The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-10

exists between twin children; an
4 these two lived almost entirely apart
n Alice was her fathers favorite; but
n think that Aurelia loved him with
= far greater intensity than Alice wa
capable of feeling and l could under
stand the sting it gave the poor chill
to see him hold Alice in his arms, ca
ressing her golden hair and calling he
all sorts of playful pet-names, whil'
she was entirely forgotten and unno
1 tieed. But the look with which sh,
; regarded her sister at such times star
tied me beyond measure, and / neve
! had forgotten it, nor what L hearS
from the poor tortured English gov
, erness :-"If Aurelia doesn't murdel
! Alice some day, I shall be thankful.
l shouldn't be surprised at anything
which that child might do, she is SC
J jealous and passionate. ..-..
But this was long ago, and poor
little Alice had died since; she was
accidently drowned two years before,
just the day before she was to have
been married, and Aurelia had grown
to be a strangely unhappy woman.
There was a deep shadow in her great
dark eyes, and her manners were fitful
and strange. She had way of start
ing with the most terrified look at the
slightest sudden sound. She sat for
long hours brooding, evidently over
the bitterest sorrow, her head droop-
ing dejectedly, and her hands clasped
tightly in her lap. In one of these
moods nothing had the power to arouse
her into anything like sunshine. No
jest, were it never so habpy a one.
Bess's pretty persuasions failed; and
PauPs maneuvrings. though full of
artful skill, were all in vain.
But in her bright moods, which
were few and feet, she was charming.
She frightened us all with Ter smiles,
as she darkened us all with her shad-
ows. She was indeed, as Paul de-
clared at first, like the dusky little
queen in an old fairy book, which he
found when he was child in Christ
mas stocking, who wore gown made
of butterflies wings, and when she
smiled it was summer, and when she
frowned it was winter. But thought
that Paul had far better find his sum-
mer in some other fair ones smiles.
The day after the party We were
all gathered in the drawing room
Aurelia lolling lonesomely in a great
armchair, drawn directly into the sun
shine, which she had singular way
of following about from window to
window the day through-when the
servant entered and brought up q card
to her.
"What wonderful visitor can have
caused all this pretty fiutter r said
Bess, playfully regarding Aurelia,
who had frightened suddenly from
her dull parlor, into red, red rose
and was now trembling violently.
A gentleman entered directly, whom
Aurelia introduced as Mr.. Leith. l
remembered the name at once rs that
of poor Alice's lover.
He was cool, courteous young gen.
tleman, in no way remarkable as to
! looks; but his manner to Aurelia
struck me as being rather peculiar,
as well as hers to him; but then Au-
relia was always peculiar. Had he
suspicion of her love for him, or what
was it? He seemed studying her face
with interest with his cold gray eyes,
and carried on somewhat singular
strain of conversation, saying much
to Aurelia which could hear; but it
seemed to be chiefly concerning AL
ice, when the mere mention of her sis
er's name made Aurelia shudder.
"You must miss your walks by the
sea-" he said in the course of the con-
versation. Il remember you used to
walk there every afternoon, as well as
ALICE" and this with meaning look,
and emphasis far more than the triv-
ial sentence required.
eyes," answered she, coolly. 81
do miss those walks. miss the sea
more than words can say"
He prolonged his visit tedious
ly; and after he had gone, we all
agreed in saying that we did not fan
cy Mr.. Geofrey Leith at all; and
Aurelia went up stairs with a gray
palor on her face.
But afterwards he came again and
again, seeming like different person,
genial, frank, entertaining, and Aure-
liza was radiant I; laughing and chatting
like other people, her dark eyes spark
ling with light, and tender flush up
on her cheek, like the seal of some
new happiness. Cunning, and sub
tile, and artful Aurelia may be, I
thought: yet she cannot hide her Sc
cret love for Geofrey Leith but I
could not determine whether he re-
turned it or not. He certainly mani
tested great deal of interest in Au-
relia, but that was natural, as she
was the twin sister of Alice. In after
days I read in that interest, and in
the fixed scrutiny with which he re-
garded her more than saw then.
The weeks wore into autumn, and
Mr.. Leith had gone away to his home
over the sea. But it was very gay at
our country house, with merry par
ty of young people. There were
drives and pic-nics, excursions on the
lake, and dancing night after night in
the drawing room. Aurelia came
down stairs sometimes and mingled
with the merry-makers, but she was
beginning to look so really i'll, that I
| was alarmed. Her eyes were sunken
and hollow, her hands hot and feverish,
and her step languid and slow. She
I said she missed her sea-breezes, that
was all but still she preferred to re-
main where she was, and was deaf to
all our persuasions to take q trip to
| the saa-side She sat day after day