The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-12-21
For The Cecil Wing
NE AR GHRIYE.
BY META AND lola.
CHAPTER T.

The great, white ste .mer lies at the
what-its paddle. wheels motionless and
the dark, sluggish water breaking into lit
tie riprles around the keel. The pier is
filled with hurrying crowd of human
faces. Porters, busy carrying baggage and
storing it in the steamer; idlers and pick
pockets looking on; and passengers hurry
ing To gain the deck before the grand rush.
Amid the busy stirring scene is one calm
face-a little girl of nine summers stands
on the main deck of the steamer with the
warm September sunshine falling on her
uncovered head. She has a pretty, bright
face with great promise of future beauty
in the clear complexion. tender brown eyes
and wealth of golden hair But what is
she doing here? Alone and apparently
friendless to judge from that fact and then
the simple dress she wears, though clean is
exceedingly poor in quality and make. 1t
hangs around her little limbs in ungraceful
! folds and fails to conceal the coarse shoes
| that cover her feet.
| All preparations are at last completed
and 1.-THE Atlantic " steams slowly out of
the harbor into the wide. deep ocean.
| Oar little heroine stands unnoticed in
the same position in which we first saw
her, behind a pile of baggage placed there
temporarily. A heavy sigh parts her lips
and with dry little sob, she sinks down
on the floor of the deck. In a few moments
The fringed eye lids close over the tired
eyes aud the little wanderer sleeps soundly.
| In another part of the steamer in cosy
state-roorn, is seated lady oftwenty- eight
summers. The years have touched her
very lightly for the bloom of sixteen has
,arce left her oval check; though set.
tied look Of sorrow in the mild blue eye,
tells the beholder that their owner has
mingled LIES bitter and sweet. She is
dressed i'll deep mourning and her bright
chestnut hair is almost hidden by pretty
| little widows cap that crowns her shapely
| head Lady Flora Summelfield's life has
been an eventual one. At eighteen she
was the belle of the American town i'll
which she lived. She had a high, imper-
ious will joined to worldly ambition. Her
parents deemed tour in Europe to be the
final touch her brilliant education needed.
so to the eastern continent they went, with
their son a boy Of eleven years, and their
| lovely daughter. Flora's beauty and fasci-
mating manners won her many admirers
and not the least among them was a proud
British baronet. Sir Traverse Summer
field was a man of middle age. He had
drained the cup of worldly pleasure to the
dregs; but the draught had proved unsatis
factory and left him in the meridian Of
Of Iii, manhood cold hearted and cynical.
lie was captvated by Flora's beauty and
thought she could grace his ancient halls as
well as any of England'S proud daughters,
| and whilst in this frame of mind offered
her his hand and professed to give his
heart with it. She was daZzled by the
rank of her sutton and thinking not that
she was ding to her husband without love.
she accepted his proposals much to her
parents satisfaction and in due time they
we're Joined in the bonds of holy wedlock.
Flora knew little or nothing of the charac-
ter of the man to whom she had irrevoca
bly, bound herself and felt sad feeling of
inconsistencies in heryoung heart, when her
parents left her in her husbands stately
home. But she was warm hearted girl
of nineteen and who at that age can allow
Sorrows hand to press very heavily on
their Young hearts? The natural gayety
of her temperament made her happy for
awhile. combined with the brilliant rank
her husband had bestowed upon her. 1t
was very pleasant and novel for awhile to
lie called ma tady and bowed TO as though
she were Il queen. But as the mouths roll
ed on and her most enchanting smiles could
elicit from her husband aught save formal
courtesy-she became aware of the humIll
! ating fact that he loved her rs little as she
had mt first loved him. lie had been won
bv her beauty and familiarity had bred
contempt for that. Although she felt
puued at this indifference it did not turn
her own apathy to hate; but with all the
woman she began to love her husband with
all the intensity of her nature. By thou
| sand little ways she tried to win his recre-
ant affections; but even when eighteen
months after their marriage she presented
| him with an heir, her love for him seemed
| to burn itself to ashes on the altar of her
heart. The child was certainly another
! link in the chain that bound them tOgeth
err. hut no pledge Of affection. He never
called either her or the boy, by any Of those
endearing names that young mothers love
to hear and dwell upon. With bitter
| heart she kept her sorrows to herself and
went out again into the gay whirlpool OF
London society. envied by many as happy
/ wife and mother who had they but known
it were in reality possessed more fully OF
the blooms Of that fragile flower-happi-
ness.
Two years glided on thus and Lady Sum-
mcrfield loved her husband with increas-
ing Intensity. To sooth the many heart
aches caused by unrrquited love. she pic
tured to herself coming happy years when
the growing beauty and intelligence OF their
little son, would attract the cold Lord
notice and perhaps draw them more closely
together. But this happy dream-lite was
to be dispeled by an inscrutable Prori
iencc. Lord Traverse was very fond OF
steenle- chases and whilst engaged in this
sport one day. was thrown from his horse
and mnrtally injured. Poor Lady Flora
wrong her hands in silent anguish as she
leaned over his dying couch and tried t"
catch murmnr from the lips that would
never utter her name again. He died as
be had lived and without one word of affec
ton for the we ping wife who knelt by his
side
Lady Summcrfeld young widow OF
twen:y-six. lived on in the same grand old
MANSION. completely isolated from the
entire world She concluded to remain
thus until her boy--her little idol should
reach manhood's estate when she would