The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-03-18
The Albang Register.
The False Lover.

e Gertrude Fisher glanced up at the
clock, tiny mother.of-pearl dial, resting
in tangled moss of gilded wheat and
ivy leaves, beneath san elaborate glass
and shade the hour hand was fast verg>
ing on the figure eight. And then Ger
trude sighed softly to herself, and once
more took up the bit of delicate needle /
work with which she. was occupying her.
self =
II Gertrude was a tall, nobl le-looking girl, |
, with jet-black hair, brushed plainly back
from her clear, paleface and features
pure and emotionless as those of classic
statue Her dress was sof rich, wine
colored silk, but very simple and the
garnet ornaments that she wore, set in
heavy Etruscan gold, seemed peculiarly
/ adapted to her style of beauty.
All the fittings and appointments of
the room around her were elegant and
luxurious, betokening the re6uements
of wealth. The carpet was of soft, pearl
gray, with white buds strewn over 1t,
delicately shaded iuto crimson the walls
were gray, panneled with gold; and the
furniture was of darkly -veined rosewood,
upholstered with gray velvet; while the
pictures, hanging from gilded rod which
run around the inner edge of the cornice,
the statuettes on their carved brackets,
and the alabaster vases, filled with rare
trailing ferns and hot house blossoms,
were selected with. the utmost taste and
care. For Gertrude Fisher was an heir
J ess, and she had learned the best and
truest way of enjoying wealth. -
The time seemed 10 pass away slowly
as she sat there, listening to the silver
8 tick of the clock, and the occasional fall
of glowing cinder from the CRATE into
the polished fender below, and waiting
anxiously for her engaged lover to make
his appearance. =
ale is not often SO late as this" /"
thought G ertrude, drawing out her little
tjeweled watch, and comparingit it with the
clock, with a sort of acknowledged hope
that the mother of pearl dial was too fast
But no; the two ,timepieces Tailed Tex-
= aetly, and Gertrude had no refuge but to
sigh again, and blame herself for being
too particular. "Of course cannot ex>
pcct him to measure time by the second" !"
she said. But nevertheless she did feel
little disappointed. i wonder where
merry, unreasoning chat would be better
than this dead silence aud loneliness. |
suppose she has gone up to her room for
the night"
But Cecile More had not gone up to
her room, as her cousin supposed. She
was in the little parlor, downstairs and
George Tracy was with her-the recre-
ant for whose coming sweet Gertrude
: sighed in vain
Cecile was as different from Gertrude
as a glancing fire fly is from @the steady
f glow of star, or a babbling, spark ling
10 l,Ga
; She was small, and perfectly shaped and
piquant, with golden hair and trans
: parent skin, and those peculiar turquoise
! blue eyes which so often accompany a
i blonde style of beauty She had come
TO Loudon, at Gertrude's invitation to
, spend the Winter with her and Ger
trude's generosity had supplied the soft
blue merino which she wore, with Its
sapphire velvet trimmings, and even the
l.! set OF pink coral which relieved her wax
e en- skin with its deep rose tint. Gertrude
q q had grown very fond of Cecile, whom she
regarded as sort of plaything-a live
doll or tiny white kitten and Cecils
found her cousins luxurious home
pleasant contrast to the dreary farm
house, where her uncle and his secono
wife barely tolerated her as nurse
. seamstress, and general drudge to theil
many children
ANSWER me, Cecile," persisted Geo-gt
Tracy, holding both her small white
) hands in his, and looking directly int
the turquoise-blue eyes.
!. Ceeile struggled to escape.
! George, how can you? What Woulc
Gertrude say p @
81 don't careztwo straws what Ger
trude says! am only Interested in you
my darling. Tell me, do you love mc?'
"Gecrge.'
; fFor | love you, little pet, better thar
all the world beside. There, it's out now
J and j don't care who knows it,
!. Ceeile put her hand on his lips, will
an appIehensive glance toward the door
'AFhy is this he asked
'sShe must not know, George. shoul,
be sent home to morrow
q 'Ehen you will try aud love me, dear
a est he epleaded.
d She gave him a glance from beneath
d herylong, curled eyelashes--a glance ha /
Q tender, half coquettish and entirely be
? wildering. George Tracy had been wan
II dering and uncertain before; now, III
d lost his self possession entirely - ant
. while Gertrude sat waiting and wonder
g ingsin the drawing>room above, Georg
Z and Cecile arranged the treacherous pial
: which was toRreck herhappiness forever
!, with calm, smiling faces, and voice
: which never faltcred once
4 Sarah, go upstairs and call Mis-
,e Moore TO the breakfast table" said Ger
trudc the next morning to the parlor
/. maid, who had brought in the hissin,
II urn. "She is later than usual
:, Sarah went accordingly, but present.,
q returned with a scared face. q
r ashes not in her room, ma'am, an,
!. the beds not been slept in."