The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-11-15
Aupular Gales.
From The Old Commonwealth.
THE INTERCEPTED LETTERS.

THE INTERCEPTED LETTERS.
"a letter Sir" every well, you can
go" and Paul ClifTord's boy, thus dismiss
cd, left the room. Not till the door closed
behind him did Paul glance at the super
scription Of the letter, and then the moody
expression Of his face, which did not seem
to be natural but rather the effect of some
hidden sorrow, changed TO look of glad
surprise. The light in the brown eyes
grew softer and brighter, and the mobile
mouth under the heavy moustache wore
an expression of infinite tenderness. He
reached out his hand for the dainty mis-
sive, from which the faint perfume of vio-
lets was exhaled. He had looked for this
same dainty note, this same elegant chirog-
raphy vainly, for months, 1t had come
at last, and now all would be explained
The long silence that had tortured him
filed him with doubts and fears and gave
to the sunny brown eyes q look of yearn-
ing expectancy. He held the letter in his
hand for moment as if half hesitating to
break the seal, then with an impatient ex-
clamation at his own folly, he took up a
paper knife from his desk and severed the
envelope Still he hesiiated. Why, he
could not have told. Was it some intu-
ton, some subtle warning, born of the faint
breath of the violets, nameless something
that warned him that in the fair tracery
of these lines there might be sorrow? Mo-
that was impossible, for much as he had
doubted in the past, at the first sight of
the well-known chirography of Isabel
Murray, his betrothed, they had vanished
as mist before the morning sun, At last
he opened it aud as his glance wandered
over the page, his face paled and his lips
were tightly compressed in the fierce strug-
gle to control his emotions for even though
alone, he would not willingly play the wo-
man. II was u rude shock, and | think
you would have pitied him for he was ear
nest and true-heartcd, and love and trust
were something more than idle words to
him.
"And this is the end of all my hopes
and dreams" he said. This is ,con,ans
love and constancyl Great Heavens and
thought her true as the stars, and believ-
ed, idiot that was, that she loved me
What can il mean? Some enemy ofminc
has been poisoning her ear against me, but
who? have no idea. She offers no
explanation, and |, so curtly dismissed,
cannot consistently with my own self-rc-
spect, demand one. No, she has judged
me unheard and dismissed mt and | will
not, like craven, 80 begging as a favor,
what should have been accorded me as a
right"
He picked up the letter again aud read
it carefully as il desiring to impress its
full meaning on his mind And we must
admit it was very cruel letter It ran
thus
g. Bel AIR, Nov. is.
Mr.. Clifford Pardon me for what l am
about to write, and believe me when | say,
think the true interest of both demand it.
Since we have both, fortunately or unfortu-
nately, changed our minds with regard to a
certain matter need not name aud as the
end must come sometime, why not now
May trouble you to send my ring and pho.
tograph? Your letters viii destroy and re-
quest you to do the same with mine. Feeling
2 confident that you will nIiingiy accept this
as my uitimdtum, and wishing you success
and happiness in the future, am, very truly
yours, DC, &c. Isabel MURRAY"
" Come, Isabel, love, it is time to dress.
You know your papa does not like to
be kept waiting. | suppose Charlie
Davenport will bo here as usual to escort
you"
"Why, mamma, | thought perhaps you
would allow me to stay home tonight
The fact is am getting tired of balls and
parties, and as We were out so late last
night am feeling dreadfully dull this
evening. As for Mr.. Davenport, l will
willingly resign him to Flora Rivers to-
night, and forever, she added to herself"
"Come, my daughter, have noticed for
week that you were not your usual self,
and | hope you are not going to be ILL., |
would not insist OH your going out to-
night, but your papa expects to meet sew
eral old friends aud wishes you to 60
Now, run away and dress aud | will see
if Flora is ut her toilet
So saying Mrs. Murray left the room.
For ten minutes Isabel sat where her
mother left her, gazing dreamily into the
fire with an expression Of passionate sad
ness in her lovely dark eyes. When she
sprang up saying, II will 60, perhaps in
the whirl and excitement may forget, for
awhile at least
An hour afterwards you would scarcely
have recognized her in the brilliant wo-
man, as Charlie Davenport handed her to
the carriage, for Isabel was not woman