The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-08
Love In a Dictionary

hacienda OF Don lose Miranda. on the
evening OF my arrival on the ground
received nm invitation from him Ia
make bis house my headquarters. Had
been older ! might have declined 10
place myself under obligation, but in
youth one is not so likely to refuse
favors.
Nor is one at that age overscrupulous
In love. Don Jose had pretty daugh.
ter Dona Ysabel. who was heir 10 a
considerable portion OF his estate. l.
who had nothing but my profession
and not much income even in that.
should not have listened n moment to
the temptation TO make love 10 this
heiress. When youngster wishes 10
do the right thing IN such n case he Is
apt to beat the devil about he stump
by showing his heart to the girl in
some covert way. ] beat the devil
around the stump not only as a salve
10 my conscience, but because was
not Afforded an opportunity to make
love openly. Besides, I had no reason
to suppose that the young lady would
respond. and TO think OF receiving
snub from her for preferred love quite
took my breath away. Prudence die
tated plan that was noncommittal.
/ never saw Dona Ysabel alone, but
! passed many evenings ut the house
In company with the family. One even.
ing took dictionary from the library
ON pretense of looking for the Spanish
for word wished 10 use. Don Jose
was In the room with others, and Dona
Ysabel was looking over my shoulder.
There is story that courtier who
nsplred TO the favor of Queen Eliza
beth or England wrote his aspiration
and his fears on a window pane with
diamond and received his reply I'm
the same way. The message and re-
ply constitute a rhyme and are famil-
far to most people who have received
a finished education. Whether Dona
Ysabel had ever met with them did
not know. While turning over the
leaves of the dictionary stopped and
held my thumb for awhile on the
word "fain." Then, carelessly turning
over the leaves, suffered IL to remain
on the word would" In this way
] indicated the line:
Fain would climb, but fear to fall
had reached the word "climb" and
was looking for ''but" when Dona
Ysabel walked away from me. in.
ferred that she had not seen through
my device. for If she had a natural
feminine curiosity would have led her |
TO remain where she was till had
finished. Replacing the dictionary in
the library, began a conversation |
with her father about the location Of /
the railroad through his hacienda, a
subject In which he was interested.
The next morning arose and break |
tasted, as was my custom, long before
the family were downstairs and was
going to my work when, passing
through the library. was surprised
to see the dictionary lying open on a
table. Geing to 1t, my eye rested on
the pages before me, which included
words beginning with the letter 81"
Under the word eff | noticed light
pencil mark.
Ny heart jumped. Tf" was the be-
ginning of Queen Elizabeth's reply to
the aspiring courtier. Rapidly turning
over the leaves to words beginning
with 'if' / looked for you" There
was a pencil mark under it. Are"
was the next word In the queens reply,
and this, too, found UNDERSIGNED.
had seen all required to convince me
that not only had a reply to my mes
sage, but the reply l desired. 1t was
this:
If you're afraid. climb not at all.
the famous rhyme:
Fain would climb but fear to FALL.
Ii you're afraid. climb not at all.
IT was so well known to Dona Ysabel
that she did not need to see 1t COM
pleted after the word climb"
On the surface. from this time till !
Ind finished nv work. Dona Ysabei
and ! were merely acquaintances. We
did not even use the dictionary or any
other means Of communication, but ,
the night before I was to take my de- {
parture, again making n pretext OF
ending word, withdrew the volume
from the library and began a hunt
isabel stood over me, and | pointed t
10 the following words:
The way is dark. The road l fall to see.
AS soon as had completed my mes t
;age ISABEL left me and. taking mp
;ome embroidery, devoted herself to It.
But | watched her and saw that she J
vas in deep thought. After awhile she !
aid aside her work and, turning to the +
dictionary that lay on the table, began /
q turn over the leaves. ! went and 7
TODD over her. She pointed out the !
reply:
Make your demand and leave the rest
o me.
After the family had retired for the
light and | was having a few f1nal +
words with Don Jose about the section n
# the railroad | had located sud b
enIy astonished him by asking for p
lis daughters hand. 1t was not only 5
NJ impudence that startled him, but {
Wonder that | should have made such I
demand without something of :
ourtship rs is customary in the United /,
kltes. Before be could make any re- 1
Jv I said that. of course, he and his b
au5hter would together agree upon =
eply which could be sent me and maze
Nv exit as rapidly as | could without
ppearing precipitate. 4
It was not till six months after my ii
aouest that | received 4 note from a.