National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-23
THE STEP.MOTnER.

THE STEP.MOTnER.
The clear, vivid sunshine of a Ser
tember day was shining, like sheaves @
jeweled arrows, into Cecile Montpen
sier's spacious drawing room.
1t was n handsome apartment, fur
nished in lilac and gold. Lilac is
"trying" color to most faces, howeve
fair and youthful, but Cecile Montpen
sier knew that she could safely sur
round herself with its soft, illusiv,
glow.
For Cecile's complexion, fair and del
icate as pink japonica, was perfection
in its waxen bloom, and her hair, deer
brownish gold, waved into natura
curls and ripples upon her transparent
temples. Her eyes were the deep, linn
pid violet, that almost verges on black
almond shaped, and with long thick
lashes, and her mouth, red and melting
like dewy coral, had but one fault-it
was almost too full, and scerlet.
Richmond Cheswick gazed down al
the languid beauty with look of en-.
thusiastic admiration, which it was i'm
possible 70 misconstrue. How lovely
she was, as she sat there, with his moth
erless little one in her arms, shower
ing kisses on Willie's golden hair, and
lisping pretty caressing sentences of
"baby. I" talk to the four. year-old child.
II do think he is the most beautiful
creature I ever saw in my life !" she ex-
claimed, looking up into Mr.. Ches-
wick's face, with the deep eyes all soft
and sparkling, and the coral lips apart,
just disclosing a row of tiny pearls with
in. ~ love him SO dearly !"
Ordinarily Richmond Cheswick was
cool, composed sort Of parsonage, as
little inclined as any man to act sudden
ly, and without deliberation-but we
are all infatuated, at one period or an
other of our lives, and Cecile Montpen-
sier's rare beauty would have maddened
almost any one.
"Cecile T. he exclaimed, suddenly,
"do you love him well enough to be
his mother? Do you love me well
enough to share life's lot with me =? For
I feel that you have taken my heart
captive, and never can be happy with
any one else Cecile, speak to me-do
not keep me in suspense"
The roses crep over Cecile's satin
cheek in soft pink pillows of bloom, as
she bent her head in charming confu.
sion it would have taken wiser man
than Richmond Cheswick, to know that
this was the very consumation she had
expected, and been maneuvering for,
during the last six months.
She had triumphed at last-and when
he went away leading unconscious little
Willie, who thought "papa stayed a
long time" Miss Montpensier was Rich
mond Cheswick's promised wife.
"There, nurse, take the little fellow
upstairs for his Sleep" he said, as he
sat down in the big easy chair opposite
the glowing fire of anthracite coal, in
his handsomely appointed library, and
began to contemplate the new and
dazzling future opening to his minds
eye.
What regal Mrs. "Cheswick" Cecile
would make. His first wife, Willie's
mother, true and loving as wife could
be, but utterly ignorant of all those pol
ished graces and acquired amenities
that made Cecile so attractive. And
when she lay upon her death bed, she
had said to him:
"Dear Richmond, if ever you should
marry again-"
He had interrupted her with words of
passionate protest-she held up her
slender finger with q plaintive, moon.
light sort of smile.
"Hear me out, my husband. If ever
you should marry again-and yon are so
young that think it more than likely |
you will have only one favor to beg
of you. Do not give Willie into step
mothers care. Send him to my home
in the fresh, pure country; my sister
will gladly assume all the charge of
him, and I shall rest more quietly in |
my grave. Will you but promise me
this p
Blinded with tears, Richmond Ches-
wick had promised, and so Janet had
died calmly, with her little sleeping boy
clasped closely to her breast.
But now he was going deliberately to
break this solemn compact with the
dead.
81 cannot spare the merry, loving
little fellow" he thought. "He is too
close to my heart; if Willie were gone.
half the sunshine would perish out of
my daily life, and Cecile is so devotedly
to him, also. If Janet could
have known Cecile, she would never
have wanted to send the boy away"
And then, he thought, with a thrill,
very nearly approaching to disgust, how
plain and homespun Hetty Bryan was
the Hetty the old people had wanted
MIN to marry, when poor Janet died.
What contrast she was to royal Cecile
Montpensier.
Meanwhile, old Judge Montpensier
rubbed his wrinkled white hands, and
chuckled gleefully.
ITS good thing you've caught the
rich wldower at last, Cecile," he said,
IN his fat, husky whisper. "We couldn't
have stood 1t much longer-the funds
were giving away dusedly fast. You
have rather a genius for spending
money, young lady; it's Welt you're