The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-22
AFTER DARK.

/ stlll as soft and large, II not as bright, n
| ever; and although the rings OF hail
round her smooth brow were silvery
white, her brows and lsshes were yet
| dark But 1t was none OF tnat, nor the
| soft skin with the delicate rosy bloom
| that sometimes diffused it, that made the
charm OF the face; 1t WAS the soulful ex.
preston there and the smile sweeter than
any young girl knows now to smile-s
smile luli OF innocence and love. Her
| life had not been n very happy one, VT
used to fancy, she having had some
serious cross in her youth, and alterward
marrying a, man whom she did not very
| tenderly love, because he loved her, NJ
VINO ended by abusing her. She hsd
| been now for several years widow
without children, spending her consider,
able fortune in kIndnesses, and making
ali the young people in the region her
staunch adherents.
She lived At the Cedars, and some one
or the other OF US was always with her,
and it would be hard to say where q
plessanter lie could be lived than ali day
long in Mrs. DsrIymple's gardens or be
with the breath OF roses and honeysuck-
less about the windows, IN her delightful
drawing-roons, listening to her old con-
ties, or to the talk OF by-gone days in
which her contemporaries INDUCED when
they became her guests
Among these guests occasionally was
Mr.. Stephen, an elderly person who had
come into the neighbornood some years
before, and who had lived on the next
place. where only hedge divided the
lsnds-s strange sad silent old man, con-
corning whom, rs nobody knew
anything, everybody conjectured
everything. Some saidhe was an
Eaglishman, some that he was
New Zealsnder; it was generally
that he had suffered great calamity; and
mere and there it was declared even that
in distant state he had been imprisoned
under lite sentence, but psrdoned out
ior quiet behavior after fifty years, tax
ing then the property that was In his
power to take and coming here. Peace
lul ana gentle aS he was, living among
n, birds and flowers, giving freely to
Tnomsoever ssked, he was generally
avoided and a. he sought no one, his lite
was solitary. He had had occasion to
look tor lost pet on Mrs. Dalrymple's
grounds, which had led to an acquain
lance that he had 50 little followed up
That sometimes she herself would take
one of Us and 90 over INTO his garden,
aud often she would tap on the long
window, and saying, gayly, privilege OF
An old womsnW insist on bringing him
home to dinner.
She had done SO to-day; for we had
surprised her-we homeless girls whom
sue had at last made permanently al
home with herself-in an uuwonted
shower of tears in the morning, tears
that continued with more or lees force all
day. II must have something now to
brighten me, said she "Let us go and
get Mr.. Stephen. We will have an
omelette roum. There was omelette
roum on the table ffty-three years ago
today l remember now. 1t Is one
of my anniversary days to-day, my
desrs.'
DHinc lie lacrIme SAID we, wiping
the dear lady's face and trying to make
her smile. Somehow We always felt as If
sae were our own age.
Yes, 1t is one of my anniversary days
today" said she again, after dinner, as
we ali sat in the drswing.rOom about her,
Mr.. Stephen not far away in his arm
chair. 1T is 50 long ago that it often
seems 10 have being something l once
IF
lived and felt and suffer
ed. | fancy that bright; young, happy
,lrl with her lovers is in q romance. |
can think oft all without suffering now
ct, Just for the pity OF 1t, just as you
cry over a novel, YOU know, could not
help shedding few tears to day"
Was it so very sad, then" one of us
ventured.
"Ah! very. And we were all so young
will tell YOU about it; | always said !
would. do not mind speaking OF il
now; it Is all rs if were speaking OF
some one else. They were three
! brothers" she said alter moment, "snd
.ney were all my lovers, and IL loved
! the eldest. He WAS my lover, as | said
/
! me Ms he loved those brothers of mis-, halt
- dozen years their senior. he mad been
| ,sther and mother TO them, and he com.
! passed heaven and earth for their wishes
! An, well. we'll! so noble q being never
! lived before. Greater love hath nc
man'-hath no man. she paused 8
moment again, her voice trembling
How strange" she resumed presently
chat should be telling this SO calmly,
On. it was storm--it was STORM and
her old hands clasped and unclaspec
nervously. whist dark ard dread u
time OF horror, and now 80 tranquil But
l will tell you. You always do seem sc
ike my own children might have been
all but Mr.. Stephen, meal she said
with q quick laugh that restored her Il
herself. zone day we were IN boat to-
gether. alone upon the little river. How
| remember it aN!-the green bOughl
meeting overhead, the green shadow:
underneath, the sunlight sitting through
and his face his proud, pale, passionate
face. rs he said some simple words tina
let me know, not that he loveC
me. not what he wished I,
know If loved him al
if that had always been understood-bu
that he expected me soon to be his wife
loved him-oh, now l loved him!
SAID the old lady, clssping and unclssP
ing her hands again. But some evi
spirit seized me. was coquette; an
swered MIN lightly. How did he know
said, but that | was already plightec
to RslphF We had hung close to tn
shore, beneath the great boughs, aRC
looking up ss spoke, ] saw Muk, tn
second brother, sitting IN the pougls-
oh, SO strange bis lace looked then
bssk0nsd him misshisvossly, and in