The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-20
Edith 0rofton.
BY E. II. BLISS, NJ d.


commences, in a suite of rooms situated
in a modest brown stone front, located
on fashionable, though by no means
conspicuous street in the town of L,
a widow lady and daughter, madam
and Edith CrOftOn, as they were known
by few choice friends.
Both mother and daughter were fine,
well-bred people, while the daughter
possessed not only rare beauty, but also
an exquisite musical talent, which
made her much sought after by people
of high rank and cultivated tastes.
Sweet Edith Crofton! What pen could
do thy beauty justice, or delineate the
spell that ever came over those that
paid thee homage? Surely not mine,
for though knew thee well, yet age
placed barrier for stronger affection
than friendship between us. If rare
cerulean eyes, that seemed to change
with every emotion, and a wealth of
sunny tresses, smOothed over a we'll
formed brow, brow that bespake thy
genius, brilliant, clear complexion,
pearly teeth, and thin, curling lips,
could give thy appearance as then, still
thou wouldst be as undefined as the an
gels. There was an unspeakable deli
cacy of expression in the fair contour of
her features which had once told of an
exquisite, high-wrOught organization
a creature sensitive to the slightest
breath of harshness in the common
moods of life.
In the uneYentful flow of her young
existence passing under the loving eye
of her mother, it seemed as if no sever
ing hand could ever come in between.
They were not people given to ostenta-
tious display, attended but few recep-
tions, and received only a chosen coterie
of friends. Still those who knew of
them IN a casual way at fashionable
gatherings of the elite would in some
manner manage to pay their regards,
happy, indeed, if successful in entering
the circle of friendship.
Such as proved themselves worthy,
Edith and her mother treated most gra-
ciously. 1t would seem, knowing and
understanding in the truest meaning of
the word character as she did, very
strange that that same knowledge
should have been the misguiding power
after all.
Tears start in my eyes even now, old
and gray as l am, as think how, after
all these years, this should have been;
how that in the bright spring time of
her life Edith CrOfton should have made
such a mistake, and all for the sake of
love, that old, old story, that has been,
and always will be, for aught the pres
ent and the past shows, the great dicta-
tor of peoples minds. Smile as we NAV
at the demOnstrative devotee of Cupid
or the unwise and rash who fall head
long into the abyss of affection, wholly
lost for the time to sober thought, it
does not for a moment alter the truth
that deep-roOted love knows no power of
reason.
So when the young and handsome
captain an Englishman was an
nOunced as the suitor for Edfth's hand,
strong feeling of distrust came over
me. For the first time in her life felt
that Edith CroftOn was acting against
the dictates of her mind. That feeling
was made stronger upon my 'introduc-
ton. l could see that the mother
shared my views, never appearing at
ease in his presence, and, when the in
tervlew was over, signing audibly,
while Edith went to the adjoining
apartment and seemed lost in a beauti-
ful extravaganza from Faust.
"Well, what do you think of the cap
tain ?'' softly asked the widow.
felt that l was not called upon for a
candid reply, so said, in a general way;
that he appeared quite distinguished.
The widow seemed somewhat relieved
at my answer, and volunteered me de-
scriptiOn of his antecedents.
al learned that he was reported in
first circles as being nobly born, holding
commission in the English army, and
apparently without moral mar or blem-
ishi yet" and l could see that she hesi-
tated, while a quiver came into her
voice, 81 don't more than half like him,
and told Edith So"
"What does Edith encourage his at
tentions, with the undisguised avowal
Of your disapproval, madam Pr
mo, not that, not that" she said. fT
never have told her to wholly discour-
age his coming here, but it seems as if
they talked too much, and of other
things than events of the day."
"Ihen, madam, to speak plainly, I
have my doubts about his being any-
. thing more than mere adventurer, and
as that accusation cannot be verified at
present, you should at once break up the
growing intimacyn
We parted with the understanding
that 1 was to be called upon in the ad-
vent of difficulty arising in getting rid
of the captain. Soft strains of music
fioated through the hall as 1 stood but
toning my glOves-now low and soft as
the cadence breathed over an evening
sea, an evangeline waltz, weird, shad-
owy, almost unreal, in its superb play
ing. l shuddered at the hidden mean
ing conveyed in those passages by the
player tingled on my ear. What would
be the result? Two cultivated souls
(the captain was refined and unprinei-
pled) meeting, and on the brink of a di-
vine passion. Faughi it must not be
Days passed, and the widow sent word
that Captain Morris visited them no
more. She had firmly forbade Edith's
receiving him, and to all appearances
the would-be suitor was non est.
She appeared in a much better frame
of mind when next 1 called, and evil
IDENTIFY relieved at her success. Edith
herself looked a little careworn, I
thought, and a trifie red around the
eyes, as if it had cost her pang to give
him up.
"Iime will make things much the
same as before" we thought, that is,