The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-12-04
THE CID LOVE.


Hlldred Haync sat alone in her qui.
ct parlor. 1t was late in November
and n great wood fire blazcd on the
hearth, lighting the remolcst corner
of the apartment with rrddy glare.
The warm light fell over the lonely
woman. reclining in the wide easy
chair and brought ont with vivid dis.
tinctness every live and curve Of her
motionless figure.
Miss Ilaync had, probably, seen
thirty years Of life, though the silver
threads in her temples gave you the
impression that shc was slight aud
tall. with deep grey eyes, ahundant
! brown hair put back from her fore.
head, we'll cut, defined textures; and q
mouth which had once been womanly:
but now its expression was cold and
hard The crimson lips shut tightly,
and there was steel like detcriIina.
tion about them. at variance with the
tender light in the down-cast eyes.
and the thoughtful curve OF t+lc fair
brow. Looking IN her face. YOU know
that all Miss Haynes life has not
passed as quietly as the days she
was now living. The existence of her
girlhood was n thing entirely dissey-
cred from the present; looking back
upon it, she could scarcely realizc that
she was the same gay girl who six
years, had made the Red Rock farm
house vocal with the music OF her
laughter.
For six weary years she had been z
recluse. Her only companions at the
farm were the sturdy hired man and
his practical wife, who, under her su-
pervision. managed the farm work
She had received no companv-gonc
none abroad; she hud buried the world
and its interests. and n little removed
from the turmoil oi the city, she d~yolt
on in scclusion. Little children
avoided her The neiehlors never
ran in of an evening. for an hour :
chat with her; the very dogs trottcl
past her gate without stopping to ut
ter friendly bark Yet Miss Uayng
was mkiud to no living creature
She was only supremcly Indifferent.
Positive i'll tempcr womb have made
her moro popular than this strange.
passionless apathy, through the ice OF
which nothing could penetrate.
At twenty-five. Uildred lTayne was
the acknowIcdued belle of her c;tt--
the liyelicst oaye.t oirl for milcs and
milcs aronnd To her pcrsnnol oroca
and beuuty. she united charms mind
of hcorr foralovc tbo common order
Sensitive biob.sririted. confidino and
adrect;onetc. She won the love of Pam
Lorcostcr. of the hall: and with IN,
consent of all concerned. they wer,
LctroClod.
Mr.. lancaster was handsome. wei
educated. engaging in his manners
and -clrwll!el. Never in his life had
2 single wish Of his been SLOWED &C
die ung2Gied. lie knew nothing OF
disgppoiutmcuts, nothing of solfsuc
rilicc. he was noble AMI generous
but impulsivc, almost reckless.
They have been engaged q ycar
when there came 10 Portland--tl,
city Of Mr.. Lancastor's birth, fai.
Southern lady, n distant relative o
Paul'smo Isabel Courtland wa
beautiful and fascinating, and we.
much in the society of the LancastUs
There Is no need Of charging on tn,
subject: it was but a repetition Of til,
old. old story-thc first love was val
ueless besides the second. Almo-
before he was conscious OF lis peril
dy. Paul Lancaster ayowed his pas
sion for the fair stranger, and hear,
the words from her lips which made
life Tor him an Eden.
/ Like flash of lightning from {
iclondless sky came the knowledge t
lildred, that her lover was hers nC
longer She did not weep, or rave
she heard it with a white face, ap'
nerves like steel; her own heart wa
SO true and loyal, that it was with diff
q tculty she could understand such dis
honor in the man she loved. She die
not censure him for loving onothe
better than herself, and remembering
how he had kept her in ignorance o
the change in his feeling, she was col'
and untOrgiying; and when she sen
Paul free from her presence, it wa
with the command never to show hi
face to her again SO long rs they bot
0 should live.
J. From that time llildred was an al
tered being. She did not pine O