Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-03-22
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! ENHANCEMENT !
BY s. Rhett Roman.
THE carriage turned and the horses
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i pampered and spirited, started
rapidly down the hard, winding road,
while Horton, waving his hand to two
faces looking out the window of the
quickly disappearing train, jumped in
his trap and followed.
Tome over and spend the evening,
now that your friends have gone,'' Miss
uAubert called to him as they left.
How time fies!' remarked her
aunt, with sigh of placid content,
weaving certain plans for the near flu
ture, in which her handsome niece was
20 take a prominent part.
DO you not think May is very
charming mouth, cherie? Why not
listen to reason, and let Robert per-
suade you? June is the best possible
time to go abroad, and your uncle and
1 could join you later in Paris. We
could spend the winter there if Robert
can spare the time, and your sorrow
will cease to overshadow you, my dear
You are too young, mon enfant, to be
unhappy. There is so much in the
years to come to gild life for you into
happiness; our affection and Roberts
devoted attachment will quickly chase
away all the shadows if you will only
be reasonable and consent"
A look of keen distress settled over
Aurore's face, and although her lips
parted as if to speak no sound came.
lit is for your welfare and happiness
! press you, Aurore," resumed her
aunt, with kindly emotion. "Robert
Horton is your only close relative,
child, and should the accidents of life
take us old people away from you
who would protect and care for you?
Your father was my dearly loved
brother. We're I to die, Aurore, !
could not meet him if left his only
daughter alone and unprotected in this
Aeartless and cruel world"
With a half sob Aurore threw a low
eng arm around Mrs. d'Aubert's neck
and declared with loving reproach that
she would not listen to words so sad,
and to eventualities too distant to be
anything but shadows.
You are trying to frighten me. Let
~, stay with you and dear old uncle,
and let us frame no plans, or, if you
will, let us three go abroad in June.
you and uncle and I.
eve will visit together the old Ger
man towns you are so fond of, and
when winter comes we will see."
But her aunt shook her head with
smiling persistency, while fondly strok-
ing Aurore's brown hair as it rested on
her shoulders.
Like most gentle and placid natures,
Mrs. d'Aubert, when once her mind was
made up on a question, became tena-
cious and immovable and rarely ever
abandoned her point.
"But, cherie, POOR Bert is wearing his
heart out" she continued, gently.
''You are unkind and not fair to him.
And your father wished it. So why put
it off? Nowhere would you find kind
er or better man than Robert Horton.
And his untiring devotion! Does that
count for nothing? Be reasonable, ma
petite. Let us say-the last ten days of
May. Let me tell Bert"
"No! no! no! Not yet. Not in May!"
pleaded Aurore, poignant anguish
clutching at her heart strings.
There was long pause, while car
riage swept up the avenue and stopped.
"Ah, les jeunes files" sighed Mrs.
d'Aubert. Every well, cherie, we will
speak of it later
Her aunt was placidly unmoved as
Horton sprang out and came forward
to help them alight.' Mrs. d'Aubert
looked with fond approval at the rath-
er melancholy, dark, refined face of
her nephew and thought with a sigh
what handsome and attractive man
he was. She was almost put out as she
leaned on his shoulder in getting out.
"When I'm auntie's age," Aurore
said with slightly embarrassed laugh,
refusing the help of his outstretched
hands and jumping on the marble steps
of the porch, where Mrs. d'Aubert
stood.
'sI'll be over about eight" Horton
said, rather shortly, as he turned,
swung himself in his trap, took the
lines and drove off.
''Tu mes pas gentille," Mrs. d'Aubert
said, with gentle reproach, as they
went in the wide hall.
And Aurore asked herself while 60
ing up the broad winding stairway
why it was that she could not greet her
cousin, her old playmate of those sweet
early years, of whom she had always
been so fond with even ordinary cor
diality, but instinctively repealed and
repulsed him. Why she dreaded every
approach to that one thought which
she so we'll knew was dominant in his
mind, and why she felt so miserable, so
utterly wretched, when he looked at
her witk shat appealing air of devotion
she knew so we'll.
The March evening was warm and
pleasant, and Aurore slipped into
lighter gown before going down to
supper, only partly conscious of how
it's clinging transparency frightened
the brilliance of her beauty.
81 ''Where's Bert?" queried her uncle,
looking at her admiringly as they sat
in their handsome dining-room while
Aurore deftly handled silver tea
service centuries old family tradition