Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-04-03

like velvet, q rich, clear, rosy snow
with the hot young blood glowing
through it like the faint red tinge we
sometimes see on the inner side Of a
white rose leaf. Her hair was very
light brown, almost golden, and fluffy,
soft and fine as a skein Of Arras silk.
She was of medium height, with fig
ure that Venus might have envied. Her
feet and hands were small and ap-
parently made for the sole purpose OF
driving mankind distracted. In fact,
that seemed to be the paramount OBJ
ject in her creation, for SIC had the
world of men at her feet. Her great
est beauty was her glowing dark brown
eyes, which shone with an ever chang
ing luster from beneath the shade of
the longest blacklist upcurvipg lashes
ever seen.
Her voice was soft and full and, ex-
cept when angry, which, alas, was not
infrequent, had low and cpaxing lit
tie note that made it irresistible. She
was o most adroit coaxer and knew
her power full well, although she did
not always plead. having the Tudor
temper and preferring to command
when she could. As before limited. she
had coaxed her royal brother out Of
several proposed marriages for her
which would have been greatly to his
advantage, and if you had only known
Henry Tudor, with his vain, bolster
Gus, stubborn violence, you could form
some idea of Marys powers by that
achievement alone.
Such was the royal maid to whose
tender mercies, l now tell you frankly,
my friend Brandon was soon to be
turned over. He, however, was
blade of very different temper from
any she had known, and when l first
saw signs of growing intimacy be-
tween them l felt, from what little
had seen of Brandon, that the tables
were very likely to be turned upon her
ladyship. Then thought l, God help
her." for in nature like hers, charged
with latent force, strong and hot and
fiery as the suns stored rays, it need
ed but flash to make it patent when
damage was sure to follow for some
body-probably Brandon.
Mary did not come home with US
from Westminster the morning after
the joustings, as we had expected, but
followed some four or five days later.
and Brandon had fairly settled himself
at court before her arrival. AS neither
his duties nor mine were onerous. we
had great deal Of time on our hands,
which we employed walking and riding
or sitting in our common room reading
and talking OF course, as with most
young men. that very attractive branch
of natural history, woman, was favor
ite topic, and we accordingly discussed
it great deal-that is, to tell the exact
truth, | did Although Brandon had
seen many an adventure during his life
on the continent which would not do
to write down here he was as little of
a boaster as any man l ever met. and.
while | am in the truth telling business,
l was as great braggart of my inches
as ever drew the longbow-in that line,
l mean Gods, flush up hot even now
when l think of it! So | talked great
deal and found myself infinitely pleased
with Brandon's conversational powers.
which were rare, being no less than the
capacity for saying nothing and listen
ing politely to an infinite deal of the
same thing, in another form, from me.
I remember that | told him | had
known the Princess Mary from a time
when she was twelve years old, and
how had made a fool of myself about
her. fear | tried to convey the i'm
preston that it was her exalted rank
only which made her look unfavorably
upon my passion and suppressed the
fact that she had laughed at me good
humoredly and put me off as she would
have thrust poodle from her lap. The
truth is she had always been kind and
courteous to me and had admitted me
to a degree of intimacy much greater
than | deserved. This, partly at least,
grew out of the fact that | helped her
along the thorny path to knowledge,
road she travelled at an eager gallop,
for she dearly loved to learn-from Gu
riosity perhaps.
am sure she held me in her light,
gentle heart as dear friend; but, while
her heart was filed with this mild
warmth for me, mine began to burn
with the flame that discolors every
thing, and saw her friendliness in a
very distorting light. She was much
kinder to me than to most men, but
did not see that it was by reason of my
absolute harmlessneSs, and, suppose,
because | was a vain fool l gradually
began to gather hope-which goes with
every vain mans love-and, what Is
more actually climbed to the very apex
of idiocy and declared myself. l well
knew the infinite distance between us;
but, like every other man who came
within the circle of this charming load
stone, l lost my head and, in short,
made greater fool of myself than l
naturally was, which is saying good
deal for that time in my life, God
knows,
knew vaguely, but did not fairly re-
alize, how utterly beyond my reach in
every way she was until l opened the
fioodgates of my passion, as | thought
it, and saw her smile and try to check
the coming laugh. Then came look
of offended dignity, followed by a
quick. softening glance.
Leave me one friend, pray you,
Edwin. value you too highly to lose,
and esteem you too much to torment.
Do not make of yourself one of those
fools who feel, or pretend to feel, l care