The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-03-02
ALICE READE.

wife and child in actual need OF lfe,s com.
fortsl Oh, Lucius. Luciusl am reveugsd
noww and smile, sad, even in its triumph,
curled over the beautiful mouth OF The
speaker.
She was young, so young that you would
have hesitated whether to write her . eirl or
woman, and her only beauty WAS in her
mouth and eyes. The one was largo, but soft,
sweet, flexible, the responsive instrument on
which her soul always struck its infinitudes
OF emotion and feeling. The eyes were
large and deep, translation OF her soul
rather than her heart, Is, perhaps, eyes Oft
enest are.
Up and down her chamber, with that sad,
bitter smile on her lips, the lady walked
many times. The velvet carpet, il DARK
ground work piled with Soronto roses. cush.
toned her feet. Soft landscapes Of the
Rhine, intermingled with wild pictures oil
Alpine scenery, leaned down TO her from
their oval frames but needless OF oil the
beauty about her, its mistress walked amid
Il, her soul wrapped in joy which the an
gels must have written sin.
And yet you should pity her, for great had
been her wrong. She had the elemsnts Of I
very noble nature, too, but hsr mother had
died before Alice had met her tenth summer,
and there WAS none that understood her deep,
emotional nature-her impulGve, poetic tenn
permanent.
Her father was plain, practical farmer.
whose being was absorbed in the few acres
which lay around his yellow brown home
stead, and he regarded Alice a. remarks-
bly, sensible child, because she always pre-
ferred books to dolls and bonnsts. She At
tended the village school until she was eish-
teen, for her father Was inculgent to fault :
and although he fumed and fretted over the
semi annual school bills, he never had the
heart to withdraw Alice from the studies she
loved. There she met Lucius Brante. How
the thoughts OF the proud woman rsacht a
of to that hour, and dragged il up to the
present q
He was poo4 an artist, and school.
teacher, with an earnest, aesthetic nature.
and much Of that social magnetism that at
tracts the sympathies Of others.
Alice was his pupil. do not know how
it happened, but both teacher and scholar
learned q lesson that was not in the text.
book that summer.
"Alice," said the young man, brushing
away the rich curls that leaned over the girls
bowed forehead - they stood by the old
farm gate on the last night OF his stay in
Meadow Brook, 81 give you my heart
Take and keep it. must 90 out into the
world and win me name and . place there !;
then will come brck to you"
81 will take aud keep il till give them
both back to God" answered the girl SOL
EMMY, and so they parted.
She had been true to him--throuRh the
dark triumphs OF her face comes softer
light with the thought. Then what tempta-
tions thckened shout her--when her father
died, and she came to her fashionable Aunt's
and entered upon that new life Of wealth and
luxury.
Piquant and impulsive, graceful and some
times beautiful, it was not strange she cres-
ted an unusual sensation. But the dreaming.
lair haired youth, whose rapt eye leaned over
his easel in the fourth story Of an old build
ing in an obscure street Of the metropolis.
owned the heart that no princely fortune
could have bought.
Alice's relative was an intriguing, worldly
woman. She had no children Of her own.
and whatever Of affection could exist in such
. nature, Was bestowed on the orphan. Mr..
Reade was a widowcr and millionaire; and
II his life was leaning down TO the shAdowy
OF sixty, ne thought that was no reason Why
he should not have q young and beautiful
wife to preside over his elegant home.
"She'll throw herself away on that hand
some young painter, and starve to death in .
garrett" unused Mrs. Henley, between her
lunch and her lap dog, after : long Interview
with Mr.. Rsade. srd forbid him the house.
but Alice is such . high spirited girl. A
little diplomacy will succeed best with her.
It would only be doing her . lifelong favor,
too. We'll see!" significantly perforated the
portly lady, rs she divided slice Of cake
with her canine fsvorite.
"Alice |"
"Aont" and the girls bright face leaned
over the balnstrade.
. Here's letter for you found among my
cards after dinner. forgot to hand It to
you. Excuse moi What, not dressed for
the party?" Az Alice came eagerly down
the stairs, her eyes frightened at the we'll
known chiro:rsphy.
"No; but shall be in in half On hour. -
And she went back to her room.
No one saw her again that night. The
letter struck out oil the light, and joy, and
faith of her life!
Two months later there was . wedding,
and very gorgeous one, at the residence Of
Mrs. Henley. Alice was the wife Of tho mill
ionaire.
Well, he was . good, indulgsnt sort OF
husband, and loved his young wife better
than he did his house and his horses. which
IL saying q good desl, for these were his pas
sions.
And Alice! lhave given You the keynote
to her life. You can feel the sadness Of the
heart hymns amid all the earth glare and lux.
w through -.:cs ..hcJJ rise.
Eyes, it 10 my triumph hour now, Lucius
Brante,n nurmurs the lady, ~ she twined
the watch chain round her white fingers, still
pacing up and down the chamber floor
ooh! what heart was that You slighted-
what love was that you spurnsd! You
would never have come TO what ron ase nov
II ! had been your wife. Ny genius would
have stimulated, my OBJECTION would hays in.
spirsd you! But you knew wss poor, and
you thought II you married rich wonsn.-
Your designs were frustrated finely. though.
weren't they? In less than : ysaf hae fssh.
er died insolvent, and you had pretty, help
less girl on your hands, who, II shs hsd
strength 70 lore, hsd no sense 70 appreciate
yoa. Well, you deserve Il al, and 'Ism clad
Of It. lwouldn't give one half -psnny Of the
thousands possess, to sAvs you o. yosr
vile, or child, from starvssionv' Add the
lady brought down her olssehsd hand on TIE
table.