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

heart and angry and bitter, and, like
true woman. she vented her anger on
the nearest object, her chosen lover.
They rode along YEARLY until they
came within sight Of q pretty little cot
tage which looked upon the SEQ,
and near which q boat and some nets
were lying. Gabrielle's quick ear caught
q sound as OF wailing within the cot
tage. She had often seen the little
house before, and had spoken to neat
old dame who usually sat at the door
engaged in some piece Of. domestic
work. Gabrielle checked her horse and
listened. Yes, there was o sound Of
woman's weeping within the cottage,
and her heart impelled her TO go In.
Her lover, amazed and quite unable TO
understand her emotional impulse,
obeyed her orders and lifted her from
her horse, and remained obediently
outside the cottage, while she, throw
ing the skirt Of her dress over her arm,
gently opened the door and entered.
The old woman was there, and was
kneeling in sobbing prayer beside o
bed. Gabrielle advanced and touched
her shoulder with gentle, compassion.
ate hand. At the same moment Gabri.
ellie saw what was lying on the bed.
A dead body, the corpse Of what had
been o handsome dark.complexioned
man in tho pride OF youth and noble,
vigorous form. And Gabrielle started
and almost screamed, so like at the mo-
ment did the features and form appear
to those OF Eugene Yalmy. Perhaps
the supposed resemblance was only the
creation Of her fancy, made morbidly
sensitive and suggestive by her painful
dwelling on thoughts OF him. Perhaps
there was genuine resemblance. Two
men OF about the same age and size,
dark.haired and dark.bearded, with
clear and striking features, may well
bear resemblance enough for one to
suggest the other to gazers mind.
Certainly Gabrielle felt for o moment
almost as il she saw beneath her eye
the dead body Of Eugene Valmy.
"My son my sonl" the poor old
woman sobbed. "My poor boy
stephen'
Gabrielle sat beside her and took her
hand, and soon learned her simple, sad
story. The youth was her only son; ho
was o fisherman; he went out in his
boat the night beforelast; storm came
on; he was drowned; the tide washed
in his body. That was all. These things
happen every day wherethere arewayes
and fishermen. "Men must work, and
women must weep"
"Iknew something would happen,
the old woman went on, relieved TO
have found o sympathetic ear. "He
didn't care for life any more; l think he
wanted to die. His mothers love was
not enough for him."
"Was he in lover" Gabrielle asked,
gently, and still absorbed in wonder
and painful emotion at the resemblance
to the vanished Eugene Valmy.
"In love, ma'am2 He was deceived,
made fool of by q vain creature, q
thing with pretty face-at least he
thought her pretty I didn't-and with
out q heart. She played with the boy,
and set him mad, and then she threw
him away because she got an offer from
a man who owns few boats and houses
down yonder. She flung my son away;
and when he tried to touch her with
his words and his love, she only mock
cd him and treated him with scorn.
He came home to me, and he said,
Mother, it's all over with me. I'll
never be the Same man again-I'ye got
1t right in the hearth And so he went
out in his boat, and the sea was rough,
and he didn't take any care, 1 guess
and there he lies dead | And she who
drove him TO IL is now alive and merry
Well, God forgive her o God, for
give all such creatures, who have no
hearts OF their own, and play with the
hearts OF menl My son my boy
Stephen!"
40 God, forgive all such women, in
deed,n said My Lady Disdain, with
streaming eyes. And she thought to
herself at the same moment, "How
much worse am than this other crea-
ture, even as this poor afflicted mother
pictures her For she did not really
love this young man, while II did
love Eugene Valmy. l do love him /;
and I cast him off and scorned him
All this time her fdnce was waiting
patiently outside. At last he ventured
to look In, and she was thus reminded
Of his existence, and felt new pang
thereat. She must return home, and
in his society. Some two or three
neighbors of the poor widow dropped
in 70 keep her company, and Gabrielle
promised 10 come again early next
morning. AS My Lady Disdain was
leaving she cast q glance back on the
dead body. The moon had already
risen and flung q sud CLEAN over the
white face, and she thought, with a
start and shudder, that that face look.
ed more like than ever to the face OF
Eugene yalmy.
Gabrielle rode home in The moonlight
sad and silent. Even her lover began
TO understand that her soul was not
with him.
Gabrielle slept but little that night.
She looked into her own heart and into
her life she thought and 'wept and
prayed. She rose in the morning puri-
led, strengthened, and elevated. Un.
dimes soul, in fact, had entered I'M
dimes body at last.
Soon ali the world knew that, for
some reason or other, the engagement
between Gabrielle Ransome and Ger
vase Trenchard had been broken OF.
Eugene yalmy did not hear Of the fact
till after his return from Alaska, whittier
he had gone-that region being thenew.
est subject in his line-to make vol.
ume. and try to cure himself OF his fatal