The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-09-28
CHAPTER VII.

Magdalen accused Of forgery-stand-
ing in the felou's dock, and commented
on as the crimiual-felt proud and in
nocent. Magdalen re-established be-
fore the world Magdalen, in the soli.
tude and silence Of her own chamber,
feels guilty. She could not give her
conscience = name for it's reproach but
she could not deoy that shs had cause
for selfreproaoh. She could not say
what she had done wrong; but she felt
ashamed and afraid to pray. Horace
too, was changed to her. He never
spoke to her when he could help it, and
never would be alone With her for .
moment.
He was quite right, she would argue.
Why should she care about seeing him
alone was she not an af6auced wo-
man2 What did it signify to her
whether he liked her society or not ;
had she no more pride than to be sorry
because any man in the world avoided
her? Then she tried to look iodiffer-
ent !; and descended the stairs With the
gait and manner Of a Juno. at other
times she tried to congratulate herself
on having such friend as Rutherford.
He was her real practical friend in life,
and she was sure he would always do
all he could for her and was not that
enough? She, herself, telt nothing
more for him but mere friendship.-
She pictured him married and happy
She thought how happy she would be
to hear of it. She would 60 and see
them both, and be very fond of bis wife
She would be her sister-her darling
sister. She fancied her standing 10 the
doorway, like picture enframed, wait
ing to receive him when he came home.
She saw them both go irto their pref.
ty cottage, aud shut the door betweeo
their loving happiness and the cold
world outside, they shut out her as we'll
0! how happy that wife would be-
How justly proud Of her noble lord. oI
her wifely name, aud that golden bsde,
Of union on her hand Then Msgda'
len would weep, though angry viii
herself as she felt the tears steal dowl
her face; saying, sometimes aloud, i,
a tone Of vexation. "Wtst folly thi'
is! What am crying forl I sbsl
soon be ~ bad as Paul"
The expression of Magdalen's fac'
was changing. -: 1t had gone through
two different phases already, as the cir
eumstanoes of her lite had changed
From tho calm dreaming of her girl
hood-when she looked ss if she lived
| in beautiful v'aions, aud IS if the pres
e1t was only tho passage.place to .
glorious future when Paul's mind had
been hor guide, aud Paul's poetry he'
early reality-from that phase OF misty
hopes and unde,larsd visions, it had
changed to the cold, concentrated,
grieved expression Of one suffering un.
der sorrow that hardened and did not
chasten. 1t had gained more strength
Of purpose during that time-but it waa
the strength of iron-tbe force Of
granite ; it was not tho strength Of
love. Now, = third expression had
come and the most beautiful of all
Her face had gained power it never
had before-the power Of inteusest feel
ing. There was strange depth and
darkuess in her eyes: a fash, not Of
pride as Of old and Of the gldistor'.
spirit Of oombat and resistance !; but o.
newly aroused emotion, Of life, Of cheek,
as if the blsod flowed more freely
through her veins, and shs blushed
easily, as one whose heart beat fast
Her lips were moister and redder, and
| the hard lines round them melted into
softer smiles; they were not so compress
sed as Of old, nor were her eyes &
steady. Her figure was more undulatiug
her actions more graceful. She had
lost scme Of her former almost visible
directuess and, though just As houes
and straightforward, she was shyer.-
An influence was at work in her which
had never been over her before anl
everyone said how much she was chang
ing. But, in the midst Of all 'thes'
lothsr changes, none xas 70 great q