The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-09
"You saved meP" she asked.


The door opened. and Mr.. TrevenoI
appeared. Whatever Hortense nigh
have said, by way of thanks, was checked
by his entrance, and directly afterwards
Duke went out. Three weeks passed
before they met again; and then it was
in the old place on the cliffs, at Rom
ney.
Mrs. Delmaine was dead; Hortense
had been to visit her grave, and on hel
! return, sat, for a moment, or the gray
! familiar cliff to look out on the wiutery
sea. Her eyes were still wet she had
been weeping over the dead.
Duke found her thus, and seating
himself beside her, drUw her head down
on his shoulder.
Hortense," he said, "I love you;
defy your contempt. / dare repeat it
to you. love you ~
For a moment it seemed to him that
she chung TO him, then cast him away,
and rose to her feet. And when she
spoke her voice was cold and uDmOved.
"On New Years Eve I am to be mar
ried to Eugene Trevenop."
Duke started np-seemed about to
make some itADetuous speech, checked
himself, bowed, and left het.
she had stood, moaning out:
"oh, pride pride it will be my
death !"
1t is she last day of the old
year.
Duke Rutherford, a stern and gloomy
man, was about to bid adieu to his
native land for long season.
He did not wish to breathe the air of
the same continent with Hortense, and
she tho wife of another +! People are
different, you know Some keep their
disappointments ever at heart, others
put them etesnally out of their reach,
in the past. Duke wished to free him
self from memory. He had destroyed
everything but the heliotrOpe, and even
that should be sacrificed, he said, when
the ocean rolled between il and the soil
which had nUurished it
1t was dark noonless night with
prophecies of snow in the air. He shut
the door of the cottage where his father
had died, aid went out for a walk. He
avoided the path to the cliffs he had
closed his heart to all dreams of tender
ness.
Almost unconsciously, he turned his
steps toward Delmaine Hall. 1t rose
up gloomy, massive pile, lighted only
by the red freight, at a single window.
Tomorrow 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 de-
serted gardens, up to the broad door,
which stood ajar. All was quiet within.
The guests were in bed, only some
tardy servant was up-it would do no
harm to glance within.
He stepped to the door of the room
where he had seen the light, and pushed
it softly open. He saw no one. Still
he went on, and sat down in a great
l0unging chair before the warm blaze.
Some one rose mp from sofa at the
other end of the fire place. He started
up, an apology on his lips for his
audacious intrusion. She-it was
Hortense-clad, not in bridal robes,
but sable vestments, and destitute of
ornament, came towards him, looked
up into his eyes, and let her white
hands rest upon his shoulders.
"Duke," she said, at last, her eye
lids dropping, her cheeks crimson,
"have I offended past forgiveness?
He did not answer. Only looked at
her. She went on perSIStenGly.
CT will let the truth speak, Duke
Rutherford. / love you have loved
you all along But pride came nigh to
being my ruin Thank God, at last, l
have clean hands and pure heart? [
have dismissed Eugene Trevanoh, and
true to myself, true to you, [ cast aside
all womanly mOdesty and shame, and
tell you that I love you
Hortense," he said, is this thing
true? Are you done with that man ? "
81 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 ami
mostly TO America, and he did not sail
for Europe. which was sensible.-Peter-
sons Journal