Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-06-10

and then it was in the old place on the
cliffs, at Romney.
Mrs. Delmaine was dead; Hortense
had been to visit her grave, and on her
return, sat for moment, on the gray
familiar cliff to look out on the wintry
sea. Her eyes were still wet; she had
been weeping over the dead.
Duke found her thus, and seating
himself beside her drew her head down
on his shoulder.
'Hortense,' he said, Il love you; de-
fy your contempt. l dare repeat it to
you. l love your
For moment she clung to him, then
cast him away, and rose to her feet.
And when she spoke, her voice was
cold and unmoved. 'On New Years
eve, am to be married to Eugene
Trevanon.'
Duke started up-seemed about to
make some impetuous speech, checked
himself, bowed and left her.
And she threw herself down where
he had stood, moaning out-'Oh, pride!
pride! it will be my deathp
n \ 1t is the last day Of the old
year.
Duke Rutherford,a "a stern and gloomy
man, was about to bid adieu to his ma
tive land, for long season.
He did not wish to breathe the air of
the same continent with Hortense, and
she the wife of another! People are
different you know. Some keep their
disappointments ever at heart, others
put them eternally out of their reach,
in the past. Duke wished to free HIM
self from memory. He had destroyed
everything but the heliotropc, and
even that should be sacrificed, he said,
when the ocean rolled between it and
the soil which had nourished ii!
1t was dark mOonless night, with
prophecies of snow in the air. He
shut the door of the cottage where his
father had died, and went out for a
walk. He avoided the path to the
cliffs; he had closed his heart to all
dreams of tenderness.
Almost unconsciously he turned his
steps toward Delmaine Hall. 1t rose
up, a gloomy, massive pile, lighted on
ly by the red freight, at single win
dow. To-morraw night, it would
blaze with the lamps Lit to shine on her
bridal.
He paused to turn back, but some
thing led him on. Through the deser-
ted gardens, up to the broad door,
which stood ajar. All was quiet with
in. The guests were in bed. Only
some tardy servant was up-it would
do no harm to glance within.
Hestepped to the door of the room
where he had seen the light. and push
ed it softly open. He saw no one. Still
he went on, and sat down in a great
lOunging chair before the warm blazes.
Some one rose up from a sofa at the
other end of the fireplace. He started
up, an apology on his lips; for his auda-
ciouss Intrusion. She-it was Hor-
tense-clad, not in bridal robes, but in
sable vestments, and destitute of orn-
ament, came towards him, looked up
into his eyes, and let her white hands
rest upon his shoulners. Duke she
said, at last, her eyelids Dropping, her
cheeks crimson, have l offended past
forgiveness?'
He did not answer. Only looked at
her. She went on presistently. Il
will let the truth speak, Duke Ruther-
ford. 1 love you! 1 have loved you
all along! But pride came nigh to be-
ing my ruin! Thand God at last, I
have clean hands and pure heart! I
have dismissed Eugene Trevanon, and
true to you, 1 cast aside all womanly
and tell you that ! love you'll
'Hortense,' he said, is this thing
true? Are you done with that man?,,
Il have done with him. she said,
softly.
He gathered her into his arms. And
whose are you now?'
Yours if you will take me-
And Duke Rutherford forgot his an
imositp to America, and did not sail
for Europe, which was sensible.-Pet-
erSon's Journal.