The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-02-26

to meet her. / ssuntered into th
music room. At the piano, singin
as / neve: heard an amateur SIM
was q girl of about nineteen, wit
the rarest. most perfect brunett
beauty, the combustion OF blac
hair and eyes, with the dazzling fai
complexion.
Her rich, cultivated voice rang on
in ballad, the very simblieity q
rendering being triumph Of art.
"Wbo is she p whispered to
pretty blonde beside me.
"a music teacher Mrs. CraW for
interested in," was the half cor
temptuous answer and thea a RUS
of crimson dyed the girls fxce as sh
said
"Oh, l forgot. Mr.. Egertonl L
thought" and she actaally raj
away from me.
Then / found Mrs. Crawford, ant
begged an introduction to the singer
and was answered:
at is Marian Hentz, Mr.. Egertor
But, ! suppose, you muet meet bel
sometime
1t was no place to seek and eypla
nation, and l was presented to Miss
Hentz. who was coldly, very coldly
civil to me.
For two weeks I met her constant.
ly, and was baffied by her exceeding
coldness, while learning to admire
her as bad never admired any wo-
man before. Her beauty vas de-
light to an artist, her voice won nv
heart, and in spite of her evident dis
like for my society loved Ser.
1t was fresh young love, too, al.
though | had admired others before.
My life had been too hard q struggle
for necessities to indulge in love
dreams, and when l gave my heart
to Marian Hentz. l gave it.rrue, 10y
al and united.
But | made no progress. though
the spring days came and the sum-
mer bloomed, and | haunted her.
We had ell been invited to Beech
wood, Mrs. Crawford's country seat.
TOR summer visit, when one even
ing just before she left the city ]
went to call upon my old friend.
She was in the library, aud as |
crossed a long room, heavily carpet
ed. to the door, l heard a voice, too
dearly familiar, say:
81 cannot go! do yen not under
stand how painful it is for me to meet
Carl Egerton ?"
"But, my dear child,e my old
friend said, "if be loves you, and |
am sure be does"
Hush !" Marian answered quick
ly, it never could be ~
Not i'll might be your grand
mother. my cbild-not ifyou loved
him 81
A quick sob answered this, bat in
q moment she said hastily:
81 do love him !! There you have
forced it from me! But it can peyer
be-never !"
l heard her leave tb6 room by
another door, and go up stsirs. sob
binR ss she went. And I did not
wait for ceremony, bnt went 10 Mrs
Cra~ ford, asking abruptly
sfyVhr Is L.
"Were you there, Carl?" she ask
ed.
"Yes, coming to beg;you to plead
my cause with Marian Hentz. What
is the my ystery abous ber ?u
"ls it possible you do not know ?''
Il never heard of her until | met
her here"
"Set here beside me, Carl. | heve
blamed you, loving you, that you
did not take any action in the mat
ter. But if you are ignorant OF her
claim upon you"
"Clsim upon me 70 / cried.
well, upon your property What
wide-open eyes, You are surely ig.
norant and innocent. Listen. then !:
Your grandmother and Msrian's
grandmother were first cousins. and
warmly attached to each other
When you. as boy. refused to be
adopted by your grandmother, Mari
ans mother was dying. Her father
bad been some years dead, and the
child was destitute. Mrs. Egerton
took her. She brought her up az
she would have done her own daugb-
ter, lavishisg upon her all ths,
wealth could command. both for ed
ucation aud pleasure. She was new
er formally introduced to society, for
Mrs. Egerton took ber everywhere
with her while she was but a mere
child. 1t was the general impress
sion. Carl, that your grandmother
would leave her property to Marian.
hut she had the too common super
stition that making q will shortened
the life. She put it off. year after
wear, until che was actually dying
Then she had a will drawn, leaving
everything to Marian, and died while
the lawyer was engaged upon the
draft. leaving Marian penniless."
why was | never told this p /
cried. What q brute / have been :
think | knew 2"
81 cannot tell. 1t was a delicate
subject. and. / presume. your friends
were, like myself. naturally reluctant
to speak of it. But now 2''
IL shall of course. settle upon her
-
at is too late for that. Carl. You
could not now confer fortune upon
Msrisn-exeept 10 one way"
Bot il she will not hear me ?''
WAS right in nv conjecture,
CsrlG Do you love ber 7"
with all my heart"
"Wait here, then"
l waited long 10 an agony of sus-
pence. Well | realized that it was
indeed too late for me to rectify nv
delay, that only as nv
wife could l bes:ow fortune upon
Marian. Would Mrs. Crawford sue.
ceed 10 her friendly ofIiees2 Would
she never come to tell me how Mari
40 bad received her? Would the
barrier OF pride my darling bad rails
ed to hide her love melt before her
old friends pleadingy
Twas growing more than impatient
when Mrs Crawford returned, and
said to me
Marian is in the sitting room.
XE:il