The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-25
A BRIDE FROM THEToMB.
BY MRS. ALEXANDER FRASER.

air, not a rustic in a leaf, not sound
save the monotonous hum of the bees
ransaeking the blossoms. A dead still
ness reigned without the manor of
Brooklehurst, although within there
were both noise and excitement, for the
morrow was the wedding day of Hester
Kyrle, sole child of John Kyrle,
millionaire, and the heiress OF the
Brocklehurst estates. But there were
two rooms within the house that
noise and excitement did not reach.
They were apparently sacred from in
trusion; and even the mother OF the
bride-elecJ did not venture to invade
their precincts. One Of them was the
Study of John Kyrle, and the other was
the chamber OF his daughter. Mr.. Kyrle
sat in his study in deep reverie. he
was tall, lean man, with hawk-like
eyes, that rested with curious in
tensity ON the empty CRATE, while huge
pile OF lette 8, pushed carelessly into
heap, lay, UNDECIDED by his side.
de was exclusively thai which Is un-
derstood by the term man OF the world,
thoroughly mundane to the backbone,
He slept and he ate and drank unuer
the connubial roof, and with stereo.
Iyped icy smile paid the household bills
without a question or a comment ever
crossing ms thin lips.
But as lar as any Of the ordinary feel
ing or influence that the magical word
''nome" ls supposed to exercise over
man, he might have been a ceilbate. A
very long time ago he had discovered
that his IN lrriage mad been fatal mis-
take. Both he and his vile were OF the
world, LIVING lor the world; but Win
This one fact The bond of sympathy be-
tween them ceased entirely.
John H. rle was cynical, clever and
desperately ambitious. Mrs. Kyrle was
ioolIsh, frivolous, and dreadluliy under
bred.
Az the present time there was as little
unison OF sediment as usual between
the ill-matched paIr, Tor MI. kyrle' .
sharp-cut physiognomy bore upon it II
marked contrast to the complaCent
round face Of MS better-halt. In heu OF
a beati6c smile Of content, sucn AS she
wore on the eve of her daughters mar
riage with Mervyn Tyrrell, man al ter
her own heart, Mr.. Kyrle's lips were
| tightly compressed, wnIle an Omtnous
| shadow besLrided nls lgut-gray eyes and
has nigh brow.
There had been an appeal made TO him
on the preceding night, an appeal most
passionate and most eloquent, Win that
powerful elOquence that truth aud lee.-
ing can give even to the most Trivial
words, While the voice mat uttered ~
W as the one that was the dearest 10 his
ears.
He had faithfully pledged himself to
| consider the subject, forced on his at
| Lentiun ny Tie plaIuLIve, SObbing tones,
and he had passed several hours smut UP
N his study 10 carry out the promise he
had MADE. But for once his Keen intel
h,,1 ,.H ul na
"a iii Guilty he desired to solve remained
stlll unsUlYed, aud he was sorely per-
picked. A tIMid knock aroused INN;
ne hesItaIed All InSLanJ before bidding
We Visitor enter, and he felt almost ike
cuIpfIL ana craven wnen aG last II
liguG Io0t,aI crossed the floor and
paused close to his side. Tnen he mus
Lered courage and turned TO look up
with sternness tAaL was Ieigned in his
Z ance, and u resoiu don thai was mock
On his mouth.
The gIrl who stood beside him wars
slender, almost fragile, In appearance,
wanting snghLly la ply sfque, perhaps,
but yet wilowy and grace, vi in figure,
and with lace iaIr as tue morning.
Her clear checks reddened and paled
alternately, and her soft lips quIvereu
IKE a chllu's, while her eyes, m Elk blue
eyes, were liked eagerly on bis own.
Before he could address her, she was
down i'll a while heap on the floor, with
her clasped haads resting on his knee.
"YUu will NOT make me marry hIm,
father; you Will have mercy upon me,
and send hin awayl'
The wailing cry reached even the
heart that had grown somewhat haru
and insensIble by contact Win The
world.
chester, listen to me-" and Mr.. Kyrle
leant forward and took her trembling
fingers into his own firm grasp.
You are going 10 Ue cruel, father"
she gasped, with her color all tiown and
her lace showing up an ashy wniLe.
..DU not excite yourself like thi- :" he
said, quietly, stiil hoidmg her hands;
but she dragged them away, hastily, and
and began Wringiug them IN her excess
i've agitation.
''rell me, will you or will you not save
me from worse than deatuW sne asked,
with passion in her voice.
81 VIII tell you noLnIng, Hester, until
you choose TO be calm"
She drew herself together, as it were,
win visible sbudder passing over her
whole frame.
II am calm now" she said, in accents
that were comparatively steady.
III you mad told me q monrh-nay,
even a week-ago thai in pIedgiI our
self to marry Mervyn Fyrrel you were
acting under coercion, couiG have and
snould have stop ed the matter at once.
70 me 1t seems most In 'qultOuS mar
rage when Il wOinaa swears 80 love her
husband and deliberately perjures heI-
self. BuL L understand you accepted
him voluntarily, and that his attentions
were agreeable To YOU.
IL WAS mi cradle coward, father,
as told you last night. He and l were
tntown 30 much together, tnat it seemed
Impossible Tor me 70 refuse wDen he al
mos demanded me TO marry him. Aud
then my mother SAID thaL my refusal
would break ner heart.V
''Her heart?" broke in John Kyrle,
with an il,-auppressed cynlclsm in his
voice.
"And l have tried, tried hard TO recon-
cile myself; put the more see OF him,
the mpre ! dislike, nay, nate him. l
snall 60 mad II haYe to marry thai
mani"
"And what can be done to prevent it
at the eleventh hour-on tRe very eve Of
the bridal? Hester nave thought over
it, as l promised ou, aud fad IL must
be. | can do nothing"
"NothingP' she almost shrieked, ris-
ing from her knees, and ner Sligat figure