Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-10-08
SELECTED STORY.
AN uNLUCKY SMILE.
=, BY. FLoRANCEi MALCOLM. /

/ \ g.t
There we're angry, bitter thoughts in
Mabel Colchester's heart as she sat alone in
the splendid solitude of her boudoir.
Her dark face, exquisitely beautiful in its
perfection of outline, and in its scarlet tints
| of lip and cheek, bore in the humid eyes and
tear-stained cheeks the unmistakable signs
of recent weeping. The naughty curve of
of the lips and the unconscious clinching of
the delicate, jewelled hands, betokened that
the grief had been accompanied by anger,
while the nervous and constant tapping of
one of the little satin-slippered feet, made it
evident that Miss Colchester was relther
meek, mild, nor patient. .a
Some one raped at the door-her maid,
no doubt ''7.s. e
$50 away she said impatiently, go
away, Hortense did I,not tell you that l
wished to be alone this morning ?''9s'5 e e5s
1T isn't Hortense,' said the person out
side, ..sit's Ben .g,~z tqe g.-si 4sb..s Us
The words were simple and common
place, but the rich grandeur Of the voice
made them sound like short, sweet strain
of music ..aafsy = ~. ira CIT "a lig4
A bright smile broke over Mabeps troub-
led face she opened the door instantly. 3''
s.Dear old Ben, how gladI am to see you!
Where have you been keeping yourself all
this week p gaa @ r.
Eat home." e
.sHave you beensill p and pair Of love-
ly, anxious eyes, looked up into Ben Nor
ford's face, sending thrill of subtle JOY
through his young veins. fa
mo" he said, seating himself beside
her. 81 have not been i'll, but chose to
play recluse for few days. And now let
me question you. There are tear-stains on
your cheeks--what has vexed you this morn
ing?.'
ut is nothing-indeed it is nothing"
said Mabel, hastily: "You know how fool
ish am, Ben mere trife will make me
shed tears
He saw that his question had panied and
embarrassed her, and therefore he did not
press it further. l la4
After few minutes of desultory CONVEX
sation, she relapscd into the unpleasant
revery which his coming had disturbed.
| Before any other guest she would have
striven to maintain her, accustomed gayefy
Of spirits, but in the presence of Ben Nor
ford-her dearest. truest and best friend, y
as she was wont to style him she felt no
restraint, and no necessity for deception.
| And he, 81 the dearest, truest and best
friend, sat looking at her with a shadow Of
pain coming across his. splendid. passionate
eyes--eyes which. of late, could scarcely
keep the secret of the slove which had grown
with his growth and strengthened with his
strength, until it had become the first
thought of his. heart, and the brightest,
purest hope of his fair young lifee s.. :,
That Mabel Colchester, a girl Of quick
keen perceptions, should have remained I'M
conscious Of this love seems almost impossl-
Bile, yet SO it was. l4t'.a 2,
Had you suggested such a thing to he1
she would have laughed amusedly, and told
YOU that Ben while still in the ignominious
petticoats had rocked her in her cradle, that
he had teased and petted her during her
whole life, that he had loved her just as he
loved his sister Bertha, that he was dear,
noble fellow, but that he had never dreamed
of loving her in romantic fashion. and tha'
YOU must never hint such thing again, OF
| else she should be quite angry with you, and
so ever afterward you held your peace, and
poor Ben went on loving, and Mabel went
on liking, until at last the year and day and
hour came in which the man spoke OF bis
lifelong love, and the girls heart was I'M
deceived. a. al. 4a aasls =.
! 4 And the year and day and hour was that
in which Mabel sat thinking with passionate
anger and pain Of her love-of the keen
crafty handsome man, of whom the reader
shall hear anon-of the last nights 6d
j mosque, in which her heart had been 50 ter
4 ribly wounded by his Indifference and neg
4 lect-of the fair, fair woman who had lean al
ed upon his arm, and looked up into his face
with love lit eyes-of her own fierce, though
smothered jealousy and rage. .T65f.f
Morford's voice broke in upon her gloomy
reyerie ..e,.. ,,...,.',. s-s 81. IF
sg''You are in sombre mood this morning
Mabel p IT,. 4
# There was culver Of painin the voice
which she could not fail to detect
..Dcar Ben," she said penitently, II an
in sombre mood, or rather, very unhap
J py one. Forgive me, for having appeared
s1llen and disagreeable, but I cannot hell
it: YOU would not blame me if you knew
fhow wrctched, how unhappy | am" H
He would not ask her again what It wa
that vexed or troubled her, but with an If
resistible impulse of passionate tenderness n
F passed his arm around her, and drew he
closely to his side: ieii- =.
1t was the first act Of love, and Mabe
was so startled and bewildered by 1t tina
she had not power to speak or move
His face was dangerously near hers AM
swift and silent his first kiss fell upon ne
lips.
Then she freed herself from his enclrcllnl