Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1884 — HER ENGAGEMENT. [ARTICLE]

HER ENGAGEMENT.

“But do you really mean it, Mr. Lilford?” Maysel Mayton was standing in the 'illuminated archway of the autumn woods, her bright braids of hair pierced by one or two wandering sunbeams, her dimpled child-face framed in, as it wore, by sprays of rod-veined autumn leaves, while her apron was full <sf the glistening brown chestnuts which she had picked up, Harry Lilfyrd leaned against the tall smooth trunk of the birch-tree, and looking at her . with a lazy luxurious sense of artistic beauty entering into his mind us he gazed. “ Of course I mean it,” said he. “ But 1 am only twelve years old,”, cried Maysel, flinging back the sunny tendrils of hair that hung over he?- i'orehead. “You are exactly twelve titfes as lovely as any of the city belles that congregate hereabouts,” said Mr, Lilford, striving to conceal a yawn. “And if they think I am engaged-—don't you see?—there will be some probability of their leaving oft'persecuting me.” “ Well,” said May sei, every dimple coming shyly out on lip and cheek as she stood there. “It’s to be a compact —eh?” said Mr. Lilford.***" Maysel nodded her fair little, head. ;, ously, “where is the ring?” “The—what?” “The engagement-ring, Mr. Lilford,” explained Maysel reproachfully. “Don’t you know there’s always a ring in the novels? and most generally it’s a diamond.” “ If you'll believe said Mr. Lilford tragically, “I never thought of the ring. But here’s a little opal, that used to be my mother’s, hanging on my watch-chain. Won’t that do?” Maysel held out her brown finger, while he fitted it on. “You—you haven’t kissed me yet!” she said, when this ceremony was complete. “ Lovell always kiss” their cees!''Mir. Lilford laughed. “Come,” said he', this is getting serious. But here’s the kiss before the rest of the chestnut party get here.— -AMdr mind, this is to be a profound secret between you and me.” Maysel* ran, back home with a vague sensation of mysterious delight, and thought how nice Mr. Lilford looked all the time she was munching her roasted chestnuts; aid Mr. Lilford himself took advantage of the little joke to proJami himself an engaged man. is it an exaggeration to say that the young ladies were genuinely disappointed. “It must be a recent thing." said Kate Meek, tossing her head. “Oh, quite recent,” acknowledged Mr Lilfonft- „ “Love at first sight?” asked Miss Stamey. * “N—no. not exactly,” said Lilford. “ In fact, I may say that I have admired the young lady since her infancy.” Maud Claremont, looking anything but delighted. “But of course, Mr. Lilford, you'll tell us her name?" “l am pledged to secrecy," said the engaged man solemn! v.

And when he left , in the late autumn, and forgot all about the wild little woodland sprite who climbed trees and pelted him with chestnuts, waded with brown dimpled feet in the foamy waters of glen torrent, and conducted him so mysteriously to the barn-chamber to show him her empty birds’ nests, butterfly wings, and aia-nsond-bright pebbles, how was he to know that she remembered the episode under the yellow-leaved chestnut-tree as a red-letter day in her calendar? ~ “ He ought to write to me, said Maysel gloomily, as the weeks and months glided by, and no epistle came. “ I do hope lie isn't going to turn out false, like the wicked cavaliers in storybooks.” And when Mr. Lilford sent her a huge wax doll, with its complete outfitrof elegantly made dresses at Christmas,-May-sel flew into a passion. “As if I were a baby!” said she. “A doll, indeed, and I twelve years old in March! I wonder if he takes me for a child? Whoever heard of a gentleman sending a doll to the voting lady he was engaged to?’' “ My dear MaySel-,” said lief mother, half-vexed, half afli tired, “what honsense you are talking!" . “We are engaged-,’' said Maygel. “See the ring?” And she shyly pulled it out frbitt the bosom of her dress,. .................... _ ... “It was only a joke,” said Mrs. Mayton, , “It was sober earnest,” flashed out Maysel. “My dear,” said Mrs, Mayton, “haven’t you heard? Mr. Li If ofd is to be married to Miss Mary Huntington, Mrs. Hartley’s niece, next month. The cards are already out.” “ What!” cried Maysel, her blue eyes blazing, her rosy lips apart. “To be married! and he engaged to hie!” And she rushed AWav into her chamber and hid herself fdr full two hours, to sob out the currtffit of her childish grief. Mrs. Mayton smiled and sighed. “Who would think the child would have attached so much importance to a piece of nonsense like that?” said she, “Really, I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake in allowing her to read so many novels. But she was always an impetuous little creature.” It could not have been more than eight years subsequently that the collision occurred, on the Grand Canal at Venice, in which one of the gondolas capsized, and a beautiful young American lady, niece to the United States consul, received an involuntary duck-

ing. Perhaps the romantically-dressed gondoliers wore intoxicated; perhaps i Miss Delmar hall, as they asserted, risen hastily to point out something and destroyed the balance of the mouldy black velvet-lined old conveyance. At all events. Miss Delmar was upset directly in front df. the palazzo where Mr. Lilford occupied the first Hour. Of course Mr. Lilford sent out his valet to offer his services. — 1 Of course they carried Miss Delmar in; and laid her oh a sofa, and made much of her. “ But how ridiculous all this is,” said -Miss Delmar with merriment gleaming ■< in her beautiful dark-blue eyes. “T am a little wet, to be sure, but otherwise I am entirely unharmed. Why didn't they put me in the gondola again, and send me back to my uffcle’s palazzo?” : Mr. Lilford. however, was far too hospitable for that. Miss Delmar gazed curiously around. How angelically beautiful she looked, wrapped in the violet velvet cloak edged with ermine, her cheeks flushed with softest rose, her eyes sparkling, her hair hanging in a fringe of gold iver her forehead. “Where is Mrs. Lilford?” she asked

Mr. Eilford winced. - “ She has been dead a year,’’ he said. “Yon were acquainted with my late wife?” “ Oh no, not at all,” said Miss Delmar. • “Only of course all the world has heard of her. She was a famous beauty, wasn’t she?” “ She was very lovely,” said the widower. When Miss Delmar was carried away in a ntfwly summoned gondola; whose pyM«fl’tfsqu'e oarsmen were more to be relied upon than their predecessors, Mr. Lilford asked permission to call at the consulate, to enquire how she was, in the course of a day or two, and Miss Delmar accorded the permission as a young queen might have done. Miss Delmar was young, beautiful and piquant. Lilford, w’hose life had been nearly badgered out of him by the caprices, exactions and varying of his late wife, was cliarmed by her sunny brilliance, and at a month’s end he carpe to Sir. Delmar, the United States consul, to ask permission to press his suit with his niece. Mr. Delmar looked conscious. “Didn't you know," he said, “she is engaged?-’ “ Engaged!” repeated Mr., Lilford, his heart seeming to turn to ice within him. “Quite an old affair, I believe,” said Mr. Delmar, “But perhaps you had better see my niece herself alxmt it. I'll give you her message. She can decide to siut herself.” Miss Delmar-was prettier than ever Jn her coql muslin dress and pale-blue ribbons as she sat among the jassamine and pomegranates of the consulate re-ception-room the next day to receive Mr. Lilford. ' . He had a speech carefully prepared, ■wherein all the nominatives and subjectives were carefuHy balanced, and the exact words stationed in their exact places; but he. forgot it all at the fair, vision ol her perfect loveliness, and' V -, . , : ■■ ■ ;■ • "*• "v

could only stand helplessly before her and say: “ Miss Delmar, I love you!” “So you have been driven to confess it at last,” said Miss Delmar, “after all these years.” “I don’t understand you,” said Mr. Lilford. “You have forgotten me,” said Maysel. “That would be impossible/ 1 asseverated Mr. Lilford earnestly. “But it’s the fact,” said she. "I am Maysel Mayton, who was engaged to yon Under the chestnut trees at nearly nine years ago, and here is the engagement-ring,” holding up a slender gold hoop, with an opal glimmering in its center. “No. I am not at all surprised that you didn’t recognise me. I was a child then—l am a woman now. And after my parents died, when Uncle Delmar adopted me, I took his name instead of my own. But I have never quite forgotten the pang of bitter jdaloiisy that pierced my baby heart when you were married to Mary Huntington.” “But dare I hope,’’.began Lilford, “that you still care a little forme? I know it seems like presumption, but “Yes you may hope,” whispered Maysel, half-laughing, half-crving. “I do care for you —more than a little.” The consul gave them his blessing. “It was she herself who told me to say she was engaged,” said he, patting MayseFshead. “Little jmss! —Sire is always full of her mischief.” “I wanted to be revenged,” said Maysel. “But I have quite forgiven my false lover at last.” The Providence Journal has discovered a phenomenon—a yourtg man, a favorite in society, who dares to say that he ‘fcannot afford it” —that he would be pleased to dance thfe german every flight in the week, if ttpportttnity werh given him, but that if costly bouquets. are a necessity, he fiflist rdtogo the pleasure, for his salary is not sufficiently large for him to be able to pay for them.