The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-07-01

LOUIS departed LOT the metropolis, seek
ing the fashionable society which, after
his rejection by Annabel, he had re-
nounced with disgust. He had always
been favorite, and now his old friends
focked to see him and now that the
world honored him as one of those to
whom the rare gift ofgenius is given, he
soon became the lion of the fashionable
circles.
Months passed, and Louis was still i'm.
mersed in the whirl of fashionable life
He was wealthy now, and maneuverine
mammas sought to obtain him for their
daughters; but in vain-his heart was
buried in the grave of his Lily, he
thought. Annabel he had never met He
had heard of her often since her marriage,
and always as the gayest of the gay, and
now it seemed strange to him that he
should see nothing of her; not that he
cared, oh, no! but it was little singular
he never met her; and then his thoughts
wandered how she looked, and he won
dered if she was beautiful as ever. Then
came memories of the Olden time, when
he had sat by her side and looking into
her glorious eyes had told her of the
bright hopes of the future. All, those
were pleasant memories, if one might
judge from the expression of his fine
face as he sat perfectly absorbed in his
thoughts.
He was ensconced in an alcove shaded
by heavy drapery and concealed from the
gay crowd which filled the magnif.
cent salon of Mrs. B., one of the leaders
of the ton. A long time he sat there
musing on scenes long past, when voices
near startled him from his reverie.
$50 Annabel Creverton has left her
retirement" said one. 81 see her here
this evening""
eyes" responded the other; "you
know her year of mourning is up, and now
she is going out into society again. AS
brilliant as ever, is she not %
Brilliant! / believe you." rejoined
the first, "brilliant as an icicle and as
cold. / do not understand her since her
marriage-she is grown so sarcastic and
bitter, even to me. Proud she always
was but never distant or ill-natured. But
now, if it were not so absurd in Anna
bel, / should say she had been disap-
pointed, or something of that kind"
Yes, if it were any one else," rejOined
the other, sit might be so, but in Anna
bel, in Lee-oh, no, impossible %
And here the speakers moved away,
and their voices became inaudible.
Louis Huntley was in maze. Anna
bells husband dead; Annabel widow,
and grown so cold and hard then she had
loved him, she had sacrificed herself to
her ambition, and she had punished her
self in doing it as much as she had him,
and she suffered now. Louis pictured her
with crushed and bleeding heart, drown
ing in the trivial pursuits and amuse-
ments of fashionable life all thoughts of
the nobler station for which her talents
fitted her, and which but for own folly
she might have filled. He pitied her, he
could not help it, and in his pity for her he
forgot that he had thought her heartless,
had despised her as a c0quette, a mere
frivolous votary of fashion and then his
mighty love arose anew in his heart, and
with a newborn hope in his bosom he
arose and sought his hostess.
Approaching her, he begged an intro
ductiOn to her guest, Mrs. Creverton ;
and she, entirely unaware that he had
ever known her, and supposing him at
tracted by her beauty, readily complied.
After some minutes search, they found
Annabel in the midst ola circle offriends
as brilliant and as radiantly beautiful as
ever.
"Mrs. Creverton-Mr. Huntley."
There was quick bound of AnnabePs
heart as she heard his name, and looking
up she met the never-forgOtten glance OF
his dark eyes; but that was all, the
bright color i'm her cheek was not shade
deeper, and the lip which spoke the COM
monplace words of greeting quivered
not. With her wonderful selfcontrol
she stifed all signs of emotion, and con-
versed with him precisely as she would
have done with any stranger. But he was
i'll at ease, and she saw it, and using her
utmost art, she dismissed the group
around her, and accepting the arm he of
fered her, allowed him to lead her to the
unoccupied library where they were free
from all observation.
Then seated beside her as he had used
to sit, with her hands clasped i'm his, he
told her how he loved her, and asked her
to be his-his only, and forever. Half
fainting with excess OfjOy, she murmured
her assent, and he drew her unresistingly
to his bosom. But this time she with
drew not her form from his embrace. but
resting her head on his broad breast, gave
herself up to the unalloyed bliss of the
moment, breathing, too, soft, sad con-
fession that made her only dearer still.
There was nothing to prevent their
marriage now and Mrs. Lee, now that
Louis was wealthy and distinguished,
was rejoiced to greet him as son-in-law,
greatly congratulating herself on the two
splendid matches her daughter had
made, little caring how near she came
to wrecking the happiness of two loving
hearts.
And so a second time Annabel Lee
stood in her bridal robes, but this time
by the side of one whom to love was life,
and whom to honor and obey was Joy.