The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-10-20
DECEPTION.
BY f. d. C.

The sun pours down its feryent rays
seeming to scorch the very mountain peak
as they tower up to the skies. There is bu
one spot which seems cool, and that is unde,
the shadow of the leafy trees, where thu
garden chairs nave been placed in which ii,
the invalid and her friend. The river roll,
over its rocky bed, making melody of II,
own, and h birds carol sweetly above IN
the trees. ~ =
caroline Graves sits pale and lanpuid il
her chair. A book lies on her lap. and he,
eyes, that once glowed in dark beauty. arf
heavy and dull, as she sends them wander.
ing listlessly over the beautiful landscape
Rachel Carlton. her friend, is unlike the
invalid in appearance and manner. She is
an health, and beauty, and vivacity. She
sparkies, as 1t were, with happiness and
radiates with mirth. She might well sit
Tor a Hebe, with the peach-l like bloom of
her complexion, the dimpled cheeks, the
laughing blue eyes, and the golden wealth
Of silken hair, which
mas caught the sunbeams prisoners and held them
She old a piece of gay embroidery which
she Is dotting thickly with small seed-pea,ls.
1er 2 are small and white, and one ring
"a cluster OF diamondsl scintillates in won
aerfui prism-ike beauty on the delicate
tapering finger which it adorns. She ia
beautiful SO far as mere physical charms 20
to make up beauty but there is no soul in
ner lace, no charm Of expression, none OF
mat lndefinable loneliness which sheds n
grace over even plain features. She rattles
on IN gay talk about the ball in the hotel
tine evening previous. She tells how much
her blue Grape dress, embroidered in white
SIX and silver threads, was admired. and the
soft, heecy Brussels point with which it was
trimmed She tells, too-not boastinply.
out IN a natural, easy way-how the distin-
guisned young men from the city all sought
her hand in the dance, and how she had
written on her ivory tablets the names of
some OIL them for dances SO far ahead that
they never came. She satirizes many of her
most numerically, and ridicules
the very attentions they have paid her.
-" JOHN Pierpont is hopelessly stupid, but of
she says, II danced with him
twice not that l wished to do so, but it is
to ride out with him in his
elegant phaeton sometimes. and one must
use of everybody in this world. Won
caroline listens in silence until this part
'f the conversation is reached, and then she
'ays quietly, but in rebukinc tones
"There is something frightful to me,
Rachel, in only looking at people with a
view to utilizing them. 1t strikes at the
very root of all true friendship and good
feeling"
my dear creature, what are we put into
this world for but to be good to each other9"
says Rachel, with a derisive laugh. at
seems to me that is true benevolence."
THAT is true ~benevolence, Rachel but
you should draw a line of distinction between
doing good to people and making use of
People must not expect me to be disin-
terested always" says Rachel :" 1T is not
in me. l am not very much of a saint,
Caroline, and | don't think I ever pretend
ed to be-"
Which is just as well, Rachel, as you
would not find many believers in youl saint
ship"
Rachel laughs out n merry, silvery laugh,
which wakes up all the sleeping dimples in
her cheeks, and Caroline feels that even If
Rachel is not very sanity she is certainly
very pretty-the sort of beauty to attract a
b~rainless man like John Pierpont. and the
other brainless men who find their amuse-
ment in her company. She affects an inno.
cent, harmless name calculated to deceive
and which does deceive all who look no
deeper than the surface.
"Oh, / forgot to tell you that while / was
dancing with Harry James who should come
into the ballroom but Angus Mcdonald"
The pale face of Caroline Graves grows
still paler, and she gasps the side of her arm
chair then so wan n look settles down on
her face, SO hopeless an expression, that it
is painful to see her.
She says in a gasping voice as if the effort
to speak Expresses her:
Ibid you expect him ?"
"Well, yes says Rachel, hesitatingly !;
''he said that he would look in on u.s."
On you" replied Caroline, in a low tone,
as she picks up her book and begins to read.
Caroline" says Rachel, suddenly and
with unusual energy don't blame me for
Angus McDonald's coolness."
"Surely not, Rachel" says Caroline,
looking up blame only his tickle self,
and -"
Dear me !" exclaims Rachel, 1--WE were
just talking about YOU
Angus Mcdonald moves up to the side of
the invalid, and as he shakes her hand he
looks into her wasted face with n wistful,
sad expression. He sees there, what every
one else sees, the shadow OF death. He
wishes that it could have been different.
that she had given him the right to comfort
and soothe her as she passed out Of the sun
light of the world into the valley of the
shadow of death. She willed it otherwise
and he must submit.
Caroline is tired; she cannot sit any longer
under the trees, and Angus Mcdonald offers
her his arm, and they wend their way slowly
to the house. Angus returns to talk with
Rachel under the trees, while Caroline goes
to her room and throws herself on the couch
which is by the window, from which she can
see Rachel and Angus, and the tears stream
quietly down her thin cheeks. She is SO
weary-so weary of the worlds unsatisfying
pleasures and mans perfidy. The bloom
has gone from her life and hope from her
heart, and it is time for her to go too. Then
she drops asleep and dreams of heaven.
Angus Mcdonald sits silent for awhile,
while Rachel picks up the tiny pearl beads
industriously with her needle and sews
them into the embroidery. Then he says,
suddenly,
"Rachel, Caroline is dying another sum
mer will never dawn upon her."
"She grows weaker every day. says
Rachel
ITO be C0n,innd.)