The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-22
The Missing Bridegroom.

on Cn6 IIl-IaJSu Train Iuo ulS III scI lOI HIS
wedding, but after the accident there
was no trace of him.
| Elfs diary, left Behind at his boarding
house, contained allusions TO bis. inten-
tlon of going to Ashley at, eight; and a.
letter Written to a friend, just as he was
! on the point OF setting out, still more
strongly corroborated the testimony OF
| his landlady and the e'raifoad coiid uctOr.
| Most people believed him dead
drowned on the night OF the accident;
and if Maude ever fhdulged a fond doubt
! that he was still with the living, the cold
/ reality would start up grim aud stern
before her, and she would put the iilu-
| sfon out OF her mind.
Admirers without number Rocked TO
the leet of Maude Ashley. The roman.
tic mystery attaching to her Intended
marriage gave q new charm 10 her
beauty, and the Quiet sadness or her
eyes was more fascinating than the scin.
tiilant brilliancy that had dwell there
before the sorrow came.
In March, the intense cold weather
froze up the lakes ana rivers, and all
Ashley turred out on skates, Maude
among the rest.
She never looked better than she did
that cold, clear, frosty day, in her robes
OF vivid scarlet, trimmed With soft, white
fur, and the dainty cap of black velvet,
with its snowy leather sweeping down
and minglng with the floating gold and
brown OF her hair.
The company drew little away from
her; she had distanced them all, and
they stood looking Oh with envy and
admiration. One gentleman alone IT,
| tdsed to ield the palm. .t.'
| Howard WheatclItf was a stranger in
the place-the travelling partner OF
heavy importing firm IN Philadelphia
detained at Ashley by unexpected busi-
ness, aud invited to join the skaters by
! the lanulord's son.
WhealclItf. 1.-The and sinewy, kept
pace with Miss Ashley. She saw MS
quiet persistence, and re6oubled her
efforts to leave him behind.
Both did bravery. The keen air
whlStled round them sharp and biting
the ice fairly shlieked beneath the
velocity OF their moveme It's, and, excited
/ by the mad race, neither nvLIqed now
very near tney were coming to Thunder
\ Fails.
The spectators saw the danger-they
shouted Irantlcally-they threw uptheir
hands and struck out after them, but
Mau ,e was obvious TO everything; and
| If Wheatcntf Recognized the peri, he
swept sUraignL on toward 1T. .,r
| A eW uasnes mOre-one bold stroke
Wneatcl II shot past her, aud just as
| her unconscious ieeL tOuched ina water
ne flung ais arm around h4r and drnw
ner TO ID place OF safety, amid the shouts
oil the by standers. i. .... d..
Looking up into the pale face bending
over her. MaIde reaIli al snmathing M
lid dantSpr nnin Ivn,rt, no i,oII ?ali,tST,oI
Rut wnen she woiIIid 11,,ve tnanE.T ri /, 4
inc :, oI,ils Iruze IN nnr Ina aIna ID
meat ot passion in his pvps scnlli,hed hpr
| He he1t her To mis- sI, a str,nyil IA ILiiGn.
nfpIy-as no man. .noG avan pm rad!
pvpr neid her ne, ore Hp ms airnn,ar
sv,,nm .ha mad NOT knoN,, t,yn b,,,,.s h. :, >
inre Ak SIZED. -
Slowly deem crimson cIov crpnt mn
to hi, uusRy cIeek-als whdla st,tIf s1I
rlnue red i1seIT ir lhe iofnxIrstiGn n, t,e
nome nt-S[is nair touche her n a',eadN
sne' sniyereu a0ii fun uff mia arnts In
an fns1ant he was cold as ber.Salf
"Yuu mad better pn h0tne Alrow
me-; -Ai'""
He unstranped the skhres from bar
! feet. swu'ua tnem on his ann. wrunne,l
ais travelling shawl around her. aud nm
ueeuIng the hne. subtle scurn or Nor
manner wnicn would have detArrad
most men, lie walked nom. by her siLa
AT the gate he stopped, She turned
and laueu MIN.
| 'You have saved nv life, - she said
no ly. 'Isuppose ought TO thank Won.
but believe 1 hate youP'
"rnanG you for that expression of in.
| teresL," he said softly, ana auing over.
ne,, before she guessed at his Intention.
| he LUucued his lIps 10 hers.
She broke from INN, angry, defiant.
with throubing brain and a fac, IhA1
burned crimson,
he had Insu.ted her-Aad ignored the
putty of her wumannoud-haI dared 70
do what no man mad dared before MIN
| And yet, she said 10 herself that thulIvu
she hated aha despised him-Lnat s9p
would never forgive this deadly insult
she nevertheless would not nave hlu.
| any living creature cugDizInt of wuat
mad passed between them.
| The next day Mr.. Whealcliff cllIed at
Ashley. lie was tender, respectful.
(reyerent-llke no one she had ever me-,
| ue ore. Hell ted into a niche in ner me
juever flied before. She Was fam Io
acknowledge to new, sweet rest and
content in nis presence-uer life reacuod
up alUer hi h,s of lntiuILy she mad never
yuarned ior-her soul exvanded-,be
was Il1ted into II rarer atmosphere-sue
LOOK hold on higher ana purer exist
ence. .-. ... .....
Thoughts of Paul Winchester fed; his
memory became 10 her like Il misty
dream. She saw only the dark pene-