Middletown transcript., 1871-09-16
selctt storp.
DID SHE DO RIGHT ?

\ feqrfully, cold, clustering day i, was,
late N December. just ut the season when
mirth and pleasanlry should have relgucd
supreme over their subjects; but a time
Of unnt,crablc dcsola,iuu 10 at least Que
woman, as she stood alone >. the door o,
her late home. Will sweeping gale. as i,
dashed by laden with fine dust. aud sting
ing chill, freezing her in It's ruthless phi.
les,ucss,
She looked up and down the long, de-
serted streets, that never looked drcarier
than then. as she baie j, moafntGl, silent
gppd.hy
Opposite, the doors were all fast closed
and Ia The rapidly gathering twilight she
saw the warm glow oi the tire. the rudy,
welcoming lights that had been seemingly
lighted 10 moek her own lunesomeness s..
aud it seemed 10 her, in her biuerns s.,
iha, she could see n noekng. derisive
smile on the face Of all Valley Point, that
she, proud Isabel Kent, the daughter, md
once the hciress of proud lawyer Kent,
was tonight 10 leave her home poor eitl.
10 battle with the wotll who had once
been her slave, aud mas now her master
With a sliyur, less OF cold than distress,
Isabel Kent turned AWAY from the dark
tning streets. aud into the hall Of the
large. elegant empty house.
\ single gas burner was lighted, send
ing the shadows from one place into an.
other ani that was all the light there was
10 ilume her departing footsteps
In the silent parlors where the rich.
gilied paper, md heavy carved centre
pieces seemed 10 mock the enrty desola-
ton, stood her trunk. packed aud strap.
ped. aud marked; aud how the girls lips
lniycrel A. the light revealed the words
TO her:
!" X, Philadelphia.
So il was there she was going \ hun
dred miles from hume frends-if friends
they were. who had turned the cold shoul-
der when her fathers will hal declared
her worse than pennilcss Ind lei, Lrr
fond broken hear, the legacy of dshonor
aud debt
Ii was that knowledge that had proven
almost ,qa much for her; otherwise, how
finely, if sorroWill,y. hns earnestly. If
onesomels she would have horne power
ty and faced the world, who owed her a
living.
But everything seemed changed now
Even Isabel Ken, had changed from joy.
ous. carless girl TO stern, embi,ierci
woman.
4 carriage rolled up to the door, and
when the driver had attended 10 her lug
gage, aud the old eolofaa servant bad kis-
scd her gloved hand, she was whirled
away---to whati she wondered, with n
mirthless little laugh, as she sat upright
in the carriage. and watched the houses
that held people, she feared. she fairly
hated.
At the depot she had little time to think
the crowd, tho noise. tho glare. the in-
coming and departing trains--for Valley
Point is an important terminus.
After she had purchased her tickets and
checked her trunks. she sat down on
seat fronting the door, and so when Champ
ney Roberts came in, she say him before
be saw her.
He came over to her as soon ns he rc-
rognized the black-robcd figure.
" Isabel, am tempted to take you
away from here by simple force. I've
been to the house. but you we're too quick
for me. Isabel. will you persist in this
foolishncss p
He had taken an empty seat next 10 her
but near ~ no WAS he could not sec the
paling anguish that lay in her pure elias.
sic face. or the flush Of momentary wrath
that followed his eager impulsive words.
1t Is not foolishncss. Champney r.
What should do II ] did not 20 to Mrs.
Crayeus---"