The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-16

Dmghen, in full talk, her face all Lit up with
Indignation; and by her side, listening to her |
so attentively, came that same masked caya-
Her whose dress and bearing and appearance
had made the poor author SO jealous at the
ball. F.....'-. :.
Edge crept closer in by the protecting door
way and watched He saw them pass up tina
way, and watched. He saw them pass up
the street and down it again., and stop for a
| few moments opposite her door, and then he
saw her speaking very eagerly, and at last
she pushed open the door and walked up the
stairs, followed by the cavalier. II
Then poor Edge crept from his hiding
place, and walked up and down the street. |
up and down it; with the bright sun beating
| fercely upon him. The workmen were going
to their labors in the early morning, and
chaffed and jeered that Inflated orange doub-
let. The whole city was waking from its
sleep, heavy wagons rolled along the Strand,
and the river was alive with gay barges and
wineries; still poor Edge paced up and down
the street, always keeping in view the one
hallway.
At last the door opened, and the cavalier
stepped forth alone. He was still masked, SO
that his face could not be recognized, and he
walked boldly up the street, and Edge followed
him; what should he do ? his sword hung at his
SIDE, and he wanted neither skill nor courage
| 1or Its use, and here was this cavalier walk
| ing in front of him in the open street. He
| wanted no more proof; he had proof enough;
he had too much proof. He had himself seen
them together at the ball-seen them togeth-
er coming from the ball--seen her and him 90
together up the staircase. What more proof
did he need? 1t was easy to pick quarrel in
those days. The street was open, and both
men were armed. o.--,a.-...
What should he do? #
| And then, while he still followed his rival
his thoughts went back to her; he loved her
| SO deeply, SO truly, so entirely; he had given
| himself up to this one. Life had been up to
this struggle, and struggle in which he
had always been werSted, always been beaten
And then when he knew her, came hope for
him and fair prospect; and youth, which
had slipped away from, scared by incessant
disappointment and defeat, had half return
| ed. SO 5age ..,f ,. .i5.f
! AS poor George Edge thought of all this,
his heart hardened to her, and the old love
| died within him; and once more he asked
himself what he should do. One thing was
scertain-he would not quarrel with this mask
ed dandy, who was stalking along SO victori-
ously in front of him; that he determined on
at once. She was not worth it-and she did
not deserve the love of an honest man. But
| she should know what she had lost: He
would go direct to her house and tell her all
| he had seen, all he knew-he, at least, would
not be fooled by her again. ..........c afeH
So he turned sharply round and quickly re-
traced his steps, and was in her street again.
He pushed the unattached door open, and
went up the staircase; and turned the handle
and stood within the room. ia .hIag 1s u
Her face was from the door. She was sit
ting at a table, folding something into par
| eel; it must have been very delicate, for she
bent over it and carefully creased the paper
that was to contain it, and spoke to him with
out even looking up. Ys-ss re-,t. y.
| hv Oh
back! did not expect you for yet half
| hour" m ,,f,.,.... 49,, 'FI.
| He stood at the door and did not answer
| her. -.-..- .....is.f q .r5o..a5
'But you have brought them with you,
hope; you have brought them with you, have
| you not? | '5ih
Then she looked up and saw him there.
20 George, Georgep' she said, "you have
come to me-" and she started up from her
chair and ran to him and threw her arms
round his neck .it
But he thrust her from him; his face was
very stern and cruel. She was frightened at
his look. - ~, = - = =.
What is the matter, George % she said;
what has happened?' i.as
very hard-"what has happened! Only
something very trifing. Quite an EVERYDAY
occurrence, dear; it has happened that YOU
have trified with my love, that you have fool
ed meas your. precious sex fools with It's It's all
-robbed me, swindled me, stolen from me the
only thing that poverty and wretchedness had
respected; and it has also happened that /
have found it all out, and known it before It
was too late. Miserable man that am,
have found that you are not worthy of mev'
Then she turned slowly from him and NOV
ed across the room, and caught at the chair
for support, half slipped, half fell into it, and
bending over the table buried her face in her
hands. .sss,5rnEe .aila,rt.oFr
The sun came in blazing through the win
dow, checkering the gray walls Of the room
with little squares of light and shadow; out 1
side, the birds were hopping and pecketing
about in the trees, and pert blackbird, with
golden bill, was shrilling out the clear-toned
whistle, as ii no blackbird, or thrush, or gold
en- oriole, or sober-colored nightingale could
approach him in song and between the paus-
es of that song came the rumbling of the
coaches and the distant hum of the city. =
For moment he, stood at the door, not
knowing what he should do, but looking at
her. What an actress she is he thought.
A great actress indeed, if that were acting.
for her eyes were all red and her bosom rose
and fell, and throb, throb, throb, went the
little beating heart. She did not speak, she
could not cry, but there she sat, bending
over the table, her face buried in her hands,
And he stood at the door, still looking at
her. How he hated and despised himself!
This was indeed manly thinf that he had
done. He had seen his rival strutting about
through the town, and he had followed him,
He knew he was armed; they were both arm
ed; but he did not turn and face him, as he
ought to have done, and strike him as he
ought to have struck-as man would have
struck No, he had let the gallant escape.
and then he had traced his own steps back to !
her house, forced his way into her room. and |
when she came SO softly and gently to well
come him, he had insulted and spurned her.
ALI these thoughts passed through his mind
in moment-while the blackbird was calling
to his mate across the garden-wall-a then
he looked at her again, sitting SO still, SO des-
olate, in the middle of the room. "Poor lit
tie thing?' he thought-for hate was diving
out OF his mind, and in its place had come
pity. And with pity came also that other
feeling which is akin to it. iE1
You see she was so young, so inexperienced |
SO fragile. All his associations with her were |
OF sunshine and happiness-he had never |
seen shadow across that little face that used |
to beam upon him so joyously, SO ingenious
ly.AWhat should she know of grief or sorrow?
Hate had, indeed, died out of his mind and |
in its place had come pity, and with pity had
come love. 70 u s..---H 'e- 10y
So he walked halfway up to her chair.
June, ne said, Il have been very wrong
and very cruel-'
But when she heard his voice the long sup |
pressed grief burst forth, and the tears that |
would not flow came quickly now, and the |
words came quickly too, and sobbing SO pit
eously- pi'
sob, what have 1 done, ''she said, sswhat
have done?'
Then he went up to her and lifted her from
the chair and took her in his arms: her long
yellow hair had slipped away from the rib.
bons which held it in, and was all tossed and
tumbled over her eyes but he pushed the vel
low hair aside, and holding the little face be- |
tween his hands, long and longingly looked
in 1t. He was a tall, handsome man, broad
shouldered and brave to look upon, and he
held her in his arms as you might hold little |
child. She did not resist, she did not try to |
resist, but when she felt the tears rising again
she dropped her head down and pressed it
against him 49,
Then he spoke to her and comforted her.
and told her all the cruel things he had |
thought, and how he had distrusted her and
hated her, but that distrust was never to come |
between them again. oO- '
And as they sat there at the open window
they heard step on the stair case, and there
came a tap at the door, and to the astonish- |
ment OF Edge in walked the cavalier of the
ball. He was soberly dressed now, and with
his mask off did not appear very formidable |
rival. Miss Dinghen rose and welcomed
him.
y