The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-04-29

e the precious daughter they had just gi1
= en- to the grave. l remembered, too
S With heart-leap of gratitude to Hir
t whose hand was leading me in pleasar
places, that they had not only given N
}, oftheir abundance, but had brought N
to sheir luxurious home, aud been to m
: father and mother. was Margare
: Lu:l, the poor, forlorn working girl, u
4 longer, but Ireuo Sanford, the pet tn
3 .s.alss4sd- heircss, and strange as it ,nsa
[ aeem, the belle.
To Mr. and Mrs. Sanford I had re
! vealed the events of my life, withholdiD.
only Leonard's name; but it had groy !
to be an old story with them, and they
seldom questioned me about it. I hat
changed much since that sad time. NJ
new parents, as they wished me to con
slider and call them. spared nothing up
on my education, and applied myseli
to my studies With an assiduity which
gratifed their pride, while it detrscted
nothing from the satisfaction with which
they installed me in the privileges OF
their lost daughter. had 0utgrown,
also, the DISAGREEMENT that had caused
me so much trouble. My cheeks had
regained their fresh flow Of color, my
shorn hair its length and luxuriance ];
and nothing remained of the ugly scar,
but a short, scanned line beneath my
right temple.
ceased to value so highly the re-
stored beauty which came too late
My heart was sacred to the memory of
ito first love, and Leonard was the same
as dead to me. 1 had never heard from
him, or the village 1 had left, even in
the moat Indirect manner. Sitting there,
that still, summer evening, with the
memories of the blessed by-gone time
flooding my soul, would have given
all the luxury about me, and gone ou.
once more, homeless wanderer into the
world, could but have known how life
had dealt with them, or lived over again
that brief parting hour with Leonard,
when he held mo to his heart, ard kiss
ing, blessed me.
Steps en- the garden walk, and the
sound of mems voices in conversation,
made me pu. aside the silken curtain
and peer curiously cut OF the window
But in the obscure light, could only
distinguish two fgure5, one Of which
was sure was Mr.. Ssnford's. just then
the servant brought in lights, and taking
up book of cpgraviDgs, commenced
turning the leaves carefully, and was so
engaged when Mr.. Sanford entered the
parlor followed by another gentleman.
"My daughter Irene, Mr.. sher-
burne."
Istartled at the mention ofthatname,
and the hot blood rushed into my face,
as looked up, and saw the strangers
eyes fastened intently upon me. Those
Dyes should have known them any
where. For seven long years, I bad
kept the memory of their light shrinsd
in my heart of hearts, and now they
seemed searching my inmoEt soul, and
reading the secret I had kept guarded
30 sedulously. I stammered and my
heart beat so loundly with fear and agi
tation that I thought h0 must have
heard it.
He, on tho contrary, appeared rot in
tho least Disconnected, after the first
glance of surprise and but for the
slight paleness which overspread his fine
countenance momentarily, 1 should not
have guessed he traced any resemblance
between ne snd.. his betrothed Of other
days
"This is an old friend Of mine," said
Mr.. Sanford smiling at my embarrass-
ment, "whom have not seen before
for many years, and bu, for accidental |
ly meeting at the hotel a few daya since,
might not have the pleasure now.
have brough. him in to pass his opinion
upon that portrait of yours, sent home
yesterday"
Drawing Mr.. Sherburne's arm within
his own, he walked to the further end of
the room. neither of them suspecting the
tumult in my heart. Stepping back in
to the shade of the curtains, where l
could see without being seen, waited
the result of tho examination. ] undor-
stood W by, as my father lift the covering
from the freshly painted canvass, Leon
ard dropped his head upon his breast,
and could not look at it steadily. l un-
stools when he raised it again, the ex-
preston of his face had deepened into
Iknew, with quick thrill
of happiness, that the memory of the
past was sacred to him, So it had been
to me, and there was something in the
picture which awakened that memory
into new life.
Tolerable," I heard him say.
81 ana sorry to hear you speak of it
SO slightingly," replied Mr. Sanford
{" imagined it quite fac painting"
81 think 1 could paint better one,
novice as I am"
What shall I give you to try ?" ask.
ed Mr. Sanford, with little laugh.
u Nothing but time and your daupb-