Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-03
NO. SO.
A PIECE OF RIBBON.
BY MARY REED CROwELL.

1t was a pretty piece too, OF rare COM
| bination of two utterly dissimilar col
ors. It was narrow, not three-fourths
of an inch wide, of n bright, light blue
with pink rose buds dotted at regular
intervals along it. 1t was slightly
mussc,l on both ends, and III the cen
tre were two pin holes.
And that was what Archer Delevan
was caressing So fondly; the ribbon
that still bore Ii, /, traces of having been
tied around Malde Leicester's white
throat by her dainty fingers.
lie was the last person You would
have selected from n crowd to lie the
man who had Il romance; not that he
was not handsome, for Archer Deleyan
was as splendid 4 specimen Of mankind
as 4 woman conid have desired; not
that lie was not fuH OF co,lrtIy grace
and ,ti"nilied nearing. for he Wore
| both those charms as II prince of the
blood royal might have done; but it
wa% because there was a settled gloom
and shade IN his brown eyes, and a
stern willfulne&s strongly marked
around his lips bare lips they We're,
and as perfect us ApolI6's.
There were very few people in this
world bat that wo;ilA have declared
Mr.. DeIcvan Ia be utterly delnented,
/ had they seem him that stormy wintry
night, with all the world locked out
from tie warmth and magniticence of
| his bachelor chambers
1t was certainly Il very untoward
thing for a man like Archer DeIeyan
to do-a maa Who was as rich almost
as fabled Cro,Sus, who had hut to ask
| them, to have any-perhaps all-of
| his fair friends fail in his arms, and
/ bless him for the opportunity he had
/ given them of being Archer Delevan's
| wife
| Eut all his wealth, style, position
aid influence would have weighed
/ light IN ti.e scales against that tiny
| throatlet of rink-budded azure silk,
and that vas what be realized as lie
sat beside ms handicapped centre
! table. with dark. gloomy frown in
tensifying N i6s ewes, &ud his whole
frana trcInbl!nG from the passion of
tie kisses he poured on that perfumed
toy.
Ii was rot so much OF romance
after al, the story of-that ribbon, only
| iuasInnch a. Mr. Delevan nursed and
cherished it.
Ten wears back, Wl,n he had been
poneyless and II n,mc,ess, and alto
etacr nobody, girl of fifteen had
au glipgly given him. at his impas-
sioaCl request, this strip OF silk, warm
from her shapeiy throat.
He had only seen twenty-five years
then, and had pleaded with al his na-
tive .loqucnce Tor Mande Leicester's
!oye; and she lad been SO witchingly
c,v, Yet not discoUraging, rs she
iaughingIy gave him the love token,
and assured him it was OF far more
worth than her heart.
Suddenly tie Lei'es-ers vanished
from under his very eyes, and he was
left with only his neyer-dying memory
Of the violci-cyed beauty, and this sole
link And tonight Archer Delevan
was yeaiuing Iur her whom he w0r-
!e.,aieod With all his soul. ------~-
Well 1Eau>le, after a two years
siege, / have won the guerdon OF VIC
tory See =
Alma Ecrcner held mp her hand,
where 4 cluster diamond ring sparkled
IN the mo,n Ming sunlight that came
streaming in the east bay window at
Eercn@r Villa.
\ pale shadow gathered aronnd
Naule L.iccstors mouth, is she saw
the engagement ring.
And | have been weak enough to
dream OF him all these long ten years.
There was 4 malicious sparkle in
Alms's blue eyes, as she hsteacd to
the wGarv-wCrled confession.
81 told you Archer Delevan was not
the man TO remember such boyish
She G5I not say the words that might