, he liked the women who car
ried themselves haughtily, he liked tall
women, he liked straight, black haiI
and olive skin and dark eyes and large
features and q neck of statuesque pro,
portions. In short, he liked exactly the
things he had never fancied up to then
Miss Hampdcn raised her eyes and met
his. She smiled, but ii was like go smile
she had ever bestowed on q man before
He looked at her very gravely, and her
hand closed tightly over the ring. In g
maynent she was studying 1t again.
"I like this. It's unusual" she said
II am glad-you think so, as 1 con.
celved the design" lie expected 10 be
told that he was clever
Indeed" was all she said, and that
indifferently.
How cool! ! rather thought you'd
express surprise and give me some cred
it. You are not addicted to f1attery, II
would seem"
II am not. But don't think it would
have been hattering to be surprised that
you have done it. 1t struck me as being
quite the thing you would naturally
do
THAT is very pretty"
1T Is perfectly true"
1t happened, oddly enough that Ards
ley CHANGED not to have heard of Miss
HaInpdeu's reputation by the next
night. He was rudely awakened to a
knowledge Of it. There were private
theatricals in the hoproom, and Miss
Hampden was the leading lady. Now
the suitor was quite recovered, and he
meant to play joke on those in the
audience who were not-and these were
some eight or ten, three of them mar
,ried. He proposed to the heroine in
nicely read lines, and was rejected by
her with a perfection that spoke her
practice. So the audience thought; and
1t laughed. When the laugh had sub
sided. the hero arose from his knees. |
He walked to the footlights and sighed. !
"-Ah! WELL" he said" L have one crumb |
of comfort. I am not the only man in
this place who is in the same fix"
The astounded Ardsley looked about |
him, and he picked out the entire num-