The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-09-11
THE GHOST OF HARTLY-AALL,


ever since his mother had been laid
among the dsad-and-gone hartlys,
in The moldy vaults beneath the
chapel, more lhan twenty years ago
For, aside from beng Million
aire, 1reyanion Hartly was man
not to be picked up every day; and
scores Of women had laid plans to
allure him into the matrimonial net,
but had failed miserably. And So
ciety was wrathful and outraged
when the iastidious bachelor return
ed from u tour among the Scottish
hills, with tall, ily-faced girl by
his side---a gill whose eyes were like
wells Of AZURE ? and whose hair lay
like coils OF gold around her we'll
formed head-whom Le had picked
up, nobody knew where.
eff one knew anything about her
blood-birth or antecedents, one
might look over it, said a gossip, in
reference TO the matter. But ru-
NOR says she threw herself into Loch
Lomond out OF sheer poverty, and
that he rescued her and was SO over
COM by her forlorn condition that
he clothed, fed and finally married
her. Creditable work that, for a
man of his years and discretion +"
She was his wife, however, and
that was proof sufficient that Trevan-
ion thought her quite good enough
to rule over the house where hereto
fore only women who had stacks of
guineas for dover and floods Of
blue blood in their dainty veins we're
admitted. Yet society was wrath
full say wrathful that this name
less nobody should step into the
aristocratic Hartly shoes and wear
them so royalty, and indignant at
the man who, with all his scholarly
logic and keen business traits, had
been cajoled into an alliance by an
adventures. An adventures! Yes,
that was what they called her, al
though the young creature was as
meek and modest and decorous as u
nun.
But these splenedc critics had the
sense TO con6ne their remarks to as
narrow limits as possible, for it was
hardly safe to irritate man whose
nod was worth thousands in the gold
room, or snub woman whose dia-
monds were the wonder Of the coun-
try. And society folge.s that Cupid
is apt to mialead his devo.ees, who,
in nine cases out of ten, are as blind
us a bat, and could no more see a
blemish in heir idol than a needle
in a hayatack; and Treyanion, ripe
scholar and keen reaaoner though
he WAS, looked Un the delicate ply
siology ci q woman's heart as a
scieaue he was unable to anal zo, for
his whole HE had been so fully alb
sorUoa in the intricacies Of fin ,nce
and trade that he had 10 time to
study its perieetions or deformities
How it happened, this quiet, lily
faced girl. with her reserved man
ners and half-hauahty, half-humble
WAYS had crept into his heart, was
as much mystery to him as it was
to Others; vet it was there, i delli5le
and melfaeaa,le, as he knew to his
cost and although he felt hlmseli
growing vouu5 er and happier, and
perhaps purer, under her subtle in
huence. he would have felt more
perfectly content if some signs OF hi
idolatrous passion had been reflected
in that white, perfectly-chiseled face
She was never demon5tratye, always
gentle, yielding, but 50 coldly calm
| that he sometimes doubted her love
for him. And brooding on this
thought, he one evening astonished
his six-month's bride by saying;
''Ill5ie, what did you marry me
for?"
Elsie stood with her back to him
fastening spray Of sapphire5 in hel
golden hair; and for moment Ire
yanion could not withdraw his eye:
from the superb figure, clad in robes
of the rare5t India mrslin, loopeC
and gainished with tufts of forget
me-nots as blue as his wife's heaven
blue eyes; giving gasp OF relic
when she wheeled around, with (
smile on her lip and light in he
ewes that thrilled him with feeling
akin to pain.
You" she began in a low-tensl
voice; "you ask me that, when
have told you thousand times i
was love pure, unselfsh love-tha
influenced me to marry you?s
Treyanion looked into her fac,
curiously 1t was the first time III
had seen her moved to tenderness
and as he gazed, troubled, haunted
look came into the lovely eyes, ant
she clasped her two little hand
together in half frightened, ap
pealing way thas went straight to HI
fond. foolish old heart.
"Tut, tut, Elsie, . he laughed, pat
ting the clasped hands playfully
"don't be alarmed. could neye
doubt you. But you seem so utterl.
ohlivious of my presence sometime
that l grow jealous Of that past yol
SO seldom allude to, and .imagin
there is a dead love, a lover or some
thing that you mourn for secretly.
Her hands dropped to her side
like Jumps Of ice, her eyes distendet
with sudden fear or pain, and sh
grew white and ghastly; while to III
husbands bewildered brain ther
came q vision Of rigid, corpse-lik
face. with rings Of wet golden hal
elinging to it, as her face had locke,
when he had dragged her, limp am
, dea.h-like. from the lOch.
"Ihese vac love in plenty in tha
past, Troy inion," she said slowly
"but no lover"
He laughed a cruel mocking laugl
Af..s ..t.rs,se La Y,urp vauu0f haart Il