The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-08-18

EInnOr, nave not Oeen the hihuesI Ut
the tenderest of guardians, have l, to my
beautiful young wardf You reproached
me with my cold indifference one day
soon after your marriage, in the little
drawing-room in Hartford street."
"You remember that"
81 remember thatI Ellinor, you never
spoke one word to me in your life which
I do not remember; az well as the accent
in which it was spoken. and the place
where heard it. l say. i have not been
kind or sffectionate guardian-hsve 1,
Ellinor p
You were 30 once. Horace" she said.
al was so once When, Ellinor3'
Before my uncle left me that wretch
ed fortune"
That wretched fortune-yss, that d.
vided US at once and forever. Ellinor.
there were two reasons for this pitiful
comedy of cold indifference. Can you
guess one Of them?"
NO." she answered.
"You cannot2 affected an indiffer-
ence 1 did not feel, Of pretended an apa-
thy which was lie from first to last, be-
cause, Ellinor Dalton, loved you with
the whole strength Of my heart and soul,
from the first to the last"
"Oh, Horace Horace for PHYS sake r.
She stretched out her hands imploringly,
as if she would prevent the utterance Of
the words which seemed to break her
heart.
"Ellinor, when you were seventeen years
of age. you had no thought Of succeeding
to your uncle's property. 1t would have
been. upon the whole, q much more nat
ural thing for him to have left it to hi:
adopted son, Henry Dalton. Your poor
father fully expected that he would do so
expected the same. Your father in
trusted me with the custody of your little
income, and 1 discharged my trust hon.
estly. / was great speculator; dab
bled with thousands, and cast down heavy
sums every day. as a gambler throws
down a card upon the gambling-table
and to me your mothers little fortune
was so insignificant trust, that its man
agement never gave me q moments
thought or concern. At this time / wa:
going on in fair way to become a rict
man; in fact. was a rich man; and, Eli.
nor, was an honorable man. / loved
you-loved you as l never believed
could love-my innocent and beautiful
ward; how coulll I well be otherwise?
never was a coxcomb, Ellinor; and j
there is one character hold more in con
tempt than another, it is that of a lady
killer; but dared to say to myself
love, and / am beloved again Thos
dark and deep gray eyes, Ellinor, ha'
told me the secret Of a young and con
fiding heart: and l thought myself NOR
than hsppy-only too deeply blest. Oh
ElIinorI Ellinor if had spoken then.
Her head was buried in her hands, a
she knelt by bis pillow, and she was sob
bling aloud.
There was time enough, I said. This
Ellinor, was the happiest period of m
life. Do you remember our quiet even
ings in the Rue St. Dominique, when
left business, and business cares, benin,
me in Nerulam Buildings. and ran owe
here to spend week in my young ward
society? Do you remember the books W
read together? Good heavens! there is
page in Lamartine's, Oder which l cal
see before me as speak can see tn
lights and shadows which l taught yor
to put under the cupola Of a church il
Munich, which you once painted in water
colors. l can recall every thought, ever
word, every pleasure. and every emotion
of that sweet and tranquil time, in whicl
hoped and believed that you, Ellinol
would be my wife,"
concluded next week.