The Lincoln County herald., 1871-09-28
DID SnE DO RIGHT.
Bx MARY axEn CROW ELL.

4 tearfully cold, 0lustesins day il eas,
late in December, just % the season wAes
nirth aud plessautry reigued supreme
over their subjects but . time o. unua
terable desVlation to at least one woman,
as she stood alone al the doos Of hes late
home, With the sweeping gale, ss il
dashed by, laden with fine dust and sting.
log chill, freezing her in its ruthless pit
| ilessness.
she looked up aud down the long de
sested street, that never looked drearier
than then, as she bade it . mournfui, 81.
lent good BY
Opposite, the doors we're all closed.
and in the rapidly gathering twilight che
saw the warm glow Of the 6rcs. the ruddy,
welcoming lights that had been seem
iugly lighted to mock her own cheerless
lonesomeness; and it seemed to her in her
bitterness, that she could see n mocking,
derisive smile on the face Of oil Valley
Point, that she, proud Isabel Kent, the
daughter Of and onco the hercss Of proud
lawyer Kent, was to night to leave her
home poor girl to battle with the world,
which had once been her slave aud was
now her master.
With shiver less Of cold than distress,
Isabel Kent turned away from the dark
eniny streets, and iuto the hall of the
large, elegant, empty house.
A single gas burner was lighted, send
ing the shadows from one place into
another. and that was all the light there
was to illume her departing steps.
ln the silent parlor where the rich
gilded paper aud heavily carved centre
pieces seemed to mock the empty dcsola.
ton, stood lsabel's trunk, packed and
strapped, and marked; and how tho
girls lip quivered as the light revealed
the words to her:
II. K, Phllsdelphia."
So it was there she was going. A
hundred miles from home; frienls-if
friends thsy we're who had turned the
cold shoulder when her fathers will had
declared her worse than penniless-had
left her fond broken heart the legacy Of
dishonor and debt.
1t was this knowledge that had proven
almost too much for her; other wise, how
finely, if sorrowfully. how earnestly, it
Ionesomely, she would have borne pov
erty and faced the world who owed her a
living.
But everything seemed SO changed
now; even Isabel Kent had changed
from q joyous, careless girl, to q stern
embittered woman.
A carriage rolled up to the door, and
when the drivor had attended to her
luggage. and the old colored servant had
kissed her gloved hand, she wus whirled
away-to what2 she wondered, with q
mirihless 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 crowds the noise, the glare
the incoming and departing trains for
Valley Point was an important terminus.
After she had purchased her tickets
and checked her trunks she sat down on
seat opposite the door and so when
Champney Roberts came 10 she saw him
before be saw her
He came straight over to her as soou
as he recogniz d the black.robed figure
"lsabel, l am tempted to take you
away from here by simple force. l have
been to the house but you we're too quick
for me. Isabel, will you persist in such
foolishness ?"
He had taken an empty eeat next her
but near as he was he could not see the
paling anguish that lay in her pure
classic face, or the rush Of momentary
wrath that followed his eager impulsive
words.
at is not foolisbuess, Champney
What shouli l do if do not go to Mrs
Cravens -"
Where should you 60 to, true enough
my darling? Is not my homo lonely fo
the want of you? Does not my hear
cry out for you, its queen? Isabel Their
is ten minutes; won't you think of i
again, and let me take you from thi
place to be married to me, and my hom
forever? Remember, my Isabel, bow
love you"
Under the thick Grape veil Isabel's lips
grew thickly compressed, and q slow, re'
bloom came to her cheeks. 1t was
great temptation; she so lonely, 81
fragile, to 60 out iuto the world, nothing
but companion to q rich, strange wo
man, whose face she had never seen ant
here was Champuoy Roberts, with hl
splendid house, his matchless carrag
and horses, his handsome face, and ire
proschable character. who sat beside be
begging her to accept OF it all.
, But Isabel was q proud woman. an,
she could not brook the idea Of marrying
tor q home. for gratitude, even If th
offer cane from the map ~hom she fsl
worshipped bet.
But for all this she did not low
Champney Roberts, aud there lay tn
secret Of her sefussls-they had beel
msny-of hiv. And now again with tn
chilling look out oD the world before her
she decided that she would work til
death before she could be the wife Of