Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-04-15
The American Duchess.
By FRANK LEE BENEDICT.
Concluded I

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him the slightest opportunity to get
step further on, and ignored any allusio
to the past with such delightful uncon
cern, that be often wondered if sh
could be the woman he had once see
tremble at the least shadow on his face
and find greater happiness in his mos
careless smile than all the gems in roy
al treasury could give her now.
He was eating his apple of Sodon
and the ashes nearly suffocated him; bu
he had no power to tear himself ava,
from the sphere of the woman's infuenc
than he had TO shake, in the slightest de
gree, the sun-tinted ice of her impassi
biIity.
! was almost inclined to pity his suf
ferings, now and then, only the retribu-
tions was so thoroughly deserved. Ma
bel was thinking that one night, | an
sure, she whispered in my ear, with {
glance toward the solitary corner from
which be was watching her triumphs.
The mill of the gods grinds slowly
but ii grinds surely"
The Duke D'As,i came to the Bath:
about this time. Mabel had known him
in Paris-from the first | felt certain
that he had followed her to Italy.
He was growing middle aged man,
but very fine looking still, and with more
honesty and nobility of character than
often survives to h a season in the
Italian character.
l did not believe that be intended to
marry Mabel. His title and fortune had
been angled for by the best families in
Italy for twenty years past--it was not
probable that be would bestow them on
a republican stranger.
Bot the creature interested him great
ly. She was unlike the generality Of
her sex, yet as far removed from the wo-
men who turn themselves into lionesses,
or other sorts Of wild beasts, as she was
from the in 81 ipidity and tameness of
those who adopt the highly decorous
style.
Gordon was furiously jealous of him,
but it was d i fiji u | t to give vent to his
The duke was courteous to
him, though be treated him simply as a
professional person whom it WAS the
fair widows pleasure to make the fash
ion for the time.
No wonder Laurence wondered if the
past could indeed be real if that woman,
dolized and courted by those who hard
Iy appeared conscious of his existence
could be the girl whom he had seen bare
footed and barearmed, hanging out clothes
n the drying yard of Pennsylvania
'arm.
Poor Gordon be was selfish and
blind as mediocre talent was sure to be!
Yet, after all, who can tell, perhaps, if
/ had not been for her troubles and suf-
erings, Mabel might, to this day, have
remained plain Hetty Flint, or been
into a Iaborer's wife, with
Ter wayward dreams etfectually sutfocat-
ID by the caresses of six small children
md the smell of corned beef and cab
,age.
The weeks foated on, and pleasant
hey were, though l fear poor Shelley
would hardly have recognized his haunt;
IF if he had, would have considered it
adly desecrated by the intrusion of that |
die crowd.
AT lergth Gordon's patience reached
IS last gasp. Hetty-I like to call her
o for old times sake-patronized him
lore and more in matters of art made
he duke purchase, without having seen
!, picture which he had on exhibition
t Florence feminine needle-thrust
hat was perfectly heavenly.
When Gordon received the check from
Id Maquay, and found the dukes name
ppended to it, be was near bursting a
lood-vessel not even a communication
lade to him, although he saw the duke
ally.
How be longed to insult him when he
et him in the street and received the
bow upon which his grace
rided himselfl To add to his chagrin,
came TO his ears that D'Asti had not
'en seen the picture-he had written to
S agent to purchase it. Gordon was
lin enough to have believed, under
her circumstances, that his grace had /,
ch admiration for his genius, that he !,
uld trust to it without having seen the
Iinting; but it was impossible to delude
mself now-the purchase had been :
ade to crafty Mabel Flinton.
Did that mean she loved him still ? a