The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-02-29

dasncu lnLO Jhe ring.
As she passed the Due she glanced
at him and the Due fell back with 9
strange sigh.
"What a bewildering creature
exclaimed the Vicomte; but the
Duke said nothing. Night afte,
night he came. The manager was
proud ofhis patronage, and the pub
lie stared rs much at the Due as
they did at the spectacle.
Moranita no longer looked al
him; she knew his eyes were upor
her, and her heart beat quickly, but
her long lashes fell beneath his
glances.
Fortunio, the clown, first detected
the cause Of the Dues presence in
tho circus.
"Moranita," said he one evening
as they returned from the circus,
do you love me? Could you ever
have a secret from me?"
"No, l could never hide anything
from you, you have been to me all
the world. l have no secret.
Fortunio said no more, but he de-
termined to put IN end to the in
trigue which he knew must inevita-
bly, lead to the young girls destruc-
ton.
He had never spoken to her either
OF principles or purity, but he had
kept her pure from all evil thought,
and from all contamination of her
companions she was spared. For
tunio never left her for an instant,
and the moment her duties were
over he took her back to their home.
He loved Moranita not rs a
daughter; he loved her with the
deepest, most overwhelming passion.
He knew it. He knew that the pas
sion was hopeless, yet he hoped
against hope, and thought if he
could take her from all the world
no, how could that lovely, beautiful
girl think of him? Yet she loved
him, and there had been miracles
of love, gratitude and devotion in
womsn's heart. The poor, deform-
ed clown blushed as he thought he
had even ventured to hope.
Meantime the Due de Croisy was
struggling, like the clown, with
deep and overwhelming passion.
He had conceived for the admirable,
bright, beautiful and modest circus
girl, one of those passions for which
the world, when they produce ca
tastrophies, finds it 60 difficult tc
account. Magnetism is the ration
al cause that can be assigned fol
the infatuation, for which no com
mon sense can account, for wha
those who are beneath the spell can
not explain.
1t was very easy for him, th'
DUO de Croisy, to 90 behind th'
scenes with diamond in one hand
and an insulting proposition in the
other, yet, strange to say, Il feeling
OF respect and fear restrained him.
He pondered, he thought, lie
struggled, and thus he reasoned:
He was rich, he was Independent
he was responsible to no one for his
conduct the aim of his life was
happiness; that depended on Mora
nita, and Moranita he would have.
On that day the clown told Mora
nita that they would leave Paris
on that day the Due de Croisy sought
her behind the scenes, and with the
same ceremony and respect he
would have used towal d IL duchess,
he made the circus girl an offer OF
his hand, laying at her feet his for
tune and his title.
Fortunio was on the stage, ,Dak-
ing the crowd laugh by antics and
contortions.
When he returned behind the
scenes he stood transtixed; he knew
that his destiny was accomplished.
They had met; it was too late now
| to save his happiness.
One deep look OF bitter hate he
cast on the Due; one look of intense
yearning at Moranita; then, with
calm dignity, he advanced towards
them.
The DEC dc Croisy came towards
him, leading Moranita by the hand.
".Sir," said he, with the utmost
Difference, ~ have just offered my
hand to Mile. Moranita, and she has
done me the honor to accept me-
We ask your consent and your
blessing ,
Fortunio stood for an instant, and
could either of the young, hopeful
being who stood before him have
read the desperate bate that germi-
mated that moment in his heart, they
would have recoiled from him.
But though love reve'. Is itself, hate
has the power to hide itself. They
believed in the smile with which he
ioined their hands. When Fortunio
and Moranita reachel home neither
spoke of what had just passed. For
the first time she felt that there was
a barrier between them.
The next day came the Due in his
carriage. He proposed that they
should go to the Hotel dc Princes,
leaving behind their former associa-
tions. Fortunio did not reply to the
Due, but returned to Moranlta.
"What he says is right, but will
never leave the station in which i
nm born, aud for which l am fitted"
"Then, until 1 belong to another
| I will remain with you, father.
Her father Yes, he was her Ia
ther ; that was the relation In which
he stood to her. She loved as a
Idaughter-nO more.