The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-07-20
and he 10 return had been chivAlrous
and devoted, and deeply under the
spell OF her witcheries.

and devoted, and deeply under the
spell OF her witcheries.
And now he deceived her; he was
as treachcrous and mean as the rest OF
his species. Several times that winter
he had written her long, pleasant let-
tsrs, but never hint of his engage.
ment-nothing to lead her to suppose
that he Was not eagerly waiting to be at
her back and call when she should
again dawn upon his horizon. She
read those letters over this day she re-
called Helen Brevoort's impertine.ce
OF the previous night ; and there was
dangerous smile on the woman's face as
she laid the correspondence aside. Ii
he had trusted her, she would have
been foremost, she said to herself in
promoting bis happiness; he bad dared
her power, and now she would see if
shs was as helpless as ordinary womeo
in similar circumstances.
She sat down and wrote him a let
ter:
IL have been back three whole days,
and you are the only one Of my friends
who has not came near me. For half
an hour I Was hurt ); for twenty minutes
l was vexed; but lite is not long
enough to waste more time in either
emotion.
"My dear Sir Launclot, Why baveyou
not given an old friend the privilege
Of cougratulating you on your new
found happiness? It was wicked of
you I may not recognize the article
from personal experience, but tired aud
worn as am, have enough freshness
Of feeling left to be able to sympa,hize:
/ "Well, I mean o:be generous, and
I do nothing by halves, so i shall con-
gratulate you as heartily. as if you had
been true to our friendship. You have
won a great prize-euard it carefully.
In the mean time, remember that an
old friend has at least the claim Of
memory. In your idle days, when lie
was empty, you wrote me score Of
pretty letters. 1 have them all, and 1t
IS my creed that an engaged man should
take back such trifes. Will you come
and receive with them my heartfelt
congratulations? In the hope that you
may do SO, if IT. belle permits, I shall
STAY at home to night and grin defiance
at my own shadow ; 30" know exist
ence hasu'l left me much else to do."
When an engaged man receives such
a letter, II he is wise he makes an
excuse; but who is? Richard Falmore
wrote two notes : one to Mrs. Vincent
promising to obey her request; the 9th
er, his first white lie, to Helena for
6 ttea business engagement would pre-
veut his accompanying her to her aunt's
ecvption.
Mrs. Vincent knew Of his promise
and meant to force him to break it; a
proper bit of malice, she thought, in re-
turn tor bis doplicity 10 not having con-
6de,l in her.
When Falmore entered her boudoir
that evening, the sight which met his
eyes was enough to make any mascu.
line head SWIM 1t is as old and stale
as the first novel to talk ABOUT women's
beauty; this woman had something more
potett than that--the dangerous gif,
Of fascination. She cams forward to
meet him, with her long white draper
les sweeping in fcccy folds over the
| floor; some artful combination 10 the way
Of sea green trimmings hciYhteniug her
pallor and giving deeper light to her
great eye. Every pose was perfect, cv-
cry "ord what'it ought t. have been;
and Falmcre thought what a pity it
Was that such grace and witchery could
never be added to the Ingenious love.
illness of a young girl. .,
They talk Of all sorts Of triaes-her
journey-tho orango groves-tho mar
vellous skies-the charms of the tropic
island and Mrs Vincent talked as only
an American woman can. By and by
she said softly ::
"You are bad and wicked even yet
You've gossippcd SO fast, I have had
no opportunity to say how happy the
| news have heard makes mellow
heartily glad I am" ':'~,. =
lie took her hand and pressed it
warmly little confused and swk-
;wards as.a man willtbe at such times :
"Thauk :3ou," he said !; Il want you to
know her-tor like. me. 1 meant to
have written, but l have been so busy"
s"She has already the highest claim
to my regard--she is your choice" re-
turned Gree. ;"For your silence
well, lot bygones be bygones!'' -
"Aud you forgive me?'
my dear FREUD, if I had the
right or wish to be aneryl The world
calls me coquette-you know me
better. think you might have told
me-you know | grasp eagerly at any
bit Of pleasure-I don't have many
you might have given me thls-but
never mind !; I'll take it now"
1t wss not the words !; the voice-tbo
eloquent eyes raised t, his-the pale
tremulous features. Good gracious, in
the face of warning and experience,
men will bo idiots up to the millen.
mum!
Presently she pulled a little table
tOyue ~ hnr rn1noLo1 ho~ ,,-;.:.- l..l.