Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-12-13

| KNOW, SIG Uegau olOWlys 0A4u Aay llA& ACA
light, cold hand on my head "but think
before we quite conclude the matter Of
the pearl ring, should like to tell you its
history. / am not sure that you will
think 1t an suspicious bridal gift when you
know all about it, and-and me-"
Her voict dropped painfully as she said
the last words, and saw by her face that
the memory Of some past sorrow was
her strong will could scarcely meet and
| master.
cit is not pleasant story to tell, Ma
bel, and it is one which, though known to
others, my lips have never before told
and"
eff it is painful to you, dear aunt" In
terrupted quickly, edo not make such an
effort for me, then. Never mind about
the ring, aunt Magdalen; give me that
little cross you used to wear,-indeed, the
only ornament have ever seen upon you
| shall treasure 1t even more than the
pearl ring"
"Hush, my dear--hush !" che answered,
more kindly, however, than was her wont
81 have made up my mind to tell you this
story. Do not interrupt me, but listen
quietly; and if you can draw any lesson
for your own future guidance in life, do
and then, at any rate, some good may re-
suit from my pain.
was very handsome when was your
age, Mabel; was, moreover, accomplish
ed; and having lived good deal with a
fashionable cousin In London, l had &C
quirsd all the polish of manner, at least,
which the habitual contact of good society
gives. So when on one of my rare visits
home met and became engaged to Lord
Rutherford, the possessor of Rutherford
Park, no one was very much surprised,
except perhaps myself
Your mother was many years my senior,
and though an angel in disposition, she
had never been remarkable for beauty
neither was she accomplished and she
therefore regarded me as a marvel, and
thought no position too high for me to
aspire to. My father shared her enthusi-
asm, and the consequence was, when oc-
casionally came to spend month or two
at the quiet country rectory, was treated
as a kind of divinity by my own family,
and feted and admired as superior being
by the quiet country neighbors. ~
In justice to myself, however, must
say that, although naturally enough was
willing and pleased to be f1attered, my
head was not altogether turned by 1t and
had acquired enough worldly knowledge
In my London experience TO know that
beauty was not the sole charm by which
husbands were TO be Won, especially no
BILE husbands,--or fate ruled. And when,
therefore, Lord Rutherford asked me to be
his wife, was very much delighted and
certainly little surprised
l accepted him without q moments hes
itation or rather, should say, / accepted
his coronet and fortune: for of himself,
except as a necessary appendage to these
desirable blessings, thought nothing.
He was dark, and stern, and rather cold
In manner; and certainly had he been q
simple nobody should never have dream
ed of preferring him to a light-hearted
captain of dragons who happened to be
staying In the neighberhood, and who for
some time had been paying me devoted
attention.
Guy Deyeril was one of those men to
whom the term fascinating" may be
truly applied. He certainly thoroughly
understood the art of making himself
agreeable and If he did not win hearts
quite so quickly or constantly as he fam
cied, he won without difficulty those first
vivid fancies which little constancy on
his part could soon have made firm, even
fierce, love.
certainly liked Guy better than Lord
Rutherford, and 1t was rather trial at
first to have to give him up as my constant
companion in walking and riding, and take
dark, stern Eustace instead but the coro-
net kept me firm for the first few days, and
then gradually my betrothed's truly noble
character became more revealed and if l
did not love him enthusiastically, learn
ed to respect and honor him, as well as to
appreciate his refined and intellectual coz
versation.
The more / was with him, too, the high
or grew this esteem and, in justice to N.Y.
self, I must say, that though I felt my own
nature was scarcely fit to soar with his,
made vigorous efforts to make myself more
worthy of him.
] was clever after a style of my own,
and perhaps really more acute in my ap.
probation of character than Lord Ruther-
ford, and / clearly saw that he did not
comprehend me; / saw that he wor-
shipped rather some ideal standard Of fe-
male perfection which he imagined devel-
oped in me than my real true self
But this panied me.
In the first place, was too sincere to
wish to deceive him but at the same time
I was afraid of his suddenly becoming
aware Of my inferiority and ceasing this
devoted worship.
In spite of my disquietude, however, the
courtship proceeded very quietly for some
weeks, and things were advancing salts
factorily towards the consummation of all
our hopes. The wedding. day was fixed,
my trosseau was nearly ready, the sojourn
for the honeymoon was decided on, and as
far as human ken could reach, nothing ap-
peared which could possibly interfere with
the event which was to place coronet on
my brow and make me the wife of dark,
stern Eustace Rutherford. III
My aunt paused moment, and looking
dreamily out over the distant scene of or
chard and garden, dimly glimmering in
the last faint rays of the red sunset, sighed
SADLY aE
seem to see those scenes of the past
still. could almost fancy that figure
pacing there beneath ON the lawn, and
pausing every now and then to look at this
window, was that Of Eustace Rutherford.
1t was just such an evening, remember,
when as sat there on that seat, Mabel,
over which hangs that rich laburnum,
was startled by Eustace's hurrying up In e
breathless state, and Selling my hand, ex-
claiming, "Magdalen, / must leave you
my mother has been taken dangerously i'll
and must go to her. | have only an
instant to say good-by, but | will write =
| and then, before could say word, he had
kissed me hastily aud was gone
turned pale and cold, though scarce
| ly knew why, and without further delay
went into the house to tell the news to my
sister Alice
"This Ia indeed sad Poor Eilsfaca