Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-09-27

clouds, one gorgeous October eve
ming, herself more gorgeous in hel
glancing shot.ailk and fresh young
beauty than the brilliant sky above
her. What was ], small and unloFe
| ly, beside this Southern belle; hii
first love, too, who was ready to lay
her crown at his feet, and "Sue like
a child for word of grace" from
his lips. l felt he was lost to me
the bitter cup, hot and briny, was
held to my lips, and no sweet poison
was near to mingls with its gall.
was too proud to beg for what had
never been mine-his heart. could
lose him, and with him all that
made life precious, and then, like
Cesar, 1 could "eover my face and
die with dignity"
How the rain swept and fell! How
the trees Writhed and tossed their
arms, and groaned as if in pain
How the wind walled and shrieked
How the waves tramped sullsnly on
that low lee shore! o, heart of
mine!-Scorched and dead that day
lying dumb and voiceless in its
winding sheet of dead hopes, that
one week before had been alive and
radiant, what was the anguish of
the elements to thine?
There was a long silence. l sat
with face aVerted. She stood by
the window; and Alfred still
turned over the prints-seeing them
not-eyes and heart far away. The
low, sweet voice of Ernestine, plain
tive and sad, broke the silence first:
How it storms! How the
lamps of the light house glitter in
the spray. And see that boat-it
will surely be swamped. o, Alfred!
come here!
He went, of course.
There is no danger-the boat
is safe enough. Those fishermen
know what they are about. What
a dismal scene it is! Yes; l am tired
of it. / am going away tomorrow.
Going away! How he started,
and how white he turned.
o, Ernestine! Where?
Hometown South. l am tired
of this cold climate, and the cold
hearts IN it. 0, my beautiful Louis
lana! that any one should prefer this
wild, desolats country to you!
saw him turn and look at me;
but sat ike stone-my hand ov-
er my eyes.
Miss Maggie is asleep, said Ernes-
tine, with curling lip. How I en-
Wy her calm, phlsgmatic tsmpera-
ment.
Had she only seen my burning
heart, my white lips, my vailed eyes,
2t that moment!
He made a sudden, passionate
gesture, and strobe up and down
the room like Gagged lion. What
strange red fire was in his blue
eyes and how white and fierce his
face looked! l saw it all in one
feeting glance.
wonder you can stay here, AL
fred, said the sweet, plaintive voice;
do you remember the happy days
we spent in dear old Belle Norman
die, as you named it? Our rides and
walks and sails? All, those beauti-
full days? What pity the past can
never be recalled, Alfred!
Would you recall it if you could,
Ernestine?
Would 1? How well that look of
childish innocence, in those great
dark eyes, was feigned. Would 1
recall the happisst days ever spent?
Oh, Alfredl
Then you have not forgotten
Mono, indeed! Oh, what pity
what q pity they are gone forever!
Nothing is past but can be renewed.
All! those can not. You will new
er come South again, Alfred. will
never be La Rose de la NOrmandis
any more.
That sad tone so soft and touch
ing, so childlike and sweet. How
well she read him-what an actress
she would have made!
Again that fierce, passionate ges-
ture, as if all within was at war;
he looked at me and turned white,
even to his lips. That promise on
the beach-I knew it was soaring
his heart like red-hot iron-was
dancing before his eyes like letters
of fire, but as yet my lips were
sealed. And that ring on my finger
Il felt as though a living viper
were coiled there.
How soundly she sleeps! said Err
nestine, looking with a puzzled face
at me. l wish / could take the
world as easily as she does. And
she-this girl without heart or
.brain--is all the world to you, AL
fred; and all you once said to En-
nestine is forgotten, she said, In
voice of sad reproach.
He turned as if to speak; and then,
with frantic motion, checked him
self, and paced up and down as be-
fore.
Ali it is SO, then-it all ends
here! Well, good by, Alfred. To-
morrow Ileavs; tonight 1 shall re-
main in my room.
She held out her hand--what a
beautiful hand it was!-and looked
in his face with her sad rsproach-
full eyes, full of tears.
He took it in his-looked in those
beautiful eyes, and then opened his
arms, with q great cry.
o, Ernestine! / can notl My
own, own darling-I love you bet
ter than life? / can not let you go?
In his arms she lay-my place
once-and / sat there and saw all.
Something went to my heart like
bnllstt, shary, keen and quick, and
the blow was over.
/ rose to my feet. They started
back, and the guilty blood flushed
over the faces of both-but they
turned white the next moment at the
look of mine. Ir7
/ held up my hand-his ring gilt
tered in the fading light.
You placed it there ten days ago,
Alfred. Igive it back to you to-day,
with all you said that night. May
4 i Z II