Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-11-02
pity, querida mia, that have not
iaarnad IN coolr 2"


learned to cook?"
That night after dinner the stranger
called. His name was Ambrose and he
was very nice to look at. Rosita had
been quite right. too, about his de-
lightful voice Ten minutes after his
arrival she slipped out Of the room to
come back laden with heap of discard
ed fannels belonging to our schoolboy
brothers. She raked out the big mend
ing basket from under side table in
the back drawing-room where 1t had
lived in lonely splendor for years and
began to darn assiduously. Ambrose
gazed at her with large eyes full, appar-
emily, Of respect and admiration.
cit isn't often" he said, earnestly,
that one finds a girl who isn't ashamed
to do honest, useful work in her draw
ing-room instead of wasting her time on
absurd embroidery"
Isn't it?" she asked, II never do en-
broidery, Mr.. Ambrose"
Are you going to do all that great
heap yourself?" he said. slowly.
There is no one else to do it" with
a wicked side glance at me.
The stranger also glanced at me in
quiringly
"Ah," said Rosita, sadly, ANA doesn't
care for homework or mending. She is
the ornamental one, you see."
"Why is Rosita playing the domestic
a~~NNS NI% -NNo~
treasurer" Billy asked, with some
amusement
She has seen the error of her ways"
I murmured, Loyalty.
AS it had begun, so 1t went on. When
Ambrose called in the mornings Rosita
would run into the room with her white
arms bare to her dimpled elbow and
thick with -four. She cut holes in the
best linen sheets and damask table
linen that she might mend them in the
drawing-room before his delighted eyes,
and our little sewing maid almost wept
when she unpicked Rosita's terrible
patches and did them over again. l
grew uneasy. But Rosita came into the
drawing-room one afternoon and solved
all my doubts.
She came languidly forward and knelt
on the soft green carpet at my feet.
HE is coming to speak to me this aft
srnoon, querida mia; l wish | could
be dead when he came. He will be so
angry"
waited for her to go on.
| 0IIo mill @a1I y,ao fhof he 1Ouoo ma and
IL shall have to tell him the truth. Oh,
Anita, how can tell him that have
been deceiving him?"
The front door bell rang. Rosita
Sprang up hurriedly, pushed back her
heavy dark hair and pinched her pale
cheeks before the mirror in the wall.
Stay with me-" she whispered.
She picked up her guitar from table
near, sank into pile of cushions on the
big window seat and Etrummed idly on
the strings.
The young man was shown in, and as
he crossed the room to US he seemed
taller and straighter, the look Of quiet
determination in his clear eyes strong
er than ever.
Rosita half rose lazily, then slipped
back to her cushions. Ambrose gazed
at her in some surprise and frowned
little.
ut isn't often" he said, gravely, that
1 find you lolling on cushions, Miss
Rosita-sitting idle"
NO" she said, slowly and deliber-
ately, but that you see is because I've
been deceiving you. This is my usual
attitude, Mr. Ambrose"
"'Deceiving me?" said he, gravely.
Eyes. You think I'm domesticated
and housewifely and industrious, but
I'm not, l assure you. You are quite
] mistaken in my character"
"Oh!" said he. His voice was curious
ly muf1ed. What can you do, If may
ask?"
Not much" said she. Il can dance
most English dances and few old
Spanish ones my mother taught me. l
can rattle the castanets, wear mantilla
and do my hair dozen different ways.
can-let me see-oh," she struck a
few more jangling notes on her guitar
Il can play you 79 tunes-English, Span
ish and Portuguese-and sing silly little
songs about love and roses and wine and
dark-haired ladies and gallant cabal-
leros to all Of them think-I am near
ly sure-that is ALL"
"Rosita," he said, slowly, do you
know why l have come here to-day?"
Il have deceived you" Rosita said in
mufled voice; you had better 60"
He went on steadily,
81 came here this afternoon to ask you
to be my wife,"
"Then you'd better go away while
there's time" cried she with sob; I'm
not at all su-suitable.
Ambrose laughed. He took away the
guitar, but the hands which had been
playing with the strings he kept in his
own.
do you know why want you to mar
ry me?"
"You-you thought was domestic
creature I'm not"
ct came because 1 fell in love with
you" said he. She tried to draw away
her hand.
ooh! But you thought-you thought
l could do things?"
He laughed softly:
Dear little girl, do you really think
you've been taking me In all this
timer"
"What?"
mo one" said he, who really knew
how to darn ever held needle as you
held it. No one who was fond of cooking
left her buildings and pies half-made
for hours at a time as you did. You
played the game very prettily, sweet