Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-02-06

he would have shared in the property. but il
all reverts TO Gilbert il Jane dies unmarried" /"
All Gilbert's, and might have been all hers
Myra ielt too stunned aud miserable even
To- cry To think that all her base schem.
ing, her feigned devotion had led her only
TO this, the beggared widow Of an old man.
But after the funeral vas over Mrs Cor.
ham made few discoveries. First, all the
deep black OF her dress, with the fine white
line of ber widows cap the somhre Grape
and soit snowy tarleton were most becoming
TO her brilliant blonde beauty. She studied
her dress to its minutest detail, and when
u was perfect formed her new plans. In
her late husbands desk she found five thou.
sand dollars which she appropriated, leaving
Miss Jane and Gilbert, who came TO the
funeral, to defray all expenses. She ac-
cepted Miss Gorham's offer OF the use of the
house for year, aud when she was left in
possession unscrupnlously sold many small
but valuable articles there.
When the year was over, aud Miss Jane
tiprhain once more opened her house h. her
friends, she was mute with CONSERVATION
when one day a carriage, heavily laden with
baggage, dove up t. her door, from which
alighted her fathers widow, who threw her.
self into her arms, sobbing
I" Do not send me away. am dying in
the gloomy seclusion of my dear husbands
home. Let me stay with you"
She STAYED, of course. Miss James old
fashioned notions of hospitality were too
strong to permit her TO turn guest away,
even # unip7ited and unwelcome. But she
\ smile gril-ly.: see how Gilbert's face fell
at the announcement of the visitor.
She is my fathers widow" the spinster
said gravey; so we must endure her for
a time"
She was a most fascinating widow when
she appeared ut the late dinner, in thiu,
black dress, all jet and trimming, with some
knots of black ribbon in the profusion of
her golden curls. Her color was softly tinted
as ever her blue eyes as tabyish aud win
some; yet, when the first evening was over
she knew she had gained nothing in her eff
fort TO recapture the heart she had thrown
aside.
But she did not despai' She sang the
old songs that Gilbert bad once heard with
rapture. She varied her dress with laces.
ribbons and jewelry, till its pretense of
mourning was mere mockerv. She put
herself in Gilberts way with every dainty
device of feminine needlework She en-.
treated permission to prepare his favorite
dishes with her own white hands. And, az
If to try his constancy, Miss Jane aided and
abetted this schemer for her uephew's for
tune. aud spoke but little of Ella, never in.
viting her now TO the house. 50 that Gilbert
was forced to seek her more and more in
her own home, and found her ever more
lovely aud winsome from the contrast with
the idol he had proved TO Ue clay 1t was
six months after the arrival of Mrs Cor.
ham in her stepdaughter's house, when Gil
bert, returning from drive with Ella, met
in ha hull ala h,r ;,,
close embrace, whispered very softly:
" Ella is minel Wish me Joy >"
From my heart" she whispered back
Radiant with Joy and hope, Gilbert, after
changing his driving-dress, hurried t. the
'it,ing-room, to tell Aunt Jane "all about
it," He had absolutely forgotten their guest,
and it gave him an unpleasant shock when
he found her, seated in low chair, busted
about some wool work, that showed to great
advantage her tiny white hands, gittering
with ieweled rings.
She rose to greet him, and then. to his
embarrassed surprise, she clasped her Jew
eled hands, and bursting into tears, sobbed
"Oh, Gilbert, do not look at me so coldy.
cannot bear it. know deserve nothing
from you but contempt, hut if you knew
how sorely my mother urged Inc, how i'm
Fortunate your grandfather was, you would
forgive me. ! was insane with their per-
Secutions and thought in my misery that
could still see you, and perhaps-sone day
when | was free again-l-l -
Aud here even her eifroutery gave out
and she only sobbed convulsively. Taken
by surprise, every gentlemanly instinct urged
Gilbert to comfort this woman who was so
recklessly Offering him what it was once his
loudest hope to possess. But his whole
soul shrank from her, his manly true
heart was only outraged by her unwomanly
advances
Gravely he stood looking down upon her
as she shrank in the chair, sobbing and
covering her face, and yet furtively watch
ing him.
Gilbert, speak one tender word TO me"
she implored; say you do not utterly de-
spiSe me-
But he did. lie sought for words to con.
yey his meaning kindly, aud they would not
come. Blushing like boy in his confusion
tnd pain, he said gently
." | am very sorry, Mrs, Gorham -
4" 1t used to be Myra," she sobbed re-
proachlully.
" True, but those were days that can never
be recalled"
" You are cruel.'
81 do not wish to be so, but | must be
lduh WIN YOU me past Is uedu never
can we revive that love that was once so
precious to me, so very trihing to YOU
mo, no, you wrong me. Alas for me, it
is my misfortune that | cannot conquer
my love"
I" But mine died when it was insuted
aud sighted"
Here Gilbert drew deep sigh of relief at
the appearance of Aunt Jane, entering the
room behind Myra's chair. Mis-. Gorham
did not hear her light step, and sobbed.
"Your love cannot be dead Gilbert. 1t
will live again. Pity aud forgive me-"
81" both pity and forgive YOU" said Gil
bert, very gently.
" But -
But said Aunt Jane, in her hardest
tone, and with her face set in rigid lines,
you forget, Mrs. Gorham the law does not
permit man to marry his grandmother"
With cry OF rage, Mrs. Gorham sprang
to her feet, but something in the cold, grave
faces checked the torrent of wrath upon her
lips, and she left the room.
The next day she terminated her visit,
and oftily declined an invitation, sent three
months later to be present at the wedding
oi Gilbert Gorham and his gentle bride
Ella.-Seiecied.