The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-05-10

Inc devotion OF n6F IOOh Neto GILOI u
ing amusement to the chaperons and
elderly officers, who, by reason OF phy-
steal infrmities, were convinced thaI
dancing is a hollow vanity, and there
fore abstained from it, but not from
comments upon people and frocks'
which have been definitely proven not
to be vanities, and are INDUCED in by
the most potent grave and reverend
signors, and have their sanction.
She was dancing with Taunton
Waiting the long-stepped, fast, gliding
waltz which the cavalry is apt to al
feet, and which has in it the dash ana
verve commonly supposed to be at
tributes of that gallant branch CT the
service.
1t was a case of true love, and had
not ran smooth. Miss Rossinl was
torn between a desire to obey her pa
rents and the wish to give way TO
Taunton's entreaties. The outcome CT
the conflict has been written before
hand in the book of life these thou
sands of centuries A weakness OF VIII
-sweetly feminine, but trying when
it is not ones self who Yields the pow
er-was her worst fault. Her prom
Uses were governed entirely by the
speaker Of the moment. To her father
she swore enternal remuneration OF
Taunton; to Taunton eternal fidelity
in her love, and yet, if untruth is to
be judged only by its intention, she
was not guilty of falsehOod. The
time had passed, some two weeks be-
fore, when she might with honesty tell
her father that she would give the
first lieutenant up forever. Moreover,
Captain Rossini had begun to lose
faith in the promises. At last she re-
piled to his circumstances, one day,
that she loved Taunton, that he loved
her, and that she meant eventually to
marry him At this she turned first
red, and then pale, but remained firm
against all the parental wrath poured
on her head with a vehemence and
force of language calculated to impress
her with the deep respect child
should nourish toward the author of
it's being. To his choice epithets she
made no reply. The humor Of the sit
uation struck her even then-the vast
paradox of paternal reverence. But
she showed the Obstinacy which lies
at the bottom of even a weak nature,
which is part Of the instinct of self
preservation. and she held her tongue.
The strain was telling on her how
ever She was greatly changed from
the girl who, but six months before.
had come back from school to the gay
ETY. and adulatiOn of big army post.
The suffering gave a sweetness to her
rather cool prettiness, which lent her
charm. The garrison was sorry for
her: it did all in its power to help
along the meetings of this much
enamored couple, and succeeded only
too well
Captain and Mrs. ROssini were per
sons of a type not prevalent in the
service, with an eye very much to the
main chance, worldly wise to a degree.
A rich man back East" who had TAX
en- a fancy to the little boarding
school miss, and who sent numerous
letters. rolls Of music, books and boxes
Of candy, was looked upon as a far
better match than a first lieutenant,
oven a most exemplary first lieutenant,
as Taunton certainly was. When
Tauntons attentions had become too
marked. he had been forbidden the
house and Lucia had been commanded
to repulse him. The mere fact that she
Dromised faithfully to do so, in pres
ence of her fathers wrath, had no in
Auence on her when once she was
thrown with her lover 1t was a choice
of evils: whether she should oppose
her parents or Taunton, and she chose
the former as less unpleasant.
lust at first they kept their meetings
secret. but once they were discovered.
thew threw aside concealment and saw
each other openly under the very eyes
of the powerless father and mother
They took long rides among the foot
hills long walks around the outskirts
of the garrison, Taunton striding along
with his fine head very erect, his gray
eyes seeing nothing but the girl at his
side who picked her way daintily
among the litter Of tin cans and brok-
on bottles and old horseshoes that
marked the approach to the pvt.
There were no leafy bowers under
which to stroll and no velvet sward to
press their feet upon; but they could
well afford to ignore the surroundings;
It is only later in life that we learn the