The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-11-26


iyou may depend upon that; he's onl,
flirting with you, or something worse.
How dare you talk to me in this
way p she retorted. I've borne Will
you long enough tonight. Don't come
NEAR me again until you can talk to me
with proper respect.
She broke away from him, and /
to avoid being seen, darted into n by
Ipath in the strawberries. | didn't tel
my sister when went in; ] wanted te
do so; but somhow somthing Withheld
me; knew had done wrong to lis.
ten.
"She made up her mind very soon
she was married privately to Vincent.
1t all came out just before my visit
closed.
| never shall forget that morning.
Rachel, l, and my sister were in the
dining room. Rachel was sewing.
see now distinctly the white and
red roses which crowded the vases ON
the mantel; how fresh they were.
Rachel had gathered them: ii was one
of the allotments of her morning
work.
| said Rachel was sewing; my sister
had book, was lounging about the
sofa.
Suddenly my aunt came in. flushed
and angry; she walked up to Rachel
and shook her violently by the shoul-
der. The girl dropped her work, and
looked up into her face, with start.
Come, hussy,' she said or Kissed
for the words seemed TO come from be-
tween her teeth, 'out of this house
you go-not another hour
Stop, madam
My cousins figure moved suddenly
from behind screen Mt the other end
of the room, where it seems he had
been writing at table unobseryed by
MS all, and his hand went hurriedly ON
the infuriated woman's arm.
"Motheryou are talking tony wife. +"
Never shall I forget that moment;
the white, ashy face that turned to his.
She stood perfectly still, as if' struck
by a spell.
Then she threw ont her arms, and
the blood gnrgled up to her mouth.
Her son caught her in time to break
her fall on the floor.
A scene of confusion followed. Ny
sister tainted.
/ think she loved Vincent; I was too
young to suspect il at the time I
thought so afterwards, and I believe
it was my aunt's plan to bring them
together but Vincent was of another
mind.
Rachel was very composed. Her
calmness was astonishing after the
first shock. think she was glad n
discovery had taken place.
She knew they would have to make
the best OF it, when their modification
had cooled down.
/ went away with my sister the next
morning, and did not sec what fol-
lowed.
Mrs. Burgess paused.
81 think Rachel was very migrate
ful, "-said Fanny, to marry Vincent SO
privately, when his mother brought
her up. I don't see how his mother
could overlook it.
"She never did. / think the NOR
tifcation and anger hurried her into
the grave. She survived his marriage
only one year; his father was killed
very shortly after by a fall from his
horse; so Rachel was indeed Mrs. Vim
cent.
"How did she bear her new posi-
ton? Did you visit her, Mrs. Bur-
gess"
Not then; they came to see us; it
was three years after the marriage, or
near.
Mrs. Vincent had just put off her
mourning. We were living in c.
then.
My parents gave them a cordial well
come, for Vincent's sake, but they had, !,
of course, their prejudices towards his
wife.
She was greatly changed-more
beautiful than ever, With all the new
aids of dress, and very gay. Oh, she
was unlike the still, silent Rachel
Richards as possible
do not think Vincent had found
the happiness he expected in his mar
riage. have wondered if he had not
discovered already his wife's indiffer-
ence to him.
Ny sister, poor girl, could not re-
press an emotion of envy. began to
see itthen. I think Vincent saw It, too,
and that he had already began to re-
pent his hasty match.
Still, as I have said, Rachel was
beautiful and very charming. She had
acquired q great many accomplish
ments since her marriage; her hus-
band had spared no cost in her teach
ing, and her manners somehow re-
minded one of what we read of tile
grace and ease of the courts. I don't
know how she came by them. They
were with us week, and then went on
short tour they were making.
They urged us to visit them the fol-
lowing autumn, but my sister declined.
It was fully three years before saw
them again. | went to them on vis-
it to my aunt. She, too, had married
into the Vincent family, but was then
widow.
Rachel was now matured woman
It was about the time this portrait was
taken; you see how sorrowful it looks
] / think her life had not proved all
she expected; she had began to tire ot
its hollowness and splendor.
Shewas too gay and charming to bt
natural. I began to think, young as ]
was, that much of her gaiety lay npoI
the surface. Perhaps an accident
which took place one day helped mi
i in the discovery. We rode out In tht