Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-25
chamois-leather bag round her neck, and put

e,hamois leather bag round her neck, and put
MisanthrOpe was our host? He knew how
to assume other roles: : with few light SEN
fences he had set US all at our ease at once,
and he sparkled with jest and brilliant speech,
drawing also from each some fit return, till
we forgot the raging tempest without and that
we were strangers within. Nor was he, as he
day, almost every moment of the latter part
of which had been spent in making arrange
mentS for our comfort, the shaggy and IN
dark and black proved still he was, but a
gentleman jusQ'du bout des Ongies, a gentle
man with perhaps just dash of the gypsy.
ing cruelty, she lived through the dinner,
playing with fork and spoon, but no tasting \
mOrsel. As we rose informally from the table,
and were passing out, he came tc. her side.
- have something to say to you,' said he.
But she turned. and caught my hand.
No, no, you can have nothing to say to
me" she gasped, and drew me swiftly away
John Cameron followed us, finding his mo-
ther rested and refreshed and beginning to
fdget, and as Lucia came fitting in, Belle di-
rectly added herself to the party.
did you ever know anything 80 queer.
the head of the table, Aud he treats Sst her as
Miss Murray; t didn't see you"
But Miss Murray did not vouchsafe her
glance, moving into the other room stu bold
lug my hand. closing the door and boiling it.
And l confess l trembled:. II shall never
sleep wink in this house, l thought. She
dropped my hand and walked to the fire,
where she stood silently minute, then sat
II must tell you,' she said. "You are
kind. You can help me- / must get away
where cannot be traced. But have no
frieIds-nO money; and now he has found
me, he will be always finding me. Waite she
said, holding her throat as if the words choked
her. You don't know, you would never
dream, but-but-but-I must tell you. Yes.
Six years ago was married. All! don't look
talcation. Tohide it, my mother plan was to
marry me to the person whom my sttepfath her
south sea islands Think OF it! Just think
beled, you may be sure; cried. l implOred:
Every day 1t was held up before me that l
he tre o o my
bands threatening suicide, of their ruin and
beggary and broken hearts. They did not
hear me. They carried on the affairs by let
ter They would not let me see him, lest he
should learn my unwillingneSS. had reason
to be unwilling Oh, what is the use?' she
cried, starting up and going to the window,
what is the use? Yet-if my heart won d
not beat so! If it would cease beating ALTO
gether!, Miss Twombly, II had lover.
will not say much about him. | can't she
said, coming back to the tireside. They
knew nothing of it at home, for we met acti-
dentally in a wood, and love seemed like a
spark struck by mere contact for loved him
again, as she saw my amazed look at this
breaking down of all her barriers: 'All at
once. they precipitated the matter, she, said,
hurriedly. My step father Che had always
been kind to me: had known no Other) stood
before me, the color Of death my mother
hung OIL my neck, sobbing her soul out, the
the unknown trouble, and l-oh! fool!-l
grew colder and colder, like a corpse. 1t
seemed to me neither did breathe nor my
heart beat. What would my happiness be
when bought by their misery? l crieI out to
bring him quickly before repen;ed. never
looked up when, a half hour after afterWard,
he came in. never spoke during the swift
marriage. nor did he, for there were no words
tOrepeat; we only bowed our heads in reply
to the minister's questions and to receive his
blessing. Blessing. Blessing! l could no
were swimming before me; in Stupor, all
could think of was that l could not breathe
either. Before the last word was well uttered
fell insensible. Oh, if had never waked!''
to myself, she went on, after moment the
room was but dimly lighted; a physician at
the door was saving something about congeS
ton OF the brain. My mother followed him
out. Ii rushed over me, all that had done,
the bondage of my life, the deSOlatiOn of my
lover-oh, terribly! AS my mother closed he
and caught up such Of my clothes as had been
removed. and in feVer-Strength, dashed on,
of the window. | made for the river: bug
when | saw its dark torrent grew full of
anger toward those who had driven me there.
| seemed to hate them too much to drown m
self. But dropped my shawl there, to hurt,
to mislead them all on, well, well, no matte
this place afterward with Mrs. Cameron; ex
cept for seasons of suffering. have been in the
main at peace; And n2w-aow-do you u,
derstand? l am the wife of a man VIII IN
have never seen but this man-thiS Othef-le
Wlllnever let me go again. He"
Miss Murray! Do you mean"
just then at the door on the other side ofthe
room came the imperative tap that a'reaiy
recognized. Sprang to answer it; but as l
opened The door, meaning to make ex;uSe,
and SO refuse entrance. it was gently pushed
out of my grasp, and Mr.. BasSett ca ne in. He
walked directly to Margaret; bat she rolled
the chair between them, and stood leaning on
the picture of beautiful defiance. His own
face was radiant. "YOu are making a last
stand he said. holding out his arms.
Her arms fell; she became pallid and trem-
mgrmured, because cannot help it." e
..s And you think will take no advantage of
in the storm, and a fhunder-bolt seemed to
have fallen at my feet, and the grave to have
given up ghost, and my heart stood still
when saw you fall out there on the sea weed,
and snatched yOn in my arms and had you
held against my breast; do you suppose there
was no wild plunging and rocking of that
waking heart, no hot Surglng OF my blood.
after all those years of terror and torture,
when you came like the resurrection OF the
dead? Do you suppose l would fOregO the
fierce JOY of those moments, as walked up to
this gate, for all of heaven? Do you suppose
will ever let you go again?"
But, as she raised her eyes, full of suffering,
and her trembling lips grew dark and white,
he made haste to SteU toward her, and taking
her hand to draw her round in spite of herself,
and seat her in the chair. my poor chld''
he said 4 will not try you, will not trouble
you. Listen, Margaret, dear, while l tell you
the truth In my own way. 1t is not bad" He
stood leaning one arm on the Shelf and look
ing down on her, the smile and the radiance
still making his face splendid. 1--WE all have
grandfathers." he said, in a moment or two
mime vas sailor wrecked IN the Pacific
seas. He married a chiefs daughter, a
straight haired, straight-featured, dark faced
princess, beautiful as all Oriental race
He acquired ascendancy over the sim
pie ISLANDERS: they endowed him with
vast fields and forests. When commerce
found the island out, selling his ramie fibre
and the dried meat of his cOcOa-nutS to the
French and German houses, who extract from
it precious Oil, he accumulated immense
wealth. HIS son married the daughter of an
American sea captain from this region and
accumulated further wealth. l was their
child and heir, and my wealth is still rolling
up. was educated in Europe, but these is,
lands were my home. l returned there
and was proud of them, of nv noble and in
nOcent islanders and Of nv dark strain Of