Mountain Democrat., 1857-04-25


His wife and child in actual need of life's
comfortsl Oh rLucius Lucius l am
rcvcngcd now !" and q smile, sad even in
its triumph, curlcd over the beautiful
mouth of the speaker.
She was young, so young that you
would have hcsitatcd whether to write
her girl or woman, and her only beauty
was in hers mouth and eyes. The one
was largeyT but soft, sweet flexible, the
responsive instrument on which her soul
always struck its in6nitudes of emotion
and feeling. The eyes were large and
deep, a translation of her soul rather
than her heart, as, perhaps, eyes oltenest
are. -
Up and down her chamber, with that
sad, bitter smile on her lips, the lady
walked many times. The velvet carpet,
its dark groundwork piled with Sorrento
roses, cushioned her feet. Soft landscapes
Of the Rhine, intcrmingled with wild pic
lures of Alpine scenery, leaned down to
her from their oval frames; but, heed
less of the beauty about her, its mistress
walked amidst it, her soul wrapped in a
joy which the angels must have written
sin.
And yet you should pity her, for great
had been her wrong. She had the cle-
mcnts ofa very noble nature. too, but her
mother had died before Alice met her
tenth summer, and there were none who
understood her deep emotional nature
her impulsivc, poetic temperament
Her father was plain practical farm
or, whose beng was absorbed in the few
acres which lap around his yellow brown
homestead, and he regarded Alice as a
remarkably sensible child, because she
always preferred books to dolls and bon
nets. She attended the village school
until she was eighteen, for her father was
indulgcnt to a fault, and although he
fumed and frettcd over the scmi-annua
school-bills, he never had the heart to
withdraw Alice from the studies she low
e1. There she met Lucius Brante. How
the thoughts of the proud woman reach
Oft to that hour, and drag it up to the
present!
He was poor, an artist and school
teacher, with an earnest aesthetic nature,
and much of that soc al magnetism that
attracts the sympathies of others.
Alice was his pupil. do not know
| hO" ~ HoPPCuSOS OOL OOIu LcHCuCT Huu
scholar learned a lesson that was not in
the text book, that summer.
- --" Alice" said the young. man brushing
away the curls that fell over the girls
bowed forehead as they stood by the old
farm-gate on the last night of his stay ir
Meadow Brook, II give you my heart
fukc and keep it. must 60 out into tht
world and win me a name and a place
there; then will come back to you. "
:" will take and keep it till give both
back to God, answered the girl, solemn.
iy, and SO they parted.
She had been true to him--throuSh
the dark triumphs of her face comes q
softer light with the thought. Then,
what temptations thickened about her
when her father -died, and she came ia
her fashionable aunt's, and entered upon
that new life Of wealth and luxury.
Piquant and impulsive, graceful, and
sometimes beautiful, it was not strange
she created an unusual sensation. But
the dreaming, fair-haircd youth, whose
rapt eye leaned over his easel in the fourth
story of an old building in that 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 upon
the orphan. Mr.. Readc was q widower
and millionaire; and ifhis life was lean
ing down to the shadows of sixty, he
thought that was no reason why he should
not have a young and beautiful wife to
preside over his home.
Shell throw herself away on that
handsome young painter, and starve to
death in garrett" unused Mrs. Henley,
between her lunch and her lapdog, after
long interview with Mr.. Rcade. "I'd
forbid him the house, but Alice is such q
high-spirited girl. A little diplomacy
will succeed best with her. It would on
ly be doing the child life long favor too.
We'll sce!" Significantly peroratcd the
portly lady, as she divided q slice of cake
with her canine favorite.
Alice!"
Aunt!" and the girls bright face
leaned over the balustradc.
Here's letter for you which / found
among my cards after dinner. / forgot
to hand it to you. ErcuSe moi! What,
not dressed for the partyp" As Alice
came eagerly down the stairs, her face
frightened at tho well.kROwn chirog-
raphy.
No; but shall be in half an hour
and she went back to her room.
No one saw her again that night The
letter struck out all the light, and Joy,
and faith of her life.
Two months later there was wedding.
and avery gorgeous one, at the residence
of Mrs. Henley. Alice was the wife Of
the millionaire.
Well, he was good, indulgent sort Of
husband, and loved his young wife better
than even he did his horse and his horse,
which is saying great deal, for these
were his passions.
And Alice! Ihave given you the KEY
note to her life. You can feel the sad.
ness Of the heart hymns, amid all the
earth glare and luxury through which
they rise.
4" Yes, it is my triumph hour now, Lu-
cius Brante," murmured the lady as she
twiRed her watch chain round her white
fingers, still pacing up and down the
chamber floor. "Ohl what heart was
that you slighted-what love was that
you spurned! You would never have
come to what you are now if had been
your wife. My genius would have stimu.
lated, my affection would have inspired
you! But you knew I was poor, and
you thought you would marry rich wo-
man! Your designs were frustrated fine