The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-08-08
Love Better Than Riches.

gold about the purple tops OF the low
lying country hills. Perched among
them shone the pale stone walls and or
nate roof of superb country seat. Be-
hind it rolled and rumbled the gllsten-
ing river, and before it, almost under the
pretty bay-windows, ran the elm fianked
common highway.
A man, very young and very hand
some, with brown, dreamy eyes, rode by
that day.
He looked up, and saw lady stand
ing on balcony above him. About her
regal figure fell folds of lusterless amber
silk and foam pale laces. Her Spanish
ewes, and delicate, naughty features,
smiled down upon him from behind an
exquisite fan; she wore white roses on
her bosom, and an arrow of gold and
diamonds held back from her dusky
brows the glossy plaits of her ebon hair,
at is Madeline" he thought, drawing
rein. 'She is very beautiful! They told
me she is past thirty, but she looks
Younger than |, and l am twenty-one. 1t
won't be very hard for me to obey my
uncle, fancy
The wealthy and eccentric old uncle
who had reared and educated him had
sent Algernon Heath to this elegant
place with friendly letter OF introduce
ton, ostensibly given that his beloved
nephew might have week OF change
and quiet, but really, privately, and
commandrgly, that the said nephew
should meet, WOO, win, and marry a
beautiful creature, whose lands and lucre
should be worthy of his great expecta-
ions.
A glance from those brilliant eyes told
the young man that he had reached his
destination.
He had never seen the lady before, but
it was flatteringly evident that she kne"
him, and was bit merry because,
through his ignorance of the locality, he
had missed the entrance.
He returned her smile, lifted his hat
CALAMITY, wheeled his horse, and rode
back to the gloomy gate OF iron, guard
ed by two bronze lions rampant.
II have crossed the rubicon!' he
thought again, as the big, grim gates
changed behind the heels OF his uncle's
favorite black "Methinks when l re-
cross shall carry my good relative the
message, 4 came, saw, conquered! ~
Algeinon Heath was only twenty-one
He had his fancies and his tollies, but he
knew nothing of the love that can make
a lifetime Of misery or single day OF
rapturous, blissful peace. He was doing
the bidding of one who had enervated
his fine strong nature by too much ease
and delicious living-that was all.
He WAS welcomed warmly, and his
NO. nr,l,unaI uurpaSpnahlV and he
left only To return in few weeks to
claim the Spanish eyed Madeline MS bis
bride.
Algeruon Heath was proud OF his
handsome, stylish wife. She was pas
sionately fond of him, and, alas quite
as passionately jealous.
WHY should she not be-this world
worn coquette of thirty, who had shared
the fevered fancy of his youth, well
knowing that his untouched heart might
some day thrill to the claim of fresh
and true affectioni
But they were reasonably content in
their marital bonds for ten quiet years.
Out of Madellnes fortune her hus-
band had had a prodigal share, and she
never reproached him for his lavish ex
travapance. He was always kind, and
true. and devoted, and surely she could
ask no more.
Her father died the first year after bel
marriage but Algernon's uncle still
lived, boarding his millions for munifi
cent final bequest to fsvorite charitable
institution. it was said and believed.
Madeline believed it, aud, with the In
stinct of jealousy, guessed that the eccen-
trio old gentleman had planned her mar
rage with his young nephew for pur'
pose of his own.