The Morning herald., 1877-10-06
CHA PTj.R I.

CHAPTER I.
..,,,,,a EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS
BEFORE.
percingly cold, and pitchy dark was that
ronnary night, Of the year lS-, on which
W. MOI moonless and star]ess night, and a sharp
md j hitting east wind came in fierce and sud-
1n dua Gusts, w nipping those who were compelled
W hrave its fury, and causing them to
sI,;nk and contract themselves into the
sn,al1est possible compass, that their man
.lns s.s m;yht better enfold and screen them.
~ pnt It was of no avail; an east wind
,+onds on little ceremony with poor mortals,
sul I th;s particular east wind was in no sort
~ st'v wav to be excluded, for when it found tho
c,rments too stout to be honestly penetra-
ted, il would steal in at some unguarded
|foll or crevice.
wv II was a sort of night on which you would
not willingly drive forth your favorite dog,
or scarcely any dog, favorite or otherwise,
trom before the fireplace; and yet fair and
delicate Young girl was standing at win
| dow thrown widely OPEN and seemingly un-
roucous of the cold, which was causing her
| to shiver almost Of with an ague.
# was a large, old, rambling mansion at
oe Of whose windows this young lady was
now NOW standing, building, far removed from
anv other, on bleak and open spot, un-
Shattered from the sun in summer time, and
/ in winter at the mercy Of every wind that
| blew, and swept, bowling and whistlins
around it.
The window, at which this young girl
/ shiverins stood, listening eagerly, and striv-
/ wing to pierce the almost utter darkness,
/ which covered the earth like a sombre veil,
was at the back of the mansion, a remote
+ wing inhabited alone by her OF all the house
| hold.
No light was burning in the apartment in
which She stood and watched and waited,
and large screen, drawn closely around,
concealed the glare OF the fire, which else
had been visible, and to long distance, to
any one without, and made it, oh so cold,
F. with that open window to her within.
And yet that young girl stood there, nel-
ther closing the window nor approaching
the fre-no, not for single moment.
Whom was she expecting? A lover? No.
Whom then2 We presently shall know; for,
hark she hears a step on the ground be-
Dow; 50 light and cautious that it had been
inaulible to any ears single degree less
keenly sensitive and greedily expectant
than were hers.
She bends eagerly forward from the win-
How, but utters not word, not a whisper.
Quietly, but hastily, she drops without a
ope ladder, which she has already securely
astened, and the next instant some one
has assembled to the apartment; there is
N embrace, and the sound Of kisses ex-
changed.
Rapidly almost as thought has all this
passedl the young lady raises again the
ope.ladder, closes and makes fast the win
low, drawing before it thick and snug cur
alns, removes the screen, revealing a
apital fire, ignites several waxen candles,
md then, in this full blaze Of light, what
it We beholdp
We see charming young girl Of mid
le height, the graceful undulations Of
hose form assure us Of it's perfect sym
petry; the soft, sweet prettiness of her
ace is given by it's expression rather than
that regularity Of feature which con-
titutes the beautiful, which, after all, is
enerally very cold, and often, on second
lance, very far from satisfactory to the
elolder-as fer the possessor Of that style
beauty, she is generally more than salts
eu with the gift she has received, and by
rendered sometimes so vain and naughty,
nat she repels where she would willingly
tIract, and sees another, made humble by
81 Plalnness, snatch away the prize which
~ IN her naughty beauty, has yet deigned
me gentleman--it will have been readily
luerstood that it was not lady who had
Amoered in at the window-the gentle
an, @ who on this very cold night had en-
un'ered so warm a welcome, was not
vie than about twenty-three years Of age
III, e, too' was Of average height, and of
saG hSure, Of fair complexion, and de-
usay handsome. A noble and generous
af' ne certainly possessed, and had per-
~ more than his share Of the enthusiasm
aspiring youth.
t'p'cl"lAy - WAS he enthusiastic in the
o,ess'on on to which, SO to speak, he had
'n oSlven; for his father, who had pos
'Seu eu a moderate fortune, plunged into
apc1e lla poverty by the treachery Of a
tp1sed friend, sank beneath the blow,
:, ~ uteu about five years before the open
~ our story; his mother had before
sh .h, carried to the tomb; and young
n enuf Gresham, the only child that had
'u u oofn to his parents, became entirely
oiphan, and without resources, save and
~ great natural talent as an artist,
~ oo .'lat talent on his fathers death, he at
te proceeded to exercise as profession;
ani nMi''iniurngly, but gratefully, and with
4ns 70 heaven, that it had bestowed on
u ~ gut which would enable him, at the
..sS' ,S,S 10 earn moderate maintenance.
.as I'M Is considerably more pleasant than
.oN soia without" Arthur Gresham said, as
'hallSS hS his arm around the young girl, he
her towards the fire. and seafed him.