Litchfield enquirer., 1876-04-06
V ,15ea8 a+- ,. .-.41 ta Bf.e V : WHOLE NO. 260l.


 should not say that. 4 man can conquer an unworthy love if he chooses. | Unworthy ?" said Gardls, involun- tarily.
 s'Yes, unworthy; like this of mine for you. 4 woman should be gentle, should be loving; @ woman should have Woman- ly nature. But you-you-you do not seem to have anything in you but foolish pride I verify believe, Gardis Duke. that if you loved me enough to die for me you would still let me go out of that door without a word, so deep, so deadly is that pride of yours What do want with such wife? No My wife must love me-love me ardently. as shall love her. Farewell, Miss Duke; I shall not see you again, probably. will send lawyer out to com- plete the sale." ..@ 4 s....- .-..... ...
 He was gone, and Gardis stood alone in the darkening room. Gardiston House, where she had spent her ife-Gardiston House. full of the meinorles and associa-' tions of two centuries-Gardiston House, the living reminder and the constant sup port of that family pride in which she had beeen nurtured, her one possession in the land which she had so loved, the beanti fnl, desolute Sonth-would soon be hers do longer. She began to sob, and then when the sound came back to her, echo- ing through the still room, she. stopped suddenly, as though ashamed 'I will go abroad, she said;. t'there will be great deal to amuse me over there" But the comfort was dreary; and, as'if she must do something, she took candle. and slow ly visited every room ln the old mansion, many of them long unused. From the garret to cellar she went, touching every piece of the antique furniture, folding back the old curtains, standing by the dismantled beds, and softly. pausing by the empty chairs: she was saying fare wreath still lay; in that room she cried to the dining.room. she found her solitary repast awaiting her, and, not to distress old Dinah, sat down in her accustomed place. Presently she perceived smoke, then a sound, then hiss and a roar. She flew up stairs; the house was on fire. Somewhere her candle must have started the flame; she remembered the loose pa- pers in Cousin Copeland's study, and the wind blowing through the broken window pane: it was there that she had cried so bitterly. forgetting every thing save her own loneliness. .'s.
 Nothing could be done; there was no house within several miles-no one to help. The old servants were inirm, and the fire had obtained strong headway: then the high wind rushed in, and sent the flames up through the roof and over the tops of the trees. When the whole upper story was one sheet of red and vel. low, some one rode furiously up the road and into the garden, where Gardis stood alone, her little figure illumined by the glare; nearer the house the two old serv- ants were at work, trying to save some of th@furniture from the lower rooms.
 'T saw the light and hurried back, Miss Duke" began Captain Newell then, as he saw the wan desolation of the girls face. "Oh. Gardls, why will you reslst me longer ?' he cried, passionntely. ''You shall be anything you like, think any thing you like. only love me, dear, as l love you"
 And Gardis burst into tears. 'sI can not help 1E, sne sODOeo; everything is against me. The very house is burning before my eyes. Oh, David, David. it is all wrong; everything is wrong. But what can I do when-when you hold me so, and when-But oh, do not ask me any more."
 But I shall," said Newell, his face flushing with deep happiness. "When what, dear p
 "When T."
 "Lovs me ?" said Newell. He would have it spoken.
 "Yes, whispered Gardis, hanging her head.
 z 'And have adored the very shoe-tie of my proud little love ever since first saw her sweet face at the drawing-roOm window" said Newell. holding her close and closer, and gazing down into her eyes with the deep gaze of the quiet hsart that loves but once.
 And the old house burned on, burned as though it knew a contractors wife was waiting for it. 'I see our Gardis is pro- vided for, said the old house. ''She never was real Gardiston, anyway, only a Duke; so it is just as well. As for that contractor's wife, she shall have nothing; not Chinese image, not spindle. legged chair, not one crocodile cnp-no, not even one stone upon Snother."
 It kept it's word in the morning there was nothing left. Old Gardiston as