The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-06-20


one of them than of the kitten which
purred upon her knee, or the little
black-and. tan terrier which ran by heI
side along the garden. paths. She was
nineteen when her husband was muir
dered at .thirty-two she was still true
to his memory.
Is any one forever utterly true to
another memory out of romance
any one who does not die young? I
fear not. In this the lapsing Summer
OF the woman's lifewhen she pretends
to believe that Autumn has actually
come, temptation to INCONSISTENCY as
sailed her. For many years fine
house upon the neighbOring estate had
been empty, but now there came to
take possession Of it gentleman not
yet forty. A widower with plenty of
money and no children, handsome
man, we'll built and etalwart, with
magnificent black hair, and eyes that
were like black diamonds. Spanish
eyes-indeed he called himself Span
lard, and his speech betrayed foreign
accent.
The dark eyes and the blue ones met,
a few neighberly words exchanged, a
call followed soon. Mrs. Halifont felt
a new emotion creeping into ner heart.
She felt pleased and flattercd by this
q no =, rr,.r,e o.1,,;r.f;nu n rNla,, cJ,o E,,ou,
she was loved, and rejoiced-and so
discovered that she herself loved
again.
At first she was angry with herself,
then she wept over her INCONSISTENCY,
but at last she yielded utterly. After
all, it was the love that made her un-
trne--since she had loved she could
meyer pride herself on being faithful
again, and so she listened to the sweet
words, that, despite herself, made her
happy, and promised to marry Colo
mel Humphries.
When widow does marry a Sec
ond time she generally contrives to
make fool of herself.
Mrs. Halifont had certainly not done
as foolishly as some widows do. She
had neither chosen little boy or a
titled Italian without money enough
to keep himself in macaroni. Her fu-
ture husband was older than herself,
and too rich to be suspected of any
s,rt 0f tNns, fa, NJ
but, after all, no one knew him. He
came into the neighborhood without
letters of introduction of any one, and
whether he won it by trade or came to
it by inheritance remained a mystery.
There were those who shrugged
their shoulders, and declared that Mrs.
Halifont would regret not having
chosen some one of whom more was
known-some retired merchant, some
gentleman of fortune, whose father
was known to her friends. Nothing,
to be sure, could be said against this
Spaniard or Cuban with the English
name; but who knew anything in his
favor?
However, no one said this to Mrs.
Halifont, and if any one had, words
never changed a weman's fancy yet.
Mrs. HalifOnt believed in Colonel
Humphries. and intended to marry
him.
Indeed, the trosseau was prepared,
the wedding day fixed, all was ready.
and Ida Halifont believed herself to be
a very happy woman. She once more
built castles in the air. Her old sor-
row seemed to fade away in the dis
tance. She was girl again.
AT last only twenty -four hours lay
between her and her wedding day.
She was busy in her sewing room on
this last day, finishing some ruffles in
lace and ribbon, and singing softly to
herself, when suddenly the house was
filled with sharp cries.
An old man servant, while cutting
the grass upon the lawn, had wound
ed himself seriously. The doctor was
sent for at once, but was not at home,
and meanwhile poor Zebedee was
bleeding to death.
Suddenly Ida Halifont remembered
that Mr.. Humphries had said that he
understood wounds as well as though
he had been bred . surgeon. With
out this it would have been natural
for her to call upon one who was SO
soon to be her protector in a moment
of anxiety, She would call him her.
self that there might be no delay and
seizing her garden hat, she ran along
a little path that led from her grounds
to that of Mr.. Humphries. climbed
low fence to save time which would
have been lost in reaching gate, and
so gained the rear of the dwelling, of
which to morrow she would be mis-
tress.
She thought herself terrified and dis
tressed. She felt rather injured in
that such an unpleasant thing as the
wounding of poorZebedee should have
happened on the eve of her wedding
day. Ten minutes after she thought
of herself at that moment as utterly at
ease-wondrously happy-for as she
reached those windows and pceped
half timidly through the curtains, a
thing happened that made all she had
ever suffered appear as nothing.
L. y, s,1, L.
had approached, was one that opened
out of conservatory. She saw Col.
Humphries busy with some rare plants
he had just set out in the warm sun.
shine that fell through the glass. He
had taken off his coat and rolled up
his sleeves. Now he left the conser-
vatory, and coming forward proceed
ed to wash his hands in basin of