The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-08-16


warned Lucian of the poison IN the
honey.
He was in the act of surrender !;
be was about to seal his fate and that
of this dear girl; to take her away
from her fathers wealth and her lux
urious ease, and condemn her to the
carking cares of poverty. All bis
nature rebelled; he chose not to be
swayed by this melody Of horns and
strings he would have no passion,
neither music nor love, so master his
soul as to become the element IN
which it swan, an exclusion OF
thought and fear, Of sight and sound,
and all other emotions: aud with his
imperioIs determination, be chose to
break the snchantment the real
world crept back upon his senses; he
heard the tune. beyond this cloud
that wrapped them, breaking again
iato it's distinctive measure, and, ex-
erting his will, be controlled their
steps, and paused at last beside Mrs.
Barnetta. and, with a low bow, and
without a word, gave Rose back into
the lady's care, aud passed into the
crowd aud out OF the place, and to
his lonely rooms.
1t was daybreak before be sought
repose, walking the floors Till then,
hardly knowing what be did or what
he thought, but intent upon conquer
ing himself. He would give the
world for Rosa Mercier's love, but be
would not give his pride To him
that pride meant self respect to
marry her, the child of opulence,
meant either to sell himself for
price or to reduce her to trouble and
WEAKNESS in which her love might
soon wear out. He did not doubt
that love now. Without syllable's
speech be ielL sure of it. While it
thrilled him wildly and deeply, it
cast sudden shadow of regret; he
only hoped, and cursed bis fate that
caused him to hope such thing, that
presently the love would pass, and
some one who would make her hap
pier would claim her. At length,
with maledictions in the act, he emp
tied his pockets of the gloves, hand
kerchiefs, and tribes there, and went
to bed, with the sun coming through
the curtains, and worn out in body
and mind, slept to the blessed and
thorough oblivion of all the world
around.
When he awoke it was late in the
day. All his troubles rushed over
him. but in a moment all his will to
repeI it rose, too. He dressed him
self leisurely he meant to call tina;
night on Miss Mercier, restore ber
handkerchief that be bad forgotten
to give back after the dance, and in
some indirect way let her know thai
be intended never to marry, and Sc
seal his doom beyond hope. He wen'
into the next room when be had com
pleted his toilet, and after attending
to one or two other affairs, looked foI
the handkerchief that he remembered
to have taken from bis pocket and Il
have tossed upon The table there l
was not on the table, it was nowhere
in the room. In panic, be rang th'
bell, and when it was answered, in'
stituted an inquiry concerning thli
thing. Yes, indeed, Susan had seeI
it, aud thought il was so yellow ant
soiled she would take it down ant
wash it. "Iors, sir, it was the d;rtl
est little rag" she said. Just straw
color. And ! thought I'd give 1t
run through the tub and the bluing
and make it fit to be SEEN"
Good beavensl" be cried, with
. horrifed flash of remembrance o
: having somewhere heard that th'
yellower lace was the more precious
it was, and that it was never washe'
, on any account except by people WIN
( did nothing else. Let us have it a
once" And in five minutes after
, wards Susan stood before him hold
ing up little limp rag, and with
pang as from the blow of something
? unknown and dreadful, the converse
|, tion that be had heard over the tran
, som of the hotel door, year or tw
: ago, swept back upon his recollec
tion.
Five hundred dollarsl And gon
| TO grief in a moment! Aud he coul'
, no more replace it than be could hy
e without what was the same to hin
I as absolute ruin. OF course, he mus
a replace it; be could not be indebted
J. through the stupidity of his servant
y or through any ether means, to Mis-
D Mercier in that sum- Without an
4 doubt she valued such bit Of lace
o and if anything were needed to dem
= onstrate to him the wisdom OF tn
course be had decided on, and tn
f utter absurdity of having dared TOR
r single moment TO look with love o
Z one of these darlings of fortune,
Y was the fact that ber handkerchief
2 alone were items CT $500. What
i shame what wiekednessl what
preposterous folly. How could
Y houng man marry. He burned wit
indignation then.
n But to replace it; one-third OF ID
If snm he was saving to redeem b
little property from mortgage-all To
: money be really had in the world be
yond that for bis expenses 1t VIZ
|, the ruin of his hopes, his ambition
II his pride, that scorned so to be an.
/. body's debtor it threw him back !
e the race how longl But it must
IF done. lie had triae over $500
d the National Solvencv Bank. ii
n drew his check for the necessary sun
q and folded it away in his pocket-boo
.e and ther went about his business Il
.r nightfall, when he came back to b
g. dreary rooms, and made bimse
l. ready for call at Mrs. Rarnetta's.
it TIE night had never seemed
IN beautiful, the stars 30 large and kee
and far above the earth, so reno
Of and eold--they typifed all the de
ID and happy things of life forever 7
ID moved from him His heart we
y chilled, and his face was white wh'
O. be stood at last in Mrs Barnetts
r. 6rlwiny.ioom, and she iioaiecl e
le ward to meet him. He had not aske
is for Miss Mercier.