Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-05-06

shared equally in Mrs. Lindsley's care and In
struetions. But death entered that dwelling
also and during the long illness that precee-
ded ms approach, Theresa, watched over her
adopted mother as faithfully as did her own
daughters, & wept as bitterly over her grave
Mr. Gordon was still in Europe at the time of
mrs Llndsley's death, the period of his return
YET uncertain and although his daughters
educauon was now completed, Mr. Lindsley
would not allow her to return to her solitary
.,ome sfsai1s. South. 'Nn, no. Theresa he
z sss~seasr
| George Illden, meanwhile. had been pros
eeutlng his studies with diligence and sue
cess. de had graduated with distinguished
honors; and Mr.. Lindsey was very proud of
his brilliant talents and nntranished name.
lie loved the young man. too, for his noble
qualities of head and heart, and noticed the
ssprlnging up of a mutual attachment between
MIN and Adelaide with any thing but dis
pleasure.
At the period of which we are writing
George and Adelaide had been betrothed
nearly year, and the former had gone to the
South, to revisit his paternal estate, which
was next to that,of Mr.. Gordon, and make
arrangements for returning thither with his
ori1e sometimes during the coming fall.
mere was but one heart that had not re-
Jolced when the engagement of the Young
couple was announced-for Mr. Lipdsley and
Kate rejoiced in Ada's happiness, even though
1t was to be the M cans of takin her away
from them-and that one was the heart of |
Theresa Gordon. Without having had e
least reason for doing so, she had learned to !
regard herself as the destined bride Of Georg
Iilden and when she saw plainly that he |
gave her only sisters place IN his affections,
while he loved Adelaide with all the depth
and ferVor OF his impassioned nature, she felt |
injured ana sllghted, and her heart was filed |
to oyert1owlng with envy and bitterness.
1t was strange that her attachment was
not suspected, even by it's object-but so it
was. The manner in which they were stu
ated, and the frank familiarity of their in
tercourse, had placed them so much upon the
footing OF brother and sister, that no one ey-
er thought of regarding them in any other
hight Adelaide did not dream when she
Dlushlngiy spoke to Kate and Theresa of her
oetrotnai, that her sisters fearful congratu-
lations met with no response in the breast of
TN latter; and that when she bentto exchange
me usual goodnight kisses, nothing but
Iheresa,s pride prevented her from shrinking
from her, as if she had been viper.
But Theresa, though weak, was not wick
ed, and during the year that had elapsed
since then, she had learned to Look upon the
matter more calmly, and to regard it's con-
summation as an event to which she must
sn ssalf s:sds t,rsee as possible. This
epening, z5stFEf. ali tie sjid IiedIofSIs ann,
emotions were awaked anew. The idea that
there was even a possibility that the marriage
would not lake place, had never crossed her
orain but DOW Adelaide's own words had
suggested the thought, and Kate's playful
caution had confirmed it. All the way home
IL had seemed to her that an audible voice
was whispering IN her ear &c This marriage
may be preVented-this marriage may be
preVented; ); and she had more than once in /
voluntarily turned her head to see whence it +
proceeded.
Alas the voice came from the innermost
depths OF her own heart, and had she then
attempted to stife it, she might have succee-
ded But she listened to the song of the
syren-she repeated to herself, over and over
again, the words that had SO charmed her.
and scarcely made one efft,rt to free herself
from the influence that was enthraIliny her. +
" Adelaide cannot love him as | do" she
thought IN self,justi6cation, as she Law down
to rest, perhaps, but not to sleep, that night. I
: She cannot love him. as do, or she could T
not have talked so cooAy of what she would
and what she would not do. And, indeed. I +
DO MT think she has very deep feelings-these
northern girls are so cold and reserved. She
Is too proud to grieye very long over any
mans desertion, and she certainly does al (
low that young Melville to be very attentive
George ought to know it, at least; and if he
did, and, any thing should Happen, why then
then"
She sprang from the bed and hastily light
ed taper that stood upon the dressing-table. /
The face that looked down upon her from the /
mirror that hung over it was, indeed, beauti-
fuI. her cheeks were now glowing, her large |
hazel eyes were strangely radiant her lux
urlant hair streamed in wild disorder. half
waves, half curls, over her night-dress, and |
her RED lips were partedin smile that, ifit |
lacked sweetness, was brilliant and fascina-
ting.
Strange that he did not love me-" she
murmured; "others have, why should not he ? /
and he would if it were not for Adelaide. OH /
VIII win him yet, and then | will be so
faithful to him, | will love him, so deyotedy
as to atone for ali eIsei'
Extlnguihsing the lamp, she crept back to
hes couch again, bat thor0 no O rest for
her there She could not silence the voice of
conscience by such sophistries as those she
had been uttering and when the morning
dawned, it had almost resumed its way.ei
Adelaides greeting, as they met at the break
tast-table, seemed even more kind than usu-
raj; and during the day she found herself so
steadily and pleasantly employed, that she |
had no time to harbor dangerous thoughts
But again and again they returned, and each
time her resistance was more feeble, till at
last-but the progress of our story will sufi- /
ciently develop the result of the struggle. /
TO BE CONTINUED. ]