The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-02-23
A WOman's Story.

It had rained all day dull, depressing
down. pour, but now, just as the day was
ending, the sun fit to burst out from
behind pile of jagged black clouds and
food the little planet below with Grim
4! ~ son glory. The far-spreading sea shone
like an ocean of flame md all the west
ern windows of the old farmhouse were
aecked with the crimson glory.
Janet Stuart stood looking out at the
radiant western sky, her heart in her
~ eyes. The red Light went shifting in
fiery lances through tho thick masses of
her blue-black hair and flashed back
from her deep, strong eyes. She stood
there looking fxedly out at the lurid
light her back turned to the pair at the
piano talking and singing softly in the
One of these was Miss Ingestre, their
London guest delicate, fairy figure
a70i1 not at all Like Janet's--a delicate rose
bloom face looking out at you through
halo OF pure gold hair; the other Mr.
Etheridge.
Now the pair struck out into a duet.
Softly and sweetly came across the room
the delicious Italian song, q song full
of passionate pain. Out OF the western
.s %, 49, sky slowly faded the crimson sunburst,
ss> A.| grayly erept up the twilight palely gem
"Darkening T. Janet Stuart Thought.
7 's'.' with weary eyes, that never left the
ST.. stee;,blue $, sky. "Darkening-lke my
- 1t faded entirely out, the last flush of
- the dying day. The stars swung in the
blue-black concave, and q pale, young
po., noon ;aS.ss sailed serenely up to the zenith.
night came, the twain at the piano never
- stTred Their low laughter, their half
,,F.s,.. a" whispered words, their soft singing,
came to the listeners ear; but she
o.. ''~''.'7 never looked at them. She sat colder
80 and whiter than snow, her hands still
90 =" folded. .-'' "a"
- - ,ala..l" He promised to love e me and be
true to me always" her heart kept
rsryiag; l1s |" and see how he keeps his
--..s.,, - "In the dark 2" called q cheery voice.
and old Mr.. Etheridge came in
v',ri,ss He was the owner of all the broad
acres that spread right and left, and his
nephew, Ernest, was his sole heir; for
ss,.l his wife had died nine months before
and there were children. Janet
..sTr g Stuart was his adopted daughter, of
course; but she was to marry handsome
s- q ~, Ernest, and reign in the fine old home
.-. 10 stead, where all her happy girlhood had
$ -lsHu.- been spent ''-T
g In the dark you three young owlsl'
fgr called Mr. Etheridge. "Jennie lass
where are you2 Leave off billing and
~fs cooling, and ring for the lamp"
zee, lie looked over at the piano, and the
two heads 80 close together there separ-
from the window.
-.rt &c I'm not billing and cooling, uncle.
500 :, Janet rang for the lamp she spoke
tais' and Miss Ingestre huttered off the
.4.. "Oh, so it was you, little Eva, and
not Janet. l won't have it, want a
-s wedding in two months; and you mustn't
cut Jennie OUT ,'..
-aE The red blood mounted guiltily to
,.a, Ernest Etheridge's face, but Miss In
% gestre's musical laugh ehimed softly
through the room. Janet sat by the
table, fxedly pale, her eyes bent on a
book, but the printed pages danced be.
fore those eyes and Miss Ingestre's
~ ''.''' faint, sweet voice. chatterine pretty
nonsense, with her blue eyes fixed on
A'F SV5h the old mans face, sounded in her cara
like the rushing roar of a WATERMAN
'F''s" "S'By.and-bye some neighbors dropped in
% 's' ~ !' and there was more singing and some
.r' '''i''H dancing, and Janet played waltzes and
"'.'H'' mo redowas and quadrilles until the mid
.... night hour struck; and she toied up to
F, -, her room, too tagged in body and mind
- . %, even to think.
But she was up early, for all that-up
20 ,gAp r with the April birds singing in the
f., scented trees outside, and down the
seashore, staring with dreamy eyes over
90 the dancing sea- How bright it was all
r,... sparkling in the glad sunlight, with the
saline wind strong and sweet, and the
Sng T hshermen singing they cast their
IUy nets and the noisy children rolling in
the warm sands, filling the air with their
erarN'TF' glad shouts.
Oh ~ she thought, what happy
creatures there are in the world Men
who love, and are never false; women
who trust, and are never betrayed And
i'' 90 Ito think should have staked ON one
throw and losti"