The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-08-24

l. at the poor wasted skeleton face
le the glass, and at the thin buoy hand
and contrasted them with her. n
K wonder he should love her. I fe
IS into state of apathy at last, and
was then that Max came.
d I was cold.to him, perhaps, an
: yeti did not mean it. I was ju,
stupid with my sorrow, and he ha
huft me cruelty Max looked at m
? a certain wistful tenderness in hi
D face. five could have been undis
r turbed! But Lucia came in, said j
must not be excited, and drew hin
aR-aFs -zss-s 8 l-.,s...l
He never came again. Once
!. spoke of it.. 49,, a..;
; Never mind, Vivia-D said my aunt
Zone must excuse much to a man il
love" ,...t.s, '''':'' -. go. -.s.S;
l Weeks passed, and one day my
aunt came into, my room her faes
alight. ..'' 4.-.-., &c.,. e. -
II have some good news, my dear
sI know it, l said coldly. "MaS
| you - y +
"You may well do so, It is q
splendid match In week he ac-
companies her home, and they are to
be married in a few weeks q
That week passed. On its last
the little colored maid of all work
crept shyly into my chamber, and
with great secrecy gave me a little
note.
"For de Lords sake, Miss Viva,
write de answer quick fore misses
catches me-"
1 read-"My dear Viva! 1 cam
not go away without seeing you. May
I come to you tonight p
Hot angry tears flowed as I read
To come to me so, after such long
neglect! 1 took my pencil and wrote
the single word "No" on the note and
sent her back. - o..
They went away the next day. In
a week or two more crept down stairs.
Spsing came but no Max. Presently
aunt was sent for to the wedding. I
think for three months afterwards she
talked every day of the magnifcence
of the trousseau, and the position and
wealth of the Trenholmes. .-.
They went Immediately abroad
Lucia wrote chatty letters and Max
brief ones. All at once blank of
month fell and my aunt was tortured
by fear. Then there came a letter
with broad black lines around it.
"Open it, child. o, if my boy
should be dead! o, it 1 should be
punished so !'' Her face was gray
and old. She rocked back and forth
in agony. 1 ran over the sheet.
'.Aunt, Lucia is dead" 1 whisper
ed, tremulously.
'tDead!"
"Lucia- Lucia aunt! Poor Lu.
cia"
She laughed-a strange Unnatural
sound it was at which my blood cur
died.
go aunt. don't, pray don't! Think
OF Max Great heaven, how Max
will suffer!"
God forgive me! I think I, envied
that poor girl because he would weep
for me.
"NIax can get another wife, but
have no other son." said my aunt,
with something between a laugh and
a sob. She grew hysterical after that,
and I had to sit by him all night.
''NIax will come home now" said all
our friends. But not SO When let
ters came they announced his inten-
ton to remain abroad yet.
That was strange, and sad winter.
About the middle of it my aunt was
taken suddenly i'll and died. 1t was
a fearful shock to every one.
= Her lawyer wrote to. Max, and l
added letter giving the particulars
and word or two of formal condo
lence. get cermonious epistle OF |
thanks in return, and an intimation
also that 1 might still consider Cliff
House my home. Bitter as it was l
stayed. 1 was not strong, and indeed
[ had no other resource. fItl
How shall 1 write the history of
The monotonous two years that follow
ed? But leave it unsaid, and forget
now they burned their mark upon my
ife. as ..H-
'Miss Vivia,' said the housekeeper,
que day, 81 do wish you'd look over
hat desk of Mrs. Selwyn's, and save
he papers that are of any worth, and
ct me burn the rest. It's getting an
IL odor standing so long"
undertook the task with reluctance.
The desk had been examined by the
awyers for. business documents, and
here was nothing in it but old
etters from Max to his mother. 1
cad them over, and became absorbed
n the reading. They showed me him
Is 1 knew him, fresh, winning, tender
md true. As I returned one to its
nveIop bit of folded paper slipped
,ut. It was in his hand, and i read
over was only conscious of that
act. And yet it was a passionate de-
laration of his love for me-fervent
md tender, too, like himself A
lash of lovers jealousy also. "What
lid it mean that he might not see me 2
Vas his mother right? W.as 1T true
hat was Indifferent to him? Per-
APPS I fancied that he cared for Lucia.
}ut he had told his mother that he
ared to win no weman's love but
nine. Would send him one sweet
1ord? If 1 grudged him the comfort
e craved, then he should be certain
ny heart was set against him."
I sit like one dumb while these
iords burned themselves into my
rain.
He had loved me then! He had
of played at loye-making for sum-
Ter past time. He was my noble,
hivalric Max-mine-I laid this hap