Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-11
A LOST AND WON.
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her figure dilated, and her eyes flashed with a
erewhile friend Her voice lost its tone oi
murmuring tenderness; it was clear and reso-
nant when she again spoke.
"And you dare to do this! To bind yourself
for life to one man while your heart is full oi
love for another. For you cannot tell me that
you no longer love Eustace Fame. Your eyes
have not yet learned to lie. Oh, Flora! when
we parted, but little time ago, there was a
sweet holiness in your heart that looked out in
your face. 1t was your love for him. You have
suliied it; you have tried to crush it; but it ln-
gers there yet 1t is the only relic of my lost
friend that recognize. Will you dare to crush
it thus! Will you dare to suffer the brightness
of his life and yours to pass away by your own
will your own act!"
Insensibly, Evelyn had glided from stern re-
proach to entreaty. She was struggling for
the happiness of one who was dearer to her
than her own life; she would neglect no means
of softening and turning FlOra's heart. But
Flora's words and aspect, the next moment,
chilled her as if with an ice bolt.
"Such words as these" said she, in a meas,
ured tone, at is not fit that l, the betrothed
wife of Lord CJurtnaye, should hear. must
request you, Evelyn, to discourse Of something
else"
There was long pause, and then Evelyn
once more looked fxedly in FlOra's face. 1t
was rigid, calm with determination and strong
purpose. But the eyes were not raised to
Evelyn's; they rested on the glittering bracelet
which still decked her arm, and with which she
was now toying.
81 have finished" said Evelyn, in a low
voice, "and will leave you now. Ifwealth
and grandeur can console you for forfeiting
your happiness, your truth, your peace, let it
be So see now you are not worthy Of Eus-
tace Fame; one day will discoverit. FAREWELL
Flora did not attempt TO detain her, and
Evelyn placed her hand on the door; but before
she passed forth she turned to look back on her
who once had been her friend. And as her
gaze fell on the motionless figure, the young
face with its youthful expression of icy haugh-
tiness, the drOoPed eyes fixed on the speaking
ornament that elasped her wrist, and her fin
gers f'fully clut ching it-ss Evelyn looked,
there burst from her full heart the solemn
words of agonized compassion. "God help
your And so they parted.
It was spring again, and Evelyn Lester sat
beneath the branches, Just bursting into leaf OF
large mulberry tree in her fathers garden.
A newspaper had Just fallen from her hand on
the grass, and how she pressed her brow, ard
IeanedIforward in deep sad thought.
She had been reading the msgnilOquent mar.
ratiye of Flora's graad wedding, of the brilliant
dresses, the costly equipages, and the devotion
of the noble bridegroom to his beautiful bride.
Now she was thinking how he would bear it.
And her thoughts ended in long sigh. "Ah!
what sad thing is paSted lore Z"
Let US forgive Evelyn that sigh, as she musod
TINS. and felt how the love which Flora cast
away would have made her dreary life blissful:
for It was a dreary life to which she now look.
ed forward. Life to the young, wanting love-
wants everything, ard Evelyn had never been
blessed with the happy dream Of being beloved
It was 10y enough for her only to love, and even
that was tori from her after q brief space,
when she discovered that the mere delight Of
loving vainly, hopelessIy, as it was, the wrong
Poor Evelyn Life had had little brightness
for her as yet.
"He will, perhaps, go abroad. He may be
absent for years, and IL shall never see hin
again. 1t Is better that 1t should be so. Hesv
en- only grant that he may soon find peace and
comfort"
Thus Evelyn thought, while tears stole from
her eyes unbidden but unchecked. But the
rustling of some bushes near her caused her to
raise he head from its dropping posture, and
she could hardly repress a cry when she beheld
Eustaee Fame approach her. She rose hastily
from the low bench on which she had been sits
ting, but her feet staggered under her, and Eus
tace sPrang forward, and inteTPosed his arm to
save her from falling.
"You are not well, I fear" said he, while
Evelyn trembled even more, on hearing the
tones of his voice, than she had done on seeing
him so Unexpectedly.
Evelyn faltered something, she knew not
what, as she disengaged herself from his arm
She felt sure that he did not yet know all his
own misery. He could not be sware of Flora'l
marriage, for his lOok, thought it betrayed some
agitation, was not grief. And Evelyn shud-
dered as she thought of the despair which he
was to feel soon.
There was q silence Eustace stood with bis
arms folded, and his eye wandering about, but
never fixed on any one object. There was a
degree Of embarrassment in his manner which
Evelyn had never seen before, and which was,
indeed, completely extraordinary in him, SC
composed and calm as he always was. At last
be again spoke.
81 have been talking to Mrs. Lester. She
told me that if I asked you, you would tell me
something which it imports me TO know" He
looked into EYelyn's face, as he concluded,
earnestly and enquiringly. Poor Evelyn, she
trembled in every limb, She, then, was TO tell
him the extent of his misery. Itwas to be her
task to inform him of his utter faithlessness OF
Flora, and to witness all his despair on hearing
it. In the tumult of her distress she never
thought how strange it was that her mother
should have been the means Of inflicting this
last, worst pang of all upon her. She had room
for but one thought, one idea-Only one ques-
ton occurred to her-how was she to tell hint
She stretched forth her hands timidly, yet
with an earnest meaning in his eyes, he clasp
ed his hands in her own. All the retiring shy
ness of her nature was forgotten in the intense
wish to soften the coming blow; her own
shrinking constituencies, rendered yet more ex-
treme by the conscious love that dwelt in her
heart, all was unheeded. She forgot her love
in thinking of his sorrow.
''How shall tell youl" she said, "it is 50
verv. very sad My heart aches for you"
Eustace looked on her uplifted face, half in
wonder. half in sudden anguish.
"What do you meant" be said "I intreat
YOU be quick in telling me all. am prepared
TO hear the worst"
81 cannot, cannot, cried Evelyn in agony,
and she turned away. Her eyes fell on the
newspaper that she had been reading, and it
suggested itself as the means of letting him
know ell. Silently she placed it in his hands,
and then hid her eyes that she might not see
his face as he read it.
He only read few lines Of the long para
graph she had pointed out, and then dashed
the paper to the ground and seized EVelyn's
hand.
"There is some error here" be said rapidly.
''How could you suppose my happiness affectS
ed by the marriage OF Miss Beresford with Lord
COnrtnayel Ny affection for her was never
strong enough to survive the discovery that
once placed in scenes of gayety and dissipation
shA wa nothing more than a heartless. worldly