Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-09-05
sTH'R0UGHsTHE FLOOD,
b JULIUS tcoNBEi;.'

Il
! *''1THR0UGHTHE FLOOD. 81: 81
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~. > ,,ahX JULIUS ~ ,s eo}i 1iz r. s . .sA
i She was not Beautiful fascinating Is tie
! word which, perhaps; best describes her.
a WIDOW, too and as she sits there IN
! dolently playing with her scolored = silks,
while the bright sunshine rests upon her
dark brown hair and delicate hands, there
| is something dan gerously subtle about
| Her reverie is. broken BY the entrance
OF gentleman; fair, tall and handsome.
| ."Good morning, myrdear Mrs Layton;
| hope you are well. Still engaged on
that pretty embroiderys Pardon me, I
was told Alice was here. All! there she
is in the garden, I will go to her;'' and
he left the room.
/ The relation of the parties are simple
enough. George Ashbury, who is both
personable and wealthy, is engaged to be
married to Alice, the youngest daughter
of Colonel Pentwell; while Mrs. Lay ton,
the elder, Of the two, has returned, q
widow, to the paternal roof, since the
engagement of her sister and George
Ashbury: '.-5
I A change comes over the pretty
widows face as she watches Alice and
Georgia. change by no means adding to
its beauty, so full is it OF jealousy
George stays but a few minutes, how
ever; and when he has gone, Alice enters
the room where her sister is seated. There
is a family likeness between them, though
Alice is calm, but proud, lacking the
winning softness OF manner and express
sion which is her sisters greatest charm
"Mr. Ashbury paid short VISIT" said
Mrs. Dayton.
Eyes; he called to say that he could
not so to Bentley's with us this afte noon
as he was obliged to visit Wentham on
business.
"He goes to Wentham rather often,
doesn't he?" she asked, putting sight
emphasis on the word "rather.'
eyes" =.
HE has relations near there-cousins,
hasn't he?'
'''I believe so."'- -.
II think;I remember one of them
Edith she was called;a pretty, fairy-like
creature, with golden curls and laug ching
blue eyes, who seemed to introduce sun
shine wherever she went. Were I en-.
gagged should scarcely care for my suit
or to see too much of such nymph.'' 4
Alice made no reply, but her check
flushed, and for an instant her proud lip
quivered; then she was cold and placid
again.
Her sister had marked the change, and
had instantly dropped the subject, for she
saw that the arrow shot at a venture bad
struck home.
That afternoon the Bentleys, friends of
the Pentwells, gave a croquet party, and
large number of guests assembled on
the lawn, when the Colonel's daughter
daughter arrived 49,.
Alice was ION deep in tie mysteries
Of croquet, with a young lieutenant as
her partner, and had just won the first
game, when George Ashbury, accompan-
panied by his pretty cousin, of whom
Mrs. Layton had spoken, appeared among
| them. -. ~:
Perhaps at any other time, Allen
would have accepted her lovers p.ana-
ton as quite satisfactory, when he stated
that on reaching Wentham, some FIVE
miles off, he found the business on which
he went had been postponed for a week,
and as his cousin and uncle were comixg
to Bent]eys, he decided upon accompany
ing them.
But the hints Of the morning had not
been thrown away, and resenting the
fancied slight to herself, Alice received
his excuses with polite indifference.
The thin end of the edge Of distrust
and jealousy had been inserted, and the
breach, slight as it was, increased rapidly
While apparently the most sincere and
disinterested friend of both, Mrs. Layton
daily helped to widen the breach she had
caused. George Ashbury was her dupe
Mentally he drew comparisons between
the sisters, always to Alice's disadvantage.
His visits were as frequent as ever, but
though he asked for Miss Pentwell, most
of his time was spent in the company of
Mrs. Layton.
One evening Alice was sitting in an
arbor, engaged in reading, when her. at
tention was attracted by the sound of
familiar voices
''But you loved Alice?"
1t was her sister who spoke
"That was before I knew you. Be-
sides, Alice has ceased to care for me.
You have told me so yourself; and if
proofs were wanting, does she not avoid
me as much as possible2 You need have
no false delicacy on account of your
sister; only say you will be my wife.
Alice lost the answer. A faint giidi-
ness she could not control overcame her,
the sense Of hearing was, for the moment,
gone, ana, when she recovered, the
voices were no longer near.
| She could not in the present frame Of
mind meet the sister who had stolen
away her priceless treasure, for in her
bitterest moments, Alice exenerated her
lover from blame. Her own pride and
her sisters schcming had, she was sure,
done all the mischief. j. u
Marlpits, where Colonel Rentwell and
his daughter resided, was town of COM
paratively modern growth, situated in
wide deep valley, many of the houses be-
ing built on the side of the hills.
Among its peculiarities was the reser-
voir for supplying the town with water
a large circular mound on hill, origin
ally above the town, though the houses
were now creeping up to it.
There had lately been ominous ruomos
Ut the insecurity of the reservoir. some
said the side nearest the town was giving
way; that the severe frosts of the past
winters had damaged the stone and
earthworks, and there were many who
predicted that one fine morning would
find the town drowned. - -:
!. 1t was Sunday, and as Colonel Pentwell
and his two daughters entered the church
they regularly attended, a ray of sunlight
fell upon the old soldiers white hair,
and lighted up his. youngest daughters
pretty face, on which. the expression of
pride had given place to look of hum