The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-06-03

nervous, excited condition the whole
time that it began TO wear upon her, and
her parents concluded to send her away
to school to vassar College. According
lly, her preparations were at length COM
plotted, and the day for her departure
was at hand. fsiillstau,g.1 ,1
Sitting listlessly indulging unpleasant
reveries the morning before she was to
leave, note was brought her. A flush
mounted her brow ss she instantly rec
Ognized the writing, aud guiltily she re-
membered that 1t was in the shadow of a
tree at'Lafayette Park shs had perussd
those sweet lines In the same chirogrs-
ply. And, yes, she had taken such pre-
cious care of that little crumplsd note all
this time, notwithstanding he now be-
longsd to another, notwithstanding her
dreams had proved mirage, and the
tempting fruit she had 80 coveted had,
like the apples OF Sodom, turned to ASH
OF on her lips. With absted breath, and
heart almost at a stsndstill, she broke
speR the Inissive, in whose. depths she
was certain she would find the sepulchre
OF all hope: 90 .a, s...u " -a'
ST. LOUIS, NO., Sept: =.
Miss STELLA LAwTeN :-Bsfore you
leave our city, feel compelled to ad-
dress you this note, though at this mo-
ment I feel, only too painfully, in what
spirit it will be received. From day to
day and week TO week, after that day I
met you at your own home, and you so
suddenly learned what a culprit was,
conscience stung me to madness, as
thought ought to say something in the
way of an apology; but each time as
took the pen, 1 was overcome with tie
emptiness, the mockery, such an act
would prove, that would but be adding
insult to injury. : .,.. g..
81 am fully assured that there is no
thing 1 can say which will ever gain
your forgiveness, though bumbly ask
it in the deepest contrition, because it is
my duty. 1t will be be useless to tell
you how have suffered in consequence
of my own folly, the more so because OF
the faint echo which still tingles in my
ear of Derision's laugh at "whst might
have been." And more, certain name
less feeling that built up strong but
eva nescent temple In my heart--a feel
ing that would not dare even name to
you now. ,n.u.s
"Yours sincerely,
IN ,t.,., "BERNARD ELwooD."
Stella read these lines a. in a dream,
but hastily she arose with a Frightening
face, and was soon inditing a reply. She
humbly stated that she was much npore
to blame than he, that there, was nothing
to forgive, etc.
The same day saw Bernard Elwood at
her house and pleading his cause in per-
son; for he joyfully remembered what
she had once told him of certain circ1m-
stances" and that when he had asked her
If they had not existed how beautiful she
looked when she murmured as she glid-
ed away, "then there would be none 9TH
er in the world for me-" Il
And Stella, well, when she found that
after all, ner lever was not even thinking
of being married to Maud Bancroft, but
emphatically stating that she was the lit-
tie fairy of all the world he most desired
why, she concluded not to go to Vassar
to school.
Thefamily relatives were all greatly de-
lighted at the turn affairs had at length
taken, though they learned a lesson,
even at their age, that it is net well to at
tempt coercion in affairs of the heart;
and the newly -betrothed lovers felt that
though "all's we'll that ends well," still
It was extremely dangerous, If not high.
ly improper, to indulge in u handker-
chief Irritation.