Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-04-04
Au 0rigiual grize Sturg,
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
THEFATEOF MILDRED WEIR.
BY MRS. CLARA DARGAN MCLEAN.
CHAPTER vi.

BY MRS. CLARA DARGAN MCLEAN.
CHAPTER vi.
"All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
Are but the ministers of Love-,
And feed his sacred flame"
CoLERIDaE
"But most of all would flee from the passionate
The honey Of noison- flowers and all the measure
TENNYsoN's "MAuD."
The weeks flew by rapidly. AS the season
advanced it became gayer, and Mildred found
she had neither leisure nor inclination for the
more quiet pursuits which had occupied her
in former days. Kate had no longer reason
to complain of her cousins "ploddirg." With
characteristic earnestness she still pursued her
music-that was part of her very life; but a
taste, long latent, for society and its accom-
panying pleasures was now developed; and
like the rest of her ardent race-a true child
of the sun-she enjoyed it as few are ca
pable of doing. She suffered no detriment; =;
her heart and mind were as pure as when she
had sung alone her wild airs, heard only by
the curlews. But there was feverishness-
an excited, strained manner at times which
Mrs Moreton at length could not avoid obser-
wing. She had first loved Mildred for the
sake of her mother, but these few months of
daily intercourse had taught her to prize the
girl for her own intrinsic loveliness of charac-
ter.
1t was, therefore, with unaffected concern
that she remarked the strange restlessness, the
uncertain color-varying at word from mar
bic whiteness to painfully bright crimson.
The "mother" surmised the true cause, but
she shrank from any allusion to it with in
stinctive delicacy.
One morning as they were sitting together
in Mrs. Moreton's own room-the girls hav-
ing gone out on shopping excursion-Mil-
dred voluntarily broached the subject. She
began by drawing a cushion to her aunt's
feet, and seating herself upon it, laid her head
on the inviting knee. Mrs. Moreton put aside
her work, and stroked the soft brown hair
whose shining tendrils twined carressingly
round her fingers She said nothing, but the
gentle touch was more eloquent than words.
"Aunt Marion," Mildred said presently in
low, weary voice, ri wish I could gohome."
"Why, my pet, are you getting tired OF usT
"Oh! you know that is not so," taking the
fair motherly hand, and pressing it to her
lips; "you are all SO good to me, and do love
you dearly-but, aunty, it seems to me that
it would be better for me to be at home"
She looked up, and at glance knew she
was understood. The red tide flooded her
face as she hid it in her hands, and buried
both in the folds of her aunt's dress.
eyes, see. You have become too dear to
me not to feel all that concerns you as if it
related to one of my own daughters. be-
lieve you would be safer at homeland hap
pier. If Alexis really loves you-which 1
do not doubt-it will be time enough to de-
eide the matter when your mother knows and
approves it. In the meantime, my darling
girl, commit your ways unto the Lord, and
He will bring it to pass"
There was brief silence, and then Mildred
spoke again.
"I think I ought to have told you that he
has-has asked me to marry him; but could
not speak of it till now. 1t was only few
weeks since-the night you all went to the
ball at the Casino, and I was too unwell. He
came after you left, and-and-"
She stopped and burst into tears Mrs.
Moreton was inexpressibly shocked. With
all her sensibility, Mildred was usually re-
served in the exhibition of deep er:otion.
"My dear child, Mildred" she began, and
then feeling it was wiser to await the subsi-
ding of the storm, she paused. Presently
Mildred continued, her sobs halfinterrupting :
"Aunt Marian, I can't help believing that
he loves me, and yet"
"You do not trust him?'
eyes, I think I do; but some things he
says and does startle me. 1 don't understand
him. There is girl -"
Suddenly she stopped: something forbade
her to speak of the little modiste at Olympe's
And this was the trouble. Though she had
never seen the black eyes and cherry lips
again, she could not forget that scene Late
ly fear had begun to dawn upon her inno-
cent mind, and Waldemar seemed to suspect
it, for he purposely introduced the subject sew
eral times, and descanted largely upon the
fact that the "child" was an unprotected
young creature; that her mother was dead,
and he felt it sacred obligation to look after
her in this great wicked city. Mildred listen
ed and believed but there was a "rift within
the lutte"
my DEAR" Mrs. Moreton said, "you must
not place your ideal too high. Most girls Of
your character have too lofty Standard
and men and women are only human at best.
Alexis is spoilt by admiration, and it is quite
natural that he should be sought after" sus-
pecting that Mildred's uncertainty arose from
some dormant jealousy; "but 1 do believe
that many men, unfortunately 80 constituted,
,ro ,oroJ hv a MIRO love and no one can