Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-09

| StellA BAKE, the ecIVaut, was III uoWlSe
outdone in those little courtesies by the
elegant Miss Arnold.
1t seemed also another working of the
same rerverse fate that Stella was occt,.
ipied during the whole of Miss Arnolds call,
in an adjoining room, and that the door
should be ajar so that she could not help
hearing Miss Arnold's frequent illusions
to Ralph, in tone and manner that gave
one an impression that everything was
settled between them, and that their mar
rage might take place at any time; In
deed, when Althea said bante-ingly some.
thing about speedy wooings, she replied
with soft laugh:
60, it has been lifelong devotion, l
assure you, that is, on his part We were
separated for several years Of our child
hood, but Ralph says-but l forget my.
self" she said, pausing suddenly, and
coloring.
II suppose you will have wedding and
invite all the unfortunate SWANS you have
| enthralled-and the rest of your friends,
if there is room for any besides the first
named class" Althea said, sweetly, bu.
with little touch OF sarcasm IN her tone
which might, or might not. DC notlced.
Blanche, ut least, did not notice IL appar-
emily.
RALPH is so impulsive-so impatient of
waiting, that might not have time ior
anything elaborate, but if any one is in
| vited YOU NAV be very sure I shall not
forget your family. You and Fannie seem
like sisters to me, ard Victor, am sure, l
have always regarded as much nay brother,
as he was yours, and I doubt it either OF
| you are more attached to him than l am.
[ have wished hundreds of times that he
was really my own brother. And RALPH
thinks he is splendid, too"
She said Ill this with such Q simple,
child.like fervor, that one must be the
rankest of skeptics to doubt her sincerity
or fancy for moment that she was try
ing to throw even the smallest particle OIL
dust in the eyes of her very dear friends
or even Miss Blake. a glimpse OF whose
white, cold, hard face she caught now ano
then as she rocked languidly back anc
forth in the soft green velvet rocking
chair-espccially and particularly MISS
Blake-why should she, pray?
1--WE are very grateful to Mr.. Ander
son-excuse me, Captain Anderson" Al
thea replied, with faint flush rising tt
her face, "for his favorable opinion oil
Victor. Of course none Of US could be sc
| ODtusc dS uOb W ScC yVW AASnNSA'P ~
affection for him were sincere"
Something in the tone, rather than tho
words sent the hot blood to Blanche Ar
nold's face, but she did not speak, she
merely flashed one little swift, defan,
glance at Miss Montford from under hel
Grooming lashes, and said, after little
pause, lit vas 80 pleasant to have friend:
who understood tis, and ntom zoe under
STOOD" the taintest perceptible accent on
the last part Of the sentence.
After Miss Arnold had taken her de
parture Stella Blake went slowly up to
her room, that strange, unearthly palloI
on her face which made her look spectral
with her jetty hair and great, wild, in
tense eyes. She went into her room anC
lossed the door and fell on her knees-bu
not to pray, save as the white, passionate
face she lifted in mute agony and despair
nigh be prayer. Great sobs shook the
slight frame, but the eyes were dry and
hot and the pretty crimson lips were
parched, as if the short, gasping breath
had burned them with its herce ire.
BY and by she rose up and walked un
steadily across the floor and sat down
throwing open the window as If the al
was sitting her After a moment, durin,
WAlCl ACl uduuS AAoOpCu hSA VSiCooly
her lap, and the firm lips parted an(
trembled like grieved chlld's, she put VI
her hand and drew from her bosom {
small square envelope, from which shs
nervously drew an old creased and. folded
letter. 1t was in a mans hand-a hand
some, business-like hand, and covered two
pages and half OF medium-sized note
paper. Sometimes nearly whole line
was illegible, the paper being so worn
and fretted in the folds, and stained as il
it had lain in water. As she read hel
color came back, her eyes grew deep and
glittering, and look of iron resolution
and intentness of purpose drove away the
sweet tremulousness from her lips.
II will not 60 back!" she said under
her breath, WiW know at any cost - q
low, creeping shudder Of disgust convul
sing the slight frame, SO full Of fierce,
fiery, passionate life; and carefully re.
placing the paper in its envelope, she re.
turned it to its hiding place, = hiding
place that 1t never left, and never had left
for more than seven years, sleeping or
waking, save when she removed it, as she
had just done, for perusal All, how many
times in those years had she read that cid
old letter! How many times, though
every word it contained was craven indel
IDLY on her heart and brain
Mr.. Alfred DeVries was leisurely en-
joying his after-dinner cigar in the little
Octagonal smoking room, SO prettily up
holstered in green leather and black wal
nut, with carpet of soft grass green and
golden-brown, and silk curtains of the
same shade of green, with band of gold
en- brown at the margin, and paper of cool
grey ground with narrow stripes Of green
md gold at wide intervals.
Mr.. DeVries was deep in thought, and
not particularly pleasant thought if one
might judge by the expression Of his face.
Handsome and attractive as Mr.. De Vries
was universally conceded to be, there was
an expression on his countenance just at
this time that made it absolutely repellani
-an expression OF avarice, hatred, craft
and bitter, cruel, relentless determination
He started when the doer opened, rs if the
windows to his soul had been let down
unaware, and he feared some one might
get glimpse therein.
"Ah, Montford," he said, carelessly,
passing his hand over his face and yawn-
ing, "happy to have your company
/ 4