Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-16
happened again, and Mrs. vsncent


shall have to include YOU in the castiga
ton. Why, you're Jealous, you small
waspl"
She smiled more sweetly than ever
confused Helen with pretty speeches
finally took some mans arm and sweep
away like bright cloud, followed by hel
troop of adorers.
The next day Richard Falmore did mo-
call; the second was dark and snowy,
and Mrs. Vincent stood at her window
and watched the storm and yielded to the
bitter, wicked reflections that so often
filed up her lonely hours. She was moi
a happy woman, POOR soul. She had
married man many years older than her
self, and found she had been welded fol
her money. He was a cold blooded old
frog, devoted to Wall street, and had
built up mammoth fortune; allowed his
wife TO go her own way, and divided his
time between business and pleasure suita-
bic to a coarse nature. So, mad with the
disappointment and the loneliness, AIDE
laide Vincent rushed into the world, and
for SIX years her name on either side the
Atlantic had been the synonyme for every
thing that was fascinating, extravagant,
and reckless.
Her coquetries were so general, that she
escaped much of the condemnation which
usually follows such woman, however
cOurted she may be, and what she sought
was power, not sentimental romance.
She was able to boast to herself that no
man had ever put his alteration into
words, and she delighted in keeping her
slaves just on the verge between hope and
idiocy.
She had known Richard Falmore for
two years now; they had met over in
Europe, and from that time up to the
period when she went to Cuba, he had
been foremost in her band of sdherents.
He was more TO her than any other of the
men who added their brains by her smiles,
yet their intimacy had been that of two
confidential friends rather than ordinary
Irritation.
He knew more of her real character
and feelings than anybody else in the
world; she could talk freely to him, and
he in return had been chivalrous and de-
voted, and deeply under the spell of her
witcheries.
And now he had deceived her; he was
as treacherous and mean as the rest of
his species. Several times that winter he
had written her long, pleasant letters, but
never hint of his engag 5ment-nothing
to lead her to suppose that he was no.
eagerly waiting to he at her beck and call
when she should again dawn upon his
horizon. She read those letters over this
day; she recalled Helen Brevoort's imper-
Thence of the previous night; and there
was a dangerous smile on the woman's
face as she laid the correspondence aside.
If he had trusted her, she would have
been foremost, she said to herself, in pro-
noting his happiness; he had dared her
power, and now she would see if she was
as helpless as ordinary women in similar
circumstances.
She sat down and wrote him letter:
81 have been back three whole days,
and you are the only one of my friends
who has not come near me. For half an
hour l was hurt; for twenty minutes l
was vexed; but life is not long enough to
waste more time in either emotion.
"My dear Sir LancelOt, why have you
not given an old friend the privilege of
cOngratulating you on your new-found
happiness9 II was wicked of you! l may
not recognize the article from personal
experience, but tired and worn SIS l am, /
have enough freshness of feeling left to
be able to sympathize.
swell, mean to be generous, and l
do nothicg by halves, SO shall congratu-
late you as heartily as if you had been
true to our friendship. You have won a
great prize-guard it carefully. In the
mean time, remember that az old friend
has at least the claim of memory. In
your idle days, when life was empty, you
wrote me q score of pretty letters. l
have them al, and it is my creed that an
engaged man should take back such tri-
fies. Viii you come and receive with
them my heartfelt c0ngratulationsF In
the hope that you may do so, if la belle
permits, | shall stey at home to night
and grin defiance at nay own shadow;
you know existance hasn't left me much
else TO do.
When an engaged man receives such
letter, if he is wise he makes an excuse;
but who is wiser Richard Falmore wrote
two notes: one to MIS-. Vincent promis
ing to obey her request; the other, his
first white lie, to Helen "a forgotten
business engagement would prevent his
accompanying her to her aunt's recep-
ton.
Mrs. Vincent knew of his promise and
meant to force him to break it; proper
bit of malice, she thought, in return for
his duplicity in not having confded in
her.
When FalmoFe entered her boud9ir that
evening, the sight which met his eyes was
enough to make any masculine head
swim. Ii is as old and stale as the first
novel to talk about a woman's beauty;
this woman had something more potent
than that-the dangerous gift.of fascina-
ton. She came forward to meet him,
with her long white draperies sweeping
in fleecy folds over the floor; some artful
combination in the way of sea green
trimmings frightening her psllor and CIV
ing deeper light TO her great eyes.
Every pose was perfect, every word what
it ought to have been; and FalmOre
thought what pity it was that such
grace and witchery could never be ad
ded to the ingenious loveliness of ayOung
girl.
They talked of all sorts of trifies-her
journey-the orange groves-the mar
vellous siziss-the charms of the tropic
island; and Mrs. Vincent talked as only
an American womsn can. By and by she
said softly:
''You are bad aud wicked even yet!
You've gossipped so fast, have had no
opportunity to say how happy the news
have heard makes mellow heartily
glad am.
He took her hand and pressed it warm
ly-a little confused and awkward, as
man will be at such times. THANK you,
he said; 81 want you to know her-to
like her. l meant to have written, but
have been so busy.
''She has already the highest claim to
my regard-she is your choice, > returned
Gree. ''For your silence-well, lei by
| cones be bygones!"
"And you forgive me2"
"My dear friend, as if had the right
or wish to be angry The world calls
me coquette-you know me better,
think you might have told me-yOu know
| I grasp eagerly at any bit of pleasure
| [ DON'T have many-you might have Civ
! -, mo thIe-Iut meyer mind: III take Il