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

| BY ALLIE GRAY. ..-..
There was a large party assemble
in the drawing room, one evening
and for the first time since her arriva.
Aurelia was induced to come dow
stairs and join the rest. Yet she cam
very nnwillingfy, and sat, like som
fairy banished from EEland, in
strange glitter Of butterfly purple ant
gold (her toilets were always amaz
ing), in an obscure corner, her hand
locked together in her lap, and he
eyes looking as far away as possible
from the gay scene before her, ant
her head dropping. Paul came VI
Just as the band commenced playing
a waltz and the walters hoated int
a more aerial motion, borne up by it
enchanted melody. ..
"Can you resist those strains e
asked he, extending his hand.
She started as if bewildered, look
ing up into his face.
"What were you saying, Mr.. Paul?
care you always so absent ?" said
he laughing. "1sn't this scene pretty
enough to stay in,. or do you find
brighter ones in your dreams? Ibeg
your pardon, really, for bringing you
back so suddenly. was inviting
you to waltz with me, that is ALL"
ITO waltz? Oh, excuse me; l do
not feel that can tonight"
81 believe you never feel like other
people but it is pleasant to sit apart
and listen to the music. Isn't this
waltz delicious p
"But I don't like music, Mr.. Paulf'
He looked at her with the most in
credible surprise.
"What do you like, then, Miss Au-
relia ?"
"Oh, nothing in particular; but
know what L dislike, and that is this
cold climate of New Englend p
It was a warm June evening, and
she was shivering with the cold. The
long windows were open to their full
est extent; and now and then the
heated dancers came up to get breath
of the fresh scented air that blew up
from the garden below.
Paul brought a shawl which he
found trailing over chair in the hall,
and threw it over her shoulders and
she was more like the picture of
a gipsy queen than ever, with her
brunette complexion and lustreless
black hair, the vivid colors about her,
and great, ghttering diamonds hang
;por from, her small aors
Every one was looking and wonder
ing; but Aurelia seemed not at all
disturbed, but sat there as silently rs
ever, though encircled by merry
group of takers who were resting from
their waltz, and ventured thither, be-
cause Paul was there to take q nearer
view of the queer little West Indian
girl of whom they had heard go much
through Bess. ......tr.,
"Pray tell me who is that silent lit
tie thing in the corner ?" asked Mrs.
Herbert, coming up to me /; ''the one
dressed like an Indian princess, l
mean"
"Oh, that is my brothers ward,
Aurelia Stanhope. Her father, Rich
ard Stanhope, was Roberts great
friend. He died in Jamaica last
year, and left his daughter alone in
the world"
"Indeed said Mrs. Herber, '.1t
used to know Richard Stanhope years
ago. He married Spanish lady.
didn't he 1 remember him well.
but she is very unlike him; rather
singular In her appearance l think
her eyes have an almost wild look
Your nephew. Paul admires her evi
IDENTIFY; he is quite marked in his at
tentions."
1 winched inwardly, and led the
lady to another topic. This Aurelis
was my skeleton. She had been with
us three months, and those three
months had been weary months to me
In the first place, I had been distress
ed at her seemingly utter wretched
ness, and the unhappy mystery hang,
ing about her; for there certainly aUa'
a mystery felt it from the very first
moment 1 saw her-and now PauPs
evident interest in her grieved me
beyond measure. Robert scolded me
for giving way to a foolish prejudice
and attributed her oddity entirely to
her foreign breeding. Bess was inter
ested in her, as she would have been
in some wonderful person in fairy
tale, and enjoyed her presence; while
Paul, poor foolish Paul, was complete
ly fascinated and bewildered by her
strange, dark beauty.
She was quiet enough, but still ]
felt her presence in every part of the
house like shadow; and 1 fancy that
she OWNED my feeling toward her,
for she gave me strange, suspicious
looks from her intense black eyes, and
seemed to enjoy my uneasiness keenly.
But my prejudice was one of years
duration, and I could not rid myself
of it, though I pitied the poor forlorn
girl, so utterly alone with strangers in
a strange land.
When she was child my brother
Robert and had sailed over the water
to visit her father on his West Irdian
plantation, on the borders of the clear,
tropic sea. Mrs. Stanhope had just
died then, and there were little twin
girls, Aurelia and Alice; and a won.
derful pretty picture they made stand,
ing together-Alice with fair com
plexion and golden hair, like her faith
er, and Aurelia dark and tawny, with
a flush on her cheek like an oleande1
blossom; as like her mother as posi-
BILE, they said. Alice was sweet,
sunny little thing, and everybodyi
pet; while Aurelia was jealous, and
passionate, and moody, ruling over