The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-04
"A Perfect TreaSure.'

Thave perfect treasure for you" he
said, in the way of nurse. Gerald
Temple is going to take his family to
Europe, and when he heard what you
wanted, offered to let us have their nurse,
whom they will not want"
81 heard low sigh. Virginia, Franks
only sister, had been sitting in corner
of the drawing room. She rose now and
slipped out.
"How could you, Frank ?" I said, fol-
lowing her with sad eyes. ~ have never
heard your sister speak of the Temples
since she has lived with us; the very
mention of their name brings back the
memory of Gerald's brother, and all that
sad tragedy"
81 am sorry" said Frank, "but I did
not know that she was in the room.
Poor Virginia p
eyes! Poor Virginia said to my
self. But once the blithest, loveliest little
creature ever knew. 1t is something
of a story, but It's "an over true tale" ;"
and will tell it in the shortest way I
can.
Virginia and Frank were orphans, and
old Mrs. Chichester, their grandmother,
had adopted Virginia, almost from her
infancy. The old lady had very ambi-
tious hopes of making splendid match
for her beautiful grandchild. But Virgin
ia thought other'"ise; and when she was
Just seventeen. at the time of my we'd
ding, she and Langley Temple were in
sane enough to fall desperately in love
with each other. Langley was Frank's s
most intimate friend, and the pair met
continually at our house until grandma
Chichester found it out. After awhile
Langley was ordered to his ship Che was
in the navy); but Frank waged battle
with grandma until he obtained a viper
ish consent that the lovers might cor
respond. Grandma took pains not to let
Frank know how Virginia was tormented
and tyrannized over, until the poor child
consented to go out into society again;
and there she met, and made ready con-
guest Of, the very man whom grandma
had intended for her beauty-Horace
Kent. Virginia refused him; but grand
ma said, scornfully, "that made no diff
ference. She would come to her senses
soon," and to my utter amazement, the
houSsouu went on. and by-and-by we
were hidden to the wedding-a quiet ele'
cant affair, where Virginia talked anC
) walked as if she were frozen. Frank anC
| confessed to each other, that night
that the business assed our compreben
f sion. for we had no idea then of fou
play.
Kent and Virginia were to sail for Eu'
rope within fortnight of their marriage
/ and went to Washington and Baltimor
, to pass that time. Left alone, one even
ing in Baltimore, with a severe headache
e Virginia remembered to have seen SOM
:, aromatic vinegar in her husbands dress
o ing-case. Kent was peculiar in his care
full way of locking up his belongings, an
r she took her own bunch of keys to ope
v the box, when, rather to her surprise
she found the key left in the box. Som
listless, vague impulse which she coul
t never afterward account for, prompte
her to lift the upper tray, although sh
q had found the vinegar already. Under
meath, to her surprise, she found paper
e and was about returning the tray to it
n place, without further examination, whr
v her eye was caught by the words-"M
= own Virginia" in a dear, a too wei
;, known handwriting.
When Kent came back that night, b
+ found his beautiful young wife sensele'
e upon her bed, with two letters crumple
,s between her cold fingers. One, the la
IS letter that Langley had actually write
;! her; and the other, the base forgery,
Ie which he asked to be released from his el
gagement. Kent was not at all bad. L
,e loved her madly, and you may be su
~ a, that his sore punishment began, whe
y after the physicians had brought hi
g. out of that death-iike swoon the fir
"A "A words that came to Virginia's lips,
ol that strange, passiouless tone, which
y far worse than anger, were, "Rememhe
will never forgive you = nerer"
is They came back to New York for
in single day; but Virginia saw no one b.
v her grandmother. The old lady, up'
n her death bed, raved of that intervie'
to and vainly implored Virginia's forgiv
81 ness for urging Kent ON to his treacher
M The newly welded pair sailed in the il
fated ship which took fire of the Goa