Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-03-22

"There is only my brother" she burs
out with sort OF cry, and went quickl..
out of the room.
~ declared" said sister Anne, lookin,
after her with mouth open.
80 Haviland. how could you! Sh,
will never forgive you," said.
Z" don't want to be forgiven" he sai(
lightly but he went away quickly to tn,
station, and did not come near us fol
three whole days. Eleanor repaired hel
Notifications and received him with the
same dead calm Of courtesy. He resumed
his daily sittings with US, but he threw
no more stones into the deep waters OF
EleanOr's nature.
Nothing could be more desirable than
that these two should love each other. /
longed to beg Eleanor only to look into
his eyes, and see the interest written
there, but the words were never spoken.
| left them alone together whenever /
dared, and forbade any of my tribe, on
peril of Punishment, to make the least ap.
proach to a joke on my matchmaking. l
said word or two of my hope to Mr..
Eustace, but he was utterly skeptical.
Eleanor is too cold and calm to love any
man, and too conscientious to marry with
out it. / should like to see the man who
should be bold enough to kiss her. Walk
ing up to the cannon's mouth would be
nothing to it."
l wanted to see him, too; but as the
days went on and Haviland's departure
began to be talked of, I was forced to
think that he was not to be that bold
man.
Eleanor was very busy upon Hugh's
outfit he had been at the Naval School,
and now had conspired with Haviland to
sail in the same ship.
The WinOna was under repairs at st.
Bo's, and Mr.. Eustace and Eleanor went
there with Hugh, staying at the hotel for
a week to buy the last things and say the
last words.
Eleanor came home so wan and hag-
gard that for many weeks there might as
well have been ghost in the house. 1t
was very difficult to offer consolation
when none was asked or expected, but |
could not altogether refrain.
81 had no idea you loved that boy so
much," l said awkwardly.
"You are very good, but Pm afraid I
cannot talk about it." was the discourage
ing reply.
how you would worship husband"
said, trembling at my own bravery in thus
Eleanor actually laughed.
''Do you know" 1 went on, 81 think
Haviland was just about to fall in love
with you if you had given him the least
crumb of encouragement"
''Did he tell you so?'
'No, but one could see it with half an
eye."
"You are very clear-sighted in such
perhaps.''
81 have lived longer than you, Eleanor,
and l know that a man cannot go all the
way to woman; she ought to take the
least little step toward him."
II could not do that" said Eleanor.
"Oh, L know it, and so you have let
the best fellow on earth slip away from
you'll"
"'Nature made him and then broke the
mould,'" said Eleanor with a smile.
fou did not know him as did,"
II dare say did not.
But when he comes home again If he
Is in the same mind, VIII you try to like
him?'
Eyes, I think 1 may safely promise
that"
The tears came to my eyes in my ear
nestDess, and all at once found Eleanor
crying too, like any other woman.
uOoi AiltiC sOCpmOtucIs suc SdlU,
you have my fathers worries and your
own to bear; 1 will not trouble YOU to
carry mine"
Then she left me, and could not help
thinking that she might love Haviland af-
ter all.
Eleanor came slowly out of her sorrow
for Hugh's departure, and we settled into
the quiet routine which seemed likely to
last forever. The Winona was spoken
at sea occasionally, and very thick letters
came for Eleanor, of which she would read
a page or two aloud and keep all the rest
for her own hunger. Nearly two years
went by, and we began to speak of Hugh's
return. A sweet cheerfulness that had
never seen before in Eleanor seemed to
crop out of her glad heart. l was very
happy with my stepdaughter. There was
not cloud as big as mans hand in our
sky when Eleanor pointed out to me with
trembling finger line in the newspaper.
Her eyes besOught me to tell her that she
had read it wrong. It was a telegram
the Winona had been struck in the night
by an English steamer, and sunk with all
on board.
AS she rose up and fled away with her
grief like a wounded animal, the lines of
her face were drawn and settled like those
of Q middle-aged woman.
'How does Eleanor bear t?'' was Mr..
Eustace's first question, his own grief fad
ing out beside hers.
"Come and see," / said, leading him
into her room, where she lay, pale and
quiet, and able to speak of her loss with
out tears.
left them together, but it was useless
to hope that they could comfort each
other.
"She bears it better than 1 expected"
said my husband, rejoining me after a
very few minutes.
"If she would only rave and tear her
hair, it would be great relief to my
mind, but this calmness Is unnatural" /
said.
"Not with her. She is not warm
hearted she does not feel things as we
do"
did not contradict him. Where would
have been the use? But it struck me all
at once that the first Mrs. Eustace, who
was said to resemble her daughter, must
have had very lonely life of 1t.
The i'll news was soon verified but Flea
l. 4 111. . L.