The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-15


she had dismissed poor Vamly, butior
the pangs she felt at the dismissal? Not
I. Far be IL from me TO attempt to
enter into tile heart OF fashionable
young lady OF the period. But ! think
that Gabrielle Ransome would have
been less scornful in her mannerto Val.
my and less angry now with herself lit
were not that she felt herself to have
been really in danger of falling in love
with man who had neither station nor
money.
Gabrielle was as brilliant and attrac-
tive during the remainder Of the season
as ever. Indeed, she was far more at
tractiye, forthe disappearance ot Valmy
left her free TO divide her smiles and
kindly words among the general crowd
OF her admirers. But there was o
strange sort Of anxiety every now and
then In her eyes, as If she were always
expecting some one who mover came.
For the first time in the whole OF her
bright life she was suffering mental
pain. She lad sometimes had head
ache, and had suffered from sorethroat;
and she had experienced disappoint-
ment about dresses and balls and such.
like; but she knew now for the first
time what O heart-pang is.
Yetit was not much evidence Of q de-
yeloping soul which Gabrielle Ransome
gave when, toward the close Of the
season, sho consented to promise her
hand TO the richest and the least in
tellectual OF all her admirers. The
thing was done very suddenly. There
seemed no special reason Why she
should now all at once encourage this
gentleman, whom she had SO long dis
eouraged, She seemed TO act as one
does who, having disagreeable duty
TO do, suddenly starts up and rllshes at
the doing Of 1t TO get rid OF IL.
"Papa," said Gabrielle one day,
coming up to her father with flushed
face and guivering lips, II hayC prom:
ised Geryase Trenchard to marry him.
!" Indeed, love-? Well, I am delight
ed, OF course. Geryase Trenchard is
one OF the richest men in tho State ;
and he is very good fellow, and all
that but, Gabrielle, had you any par.
ticular reason for singing out Tren-
chard ~
"why do you ask, papa, when Ihaye
singled him out :"
q HBecause, child, you never seemed
to me to care much about him.
"Yon dear papa, you don't under
stand the way Of girls"
% wall snnnose 7 don't. my love.
Any one you choose, Gabrielle, Is q well
come son.in.law to me. 1only want to
see you happy, and 1 hope you are very
Bnt Gabrielle had hurried from the
room. Her heart was too full-with
happiness, perhaps-to hear any more.
She hid herself in her own room, and
manifested her happiness in tears and
sobs.
Now II Mr.. Ransome had been q man
OF sense and strength-if, besides
fond affection for his daughter, no had
had the faculty to understand and the
power to guide her-he could before
this, or even now, have saved her from
much distress and the danger Of COM
mitting a very great wrong. l. there
any wrong q girl like Gabrielle Ran
some can commit greater than the sin
OF marrying for some mean motive
man she does not and cannot love ?
Gabrielle was about TO marry MIR.
Trenchard for motive which, though
sho be my heroine, I must admit to be
mean. Were her feelings thoroughly
analyzed, had she herself the courage
TO analyze them, they would thus have
explained themselves. In her heart she
loved Eugene Valmy-that Is, she
would have found satisfaction for the
highest aspirations Of her soul (and,
with all her fashionable weaknesses, she
had some aspirations) II he were only q
brilliant match in the worldly sense.
But because he was not this she had
NOT the courage even to listen to her
own impulses nay, she was even angry
when af first she found that she had
such impulses. She had not even Becky
Sharp's excuse Of want Of money. But
her ambition, born and bred and nur-
tured under the demoralizing, debasing
influences OF the society in which she
lived, was 10 make o splendid match,
and be wondered at, admired, and en-.
We'd. So she flung Valmy OF; and
then, when he was gone, beginning TO
find, to her dismay, that she really had
a heart, she could think OF no remedy.
no refuge, but in sudden deed Of
moral suicide. She flung herself into
an engagement with Gervase Trenchard
in Just that spirit Of despair which
makes many a poor girl, under other
circumstances, fling herself into the
river. For myself, I never could un-
derstand why we should all be 50 much
more Mortified at the physical than at
the moral act Of suicide. 49,,
Mr.. Ransome did not think OF all
this and in any case his affection never
could find any nobler way Of expressing
itself than In letting his daughter
Iplease herself" as he phrased y.
SO she was now pleasing herself with
ont let or hindrance, and weeping bit.
terly and alone. Poor Lady Disdainl
These fine, fashionable creatures, too,
they have their feelings.
Gabrielle rode out With her f1ncc
one day on a road which ran along the
margin OF the sea. twas IN exquisite
day of early autumn /; the leaves were
inst beginning TO turn TO crimson and
purple and gold, and tho western sky
was beginning to hang out the same
colors; and the sea wore the deep wine:
color which Homer pictures in one Of
lie wondrous phrases. How glorious
The scenel and how dull the pair who
rode alongl They hardly spoke. Ga;