The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-01
a Mutual Masquerading.

! And here she sat on that rosy summer
morning, with her kind, white-hared
landlady, giving audience to strange
legal adviser.
81 am instructed to tell you," the
pompous lawyer was saying, "thaG with
your deceased aunps snug little legacy
you are also required TO assume the
| name Of lie Brun."
"Ihe name of herIhusband," observed
Una.
"The fortune was his originally" in
! terposed the gentleman. "Your aunt
gave you your name, Una Maude, and
according to the conditions OF the will
you must henceforth be known as simply
| Alaude LIE Brun. All the necessary pa
pers are at my office waiting your sigma.
ture, and il convenient l would like to
have you call Tomorrow
He bowed himself out politely.
VI am SO glad Tor you, my dear" said
the kind landlady. mo more tedious
music teaching, tor you are very rich
woman"
Yes" returned the blue-eyed girl
| thoughtiully.
"But you might always have been
that, II you had been less obstinate, il
may say SO, Una"
| Inc young, yellow-haired woman
started and turned her whitening face
\ toward her monitor.
81 have done, Mrs. Kirke, only what
any other woman with particle OF
prlue would nave done," she answered
with naughty earnestness. II have
never told you the whole story, NV
| friend, but can do so now. was only
seventeen when my trouble begun. We
were very poor, and my mother was
dying. Poor mOtherl she thought she
was doing the best for me when she had
me married, at her bedside, to Hugh
| Chaucer, whom L had never seen be-
lore"
"Never seen beforew repeated Mrs.
| kirke, in amaZa1nent.
! mo-" replied Una, sadly. "My moth
er and his mother were schoolgirls to-
gether. and the most sentimental OF
| friends. They made a romantic COM
pact, that in after years the first son
and the first daughter OF each should be-
come husband and wife. HugA's mother
was French, and after the peculiar mode
OF French courtship, he was allowed to
see and Judge OF my attractions when |
knew nothing about it, and he had the
good grace to love me at once"
She spoke the last words bitterly.
"B9tOre L was accorded a like priyi-
| lege," she went on, ''mothers fatal
| sickness seized her, and l was urged
| into this deplorable and hurried mar
| riage."
"And you could not love your hus-
band, UnaW
~ never tried" she answered hotly,
~ had never been w0Oed, you know, so
why should my love have been wonY |
was poor and had been thrust upon him
| that l might have The protection aud
support OF rich husband, and SO when
| the sad days of death and burial were
over, and my mother was at rest, 1 told
my husband that | would have neither
his money nor MS guardianship, and that
he would never see me agaIn.h
"And yet he has placed his fortune at
| your disposal, and has never anuoyed
you by his presence. He must be an
exceptionally consIuerate and noble
mani"
Una WINGED at the words.
And have never touched dollar. %
she returned coIdly; "nor would have
done so had L been starving; it would
have been legalized theft"
"ltS all very sad, observed the
sweet-laced old lady; "but YOU will be
nappler now, tor this unexpected inner
ltanee Will bring you rest alter these
years OF worrying work and loneliness,
You will have plenty OF pleasure, and
many sultors, for you are very beauti-
lul."
And these words were prophecy OF
the new life that came TO Mauue LIE
Brun.
And in all the sweet, slow summer
days that followed, she was too restluI-
ly happy to think OF the miserable tie
that fettered her freedom until sue met
Lester Eccles.
She saw him first at the seaside,
He was a tall man, of kingly propor-
tions, fine head and staluesqile teat-
ures and knlgh4y grace of manner.
Maude lie Brun, wandering down the
sands one evening in The early dusk, me t
ann face to face, and looking into his
dark thrilling eyes, Loved MIN with
the love that was her uoon.n
But 1t was many days after that
she quoted from rom Elaine to her own
soul with smothered gasp of pain.
"Nlr. Eccles is becoming very pointed
in his attentions 10 you, Mau ie," sad
Mrs. kirke, Wnom the heiress haI taken
with ner as sort OF chaperon or dueuua,
you should not permit 1t. He is not
your social equal, aud-my dear, YOU
must remember that you are not tree"
"But L j." i'll be freep' cried the girl
plbbiOHdLtIg / VIII NSdL Luy iron YOKE
no longer. And Lester Eccles is my
equal and more-he is my superior. He
is noble in everything but riches, and lie
is tit to be the husband OF queen. Al
mel now l haLe myself Wnen l think OF
what am and then OF what he believes
me to be-"
''But surely you will not tell him"
"EVery thing at the proper tlme," liz
terrupteu Maude, with resolution.
The proper and elected Time came very
soou-soOner Than Maude intended il
should, for she had never meant 10 lis
ten to words OF love until she could do
so " ith proprlety, sanctioned by legal
dissolution oI that old mockery of mar
riage.
1t was rare and perfect morning. She
came down un the beach as usual TO meet
Lester Eccles.
His dark eyes kindled as he saw her
coming toward him, so brilliant in her
rare, proud beauty.
She wore some black, gauzy stuff
through which her statuesQue arms and
shoulders Cleaned like snow; feecy
waite shawl was wrapped carelessly y
about her, and there were knots OF blue
hDWers on her bosom and in her golden,
Wlnd-blown eurls.
The sea dimpied and laughed in the
sunshine at her dainty feet, and great
purpie-wing butterfly fUated and llut-
tered about uer mead.