Little Falls herald., 1900-12-28
HIS LIT.rLE= FIANCE.
BY CHARLES 8. PEARSON.

Copyright, 1900. Daily Story Pub. COY
HERNDON called her mis- little fance-
~ pretty, golden-haired, rosy-cheeksd
maiden of l3. 1t was in San Francisco :hat
he met her, as the daughter and only child
of a gentleman Of literary pursz4t, to
whom the New Yorker had a letter Of in.
PRODUCTION.
One day when they were seated to-
gether, he holding her little white hand,
she looking at him with that serious ex:
preston, the mother burst out laughing.
Il verify believe Esse is dying to have
you kiss her." she said "You can kiss her,
Of course, Mr.. Herndon, if you like. She is
but a child, you know
Girls of 13 are young, and again they
are old. Herndon hisitated. Looked at
from one point Of view, it meant nothing
and would signify nothing, but Essie was
such a strange girl. He thought little.
Then bright idea struck him, and he said:
Every we'll, Mrs. Henry. With the kiss I
seal the agreement that you pledge her to
me for life as my wife. Do you consent,
dear?'
Essie murmured EYES," and he was sur
prlsed at the thrill which passed through
him when she pressed her dewey lips to his
and threw her arms about his neck.
After that he called her his little fance,
and the child actually believed they were
engaged Her mother so averred, and at
once Essie conducted herself as if she really
thought the affair would end in his wedding
her when she became proper age. Hern-
don was 25 years old-l2 years her senior.
At last the time came when Herndon must
return to New York. He promised to write
her weekly.
When he told Mrs. Henry farewell at the
depot in Oakland, across from San Fran.
cisco, where he boarded the train for the
long ride across the continent, and kissed
Essie affectionately, the child burst into
tears. She sobbed as if her little heart
would break.
|'Are you really sorry I am going?' hs
asked her, tenderly, touched by her grief.
She raised her head and looked at him in
surprise
'Don't you suppose mother would cry if
father were going so far away from herr"
she asked, in all earnestness. TO her the en-
gagement was a reality.
Herndon did keep his promise for time,
but he became greatly interested in mat.
ter, and at the end of three or four months
he failed to answer one of Essie's affection.
ate love missives, which might have been
indited by young lady who had gradu-
ated and seen her first season.
Essle was too proud to write two let.
ters to his one, and the correspondence had
dropped. Once or twice he had reproached
himself and fully intended to write, but he
really forgot it,
Five years passed. Herndon started to
Japan on literary mission, something like
compiling book on Japanese flowers.
Necessarily he went to San Francisco. OF
course he visited the Henrys. He arrived at
their house somewhat early in the evening.
Mrs. Henry had changed but little. She
came downstairs first. Later there entered
the room one of the most magnificent crea.
lures Herndon thought he had ever seen.
Essie had been transformed from pretty
child of l3 to q regal-looking young lady
Of Is. Her face was beautiful, her figure
superb. She greeted him without shade
Of embarrassment and welcomed him sim.
ply. -,
Three handsome chaps called at the house
that night, young fellows of M or 25, and
Herndon, bachelor of 80, felt the keen pargs
Of jealousy. She greeted them as she had
done him, simply and unaffectedQy. Twice
or thrice he caught her looking at him as
he talked to the mother. He wondered il
she remembered that be had once called
her "his little fance." He would not now
dare ask this self-con ained, statuesqus
beauty such an impertinent question.
One afternoon she had consented to &C.
company him to Golden Gate park. Hern.
don had fallen hopelessly, helplessly in love.
The tables were turned now, he reflected
bitterly. But he intended to learn his fate.
They entered the Japanese kiosk, and wers
drinking the tea and eating the cakes fur
nished there, though he was not in the LEAST
hungry.
Il picked up book in the parlor thi,
afternoon moment while waiting for you," "
he said, "and on the fly leaf was the name,
Marjorie Henry Who is she? Is she a
cousin, or what relation?"
The blue eyes brinmed over with fun and
the pearly teeth showed white between the
scarlet lips
cts only me, only me-" she hummed the
tune mirthfully, then in moment her face
became grave and serious.
Chow is it," he asked her, "that you are
called Essie; when your name is Marjorie?"
She glanced at him moment and her
eyes were full Of laughter again.
II suppose you studied Latin when you
were at college. Then of course you know
what 'semper eadem' means. You know
the 'declension idem, masculine; eadem, fem
mime; again, idem, neuter. Mother used to
say that was always the same. She called
me |semper eadem,' which she shortened tc
S. E., whence came Essie." She turned
aside and affected to brush something from
her gown. He watched her closely, but she
betrayed no consciousness.
*'You are not the same," he said, almost
6ercely; "you have outgrown one thing
one blessed thing for me you had in your
childhood"
She turned and looked him straight in
the eye.
GAS I have been, am, and shall so re-
main always" she replied, calmly. "Yester.
day was the same as to-day, tomorrow
shall be, the day after, and the week, month
and year. Others change; I do not" she
said, softly. She could no longer repress a
blush. In spite Of herself, her eyes took on
tender look.
In a moment he had put his arm about