The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-05-23

i SDks mhhluk uCToCii OUuS pbCuouo AH = n'0cs
unwomanly manner, guilty Of frigbtful
weakness, the center Of u surpri sed an
laughing asscmblage. He groaned, like a
person trying to throw off q nightmare. No
one heard him, fortunately the attention
being directed in another direction. lie
looked about to see why the friends OF Miss
Marshall did not take her away, and pre-
vent her condition from being SO publicly
proclaimed. Then he remembered that she
had told him, earlier in the evening, that
her mother was prevented, by q severe
headache, from acting rs their chaperonc,
but that her cousin Annie and herself had
come together in the carriage, and the
goodman was to call for them at one
O'clock. He saw Annie, standing, like
himself, little apart from the crowded
circle, gazing ut her cousin with q sort Of
fascinated, intensely riveted stare, rs if too
much astonished 10 move or speak. Her
eyes never left their fixed. singular gaze
upon the face Of the girl, who now provoked
q fresh burst Of merriment, by taking off
the pyramid Of macaroons, shaking it, and
setting it back saucily on her head, after
the manner of clowns at the circus; then
drawing her face down to the intensest
gravity, asking if she did not resemble Mr..
Thornton.
| "My God /! if that had been my rye ="
He caught his breath, as if cold water had
been dashed over him.
| Then and there, in his heart, he disowned
any further acquaintance with Miss Mar
shall. That beautiful face would have
tempted some men to forgive almost any
fault, but he could not forgive Making his
way to Miss kirkland, he spoke rather
! sternly:
"Why do you not get your cousin out Of
| the rooms, Annie Persuade her to go up
stairs, if possible"
"Oh, Mr. Thornton" replied she, turning
toward him that dark, peculiar face, which
he had never liked, :" was so overcome,
didn't know what to say or do. What rut
her mother cay when she hears Of it? She
never liked to trust her out alone; but to-
| night she was bent upon coming (because
you were to be here, suppose), and this is
the consequence! with an air of great
distress.
"You do not mean to say that Helen is
| in the habit
mo; oh, 20! did not intcnd-I would
not. for the world, be the first to awaken
your--oh, dear what am say ing? Yes,
Mr.. Thornton, will coax her up to the
dressing ROOM"
At that moment Miss Marshall put her
hand to her forehead with bewildered air
the spectators thought it part Of the per-
Torrance, but she sterped down from the
pedestal, removed her crown Of sweets, and
pressed forward to her cousins side.
"Annie, what have l been doing'"
"Amusing your friends, Helen; shall we
60 up stairs?"
She answered with laugh SO silly that
Thornton turned away from tn" vacant,
foolish countenance, with disgust too deep
for words
Anoie took her by the arm and hurried
her up to the dressing room, where she
sunk into stupid slumber upon the bed.
from which she was with difficulty aroused
when the carriage was announced. The
hostess herself came up and helped her on
with cloak aud hood, summoned Mr.. kole
Oyl to conduct the ladies 10 their carriage,
aud did what she could to conceal the la
men,able state Of the young lady. But gos-
sip had seen enough, and TOO much. Miss
Marshall was the tavorlle topic the rest of
that night, and for the next nine days
The name which had been spoken only with
admiration and respect, was mentioned in
that blasting whisper which withers what
ever feminine reputation 1t brea hes upon.
MIR. Thornton was obliged TO hear y great
deal more than he wished. ANY alluslon TO
the subject III his presence made him writhe
with hidden pain, until he ceased 10 60 out.
combining himself to his business or his
boarding house.
A fortnight passed, and he had not yet
called upon Miss Marshall to give her q
formal release from their engagement. lie
could not; he WAS tortured by love more
than pride. When he tried to call up con-
tempt TO wrestle with affection, he could
only picture her as on the evening OF their
betrothal, giving herself to him regally,
with INFINITE love and sweetness, yet with
the reserve Of the purest maidenly dignity.
From that later vision Of the vine-crowned
revel, he turned away with shudderings
One morning he received note. directed III
the hand he knew SO we'll; it was brief
request from his atianced that he would call
on her that afternoon at four o'clock lie
determined to 60, and make this the oppor-
tunity feesevering the tie between them.
Al four clock be was ushered into Mrs.
Marshalrs parlor. Helen was alone. She
arose to her feet when she heard him enter,
and came toward him. Her face WAS pale,
aud her eyes showed that she had been
weeping.
"You, too, Ernest believe it!
The sad reproach Of her voice made his
own lreulOIes nv tu6t MUucuts ho uc iVoACu
as her, she seemed his own Helen again
the incomparably best and most noble
woman he ever had beheld. His glance fell
before her mournful, searching gaze; he felt
as if he were the guilty party instead Of she.
II You refer to that unhappy evening at
Mrs. kole Oyl's party, Helen, how can |
doubt the evidence Of my sensesf I"
!. BY trusting the evidence Of your soul,
Ernest. You have raid, that in soul and
spirit We were one. We're the words idle
They must have been--false and idle--or
YOU would not have tuaaed from me at the
first appearance of fault. Do you know,
for ali this long, wrctched fortnight, never
dreamed what kept you from me! ! never
guessed the story which my friends were de-
lighting over. l saw that something was
wrong; l questioned my mother, Annie,
others; but found no one cruel and kind
enough to tell me, until Miss Wilkes called
here yesterday. She is never aversc to
hurting peoples feelings. Some remarks
she dropped caused me to ask her to obiige
me by telling me what actually occurred
wrong ut Mrs. Kole Oyls, and she laughed
maliciously, and inquired If really did not
know that the story went that was drank
lhcrc--that made terribly silly spectacle
Of myself. Tell me, Ernest, is it sou
"You certainly behaved very strangely,
Helen---in q manner entirely contrary 10
your usual character
"Yes, she told me-that | stood up on q
chair aud made speeches--that ridicuied