The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-27
Pride and Jealousy

| Ill ehO Shibiop VI q Wlhtomj bNti hlSt~
den by the heavy folds of the curtain, sat a
young girl of exceeding beauty; her head
was resting on her hand, and as the rays of
the setting sun fell upon it, renewed lustre
was added to the beautiful golden hair,
which was caught loosely back from her
lovely face and confined by simple band
of blue. Her usually cheerful countenance
wore shade of sadness; she seemed deep
in thought, and from the perfect abandon
ment of her manner, one would suppose
she was weighing some ponderous subject.
Time crept on, and the sunlight gave place
to twilight; yet so wrapt in revery was our
little heroine, that she was oblivious to all
around her. Neither the admiring and
wistful glances of pair of dark, handsome
eyes on the outside, nor the entrance of her
aunt within aroused her, until spoken to
by her aunt, who had for several minutes
been quietly watching her.
"Come, Oracle, child, you have been
dreaming long enough; it has grown quite
dark. What have you been SO occupied
with that the noise I made coming in
did not bring you back from dream
land ?'
"Plenty of things, aunty dear! But how
quietly you must have come in that I did
not hear you! Have you been in long, and
did you have pleasant visit? I half re-
gretted my determination to stay at home
instead of going with you, for it has been a
charming afternoon; but was ANXIOUS to
finish my book"
II was sorry you concluded not to go.
I had pleasant visit and an agreeable
companion home; your old friend, Walter
Hammond, escorted me to the steps, but I
could not prevail upon him to come in.
Why is it that he has not been here
lately?"
81 am sure do not know, unless he has
taken umbrage at something. He asked
me to dance with him at Clara Hoyts party,
but ON referring to my tablet 1 found it
filed, and Walter seemed to think it inten-
tional"
"You were perhaps little perverse, too
Grace. suspect you could have arranged
it differently, had you been SO inclined"
''He came very late, aunty and of course
OF such crowded parties, unless gentlemen
are there in time to secure partners, they
can but expect to be wall flowers"
Business may have detained Walter, and
I doubt not that the fit of jealousy that
took possession of you the day we visited
the haunted ruins still had something to do
with it."
A bright flush suffused Grace's face as
she said:--
"Auntie, you are certainly mistaken in
the estimate you have for the friendship
existing between Walter aud myself; he is
nothing more, nor has he ever been, than
any of my other gentlemen acquaintances;
and why should I have been jealous be-
cause he preferred the society of his cousin
to mine ?"
"Your treatment of Linn during the
whole day was very chilling, and on several,
occasions caused him some embarrassment;
and you showed the young lady no civility
during her stay except to caD very formally
once"
"You know, auntie, I was by no means
well all the time Miss Stanley was here, and
it was only because you urged it SO much
that consented to go to the picnic"
"Well, 1 hope there has been nothing to
hurt his feelings, for Walter is fine fellow,
and I should really regret the occurrence
of anything to break up your friendship"
'Auntie, don't let us pursue this subject
any longer, I'll ring for lights, and after
tea want you to tell me something of your
girlhood. I shall enjoy it, am sure,
much more than discussing Walter Ham
mond."
IF it will not tax you to listen to long
story, I will try to keep a promise I made
you some months ago."
''All the nicer for being long one,
auntie Let me place this cushion by
your side, and then you can proceed"
II am not going to entertain you with
one of the cheerful stories you usually hear,
dear, but one of grief that came to me in
early years-.of hurried sorrow, which,
since I was about your age, have kept
locked in my own sad heart"
'It may make you unhappy to talk
about it tonight, auntie; leave it until some
other time, when you will be able to
relate it without its having tile same
effect"
This is probably the best opportunity
we shall have, and would rather tell you
of it tonight than later. I was much like
you in appearance when your age, and con-
sideKsd very pretty. Iwas quick and intel