The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-01
STELLA.

just at that moment there was nothing
in the universe between the star Vega
Lyra and me. l lay out there among the
rocks at the foot OF the shrubs that the
wind vas blowing the other way, the
sea rustling up the single fur below in
the soft melancholy summer night.
Summer nights should not be melan-
choly, except as melancholy always fol-
lows on the trail Of exceeding beauty in
our sensation, with the effort of the
finite to approach the infinite. perhaps.
But all nights. in effect, and days too,
were melancholy then to me; the world
was a desolation since Stella went to sea.
If she had not gone us she did, l said
to myself when the first fire fell; bu.
what was one to expect of a young girl
suddenly launched on the luxury OF the
most luxurious seaside life! She was a
village maiden, and had not been so
much admired in the country town.
where redder color and blacker eyes and
thicker hair were more to the taste. But
when | went to Hillside as the head
quarters Of my sketching-ground, it
seemed to me that fairer hues and finer
lines and more ethereal beauty / had
found-de)icate as some chiseled
statue. color such Is that statue might
have if it just began to breathe and
blush, and silky hair soft as q child's,
with tendril- erings. In three months
time theairy perfect being,had promised
to be my wife, whenever the good taste
Of patrons should so increase that my
pictures would shelter two, and mean
while we kept the story Of passion
to ourSelves-the swceter secret.
Life sped OF that year with rainbowed
wings; the future stretched bright rs 4
dream; the present was pure Joy,
In the second year Stella went to visit
friends at Newport, once the summer
boarders of Hillside, but now the owner
Of a villa all peaks and gables and
v%Crandas, set amidst lawns and foun-
tains and vases overlooking with flow
ers, on the edge of the sea-a palace
masquerading as a cottage. A shadow
then seemed to overSpread the heavens
with its evil wings, and the gloom OF it
was scarcely lifted by the letters that
came telling of the gay life. One day l
followed down behind her, and estab'
lished myself-Newport was one of my
old haunts, and l had known how to be
happy there n | did not know how
to be happy there now. | had scarcely
a moment Of Stella to myself. If l went
to Mrs. Rittener's in the morning, a
thrUng of beribboned damsels sat on the
wide porches encircling Stella; they
learned Il song, they practiced a new
dance together, and with the groups OF
dandies, youngmillionaires, and attaches
of foreign legations, they did a little OF
the Boccaccio and Vatican life. In the
afternoon l found the horses at the gate.
Breakfast parties. bathing, driving,
yachting. filled one day after another,
and Stella was the joyous thing round
which everything seemed to circle. II
was q new life to her. She knew it did
not belong to her; that it was 4 leaf
borrowed from the existence of others;
that she must go back to quiet duties
and restricted pleasures. 1t was like
reading some delicious romance, she
reveled in it now, and gave no heed 10
the time when it should come to an end.
But IL, Of course, did not recognize
this. saw her like q butterfly hover
ing over bright flowers, as light, rs pur-
poseless, rs lovely, dancing in the beam,
drinking the perfume all o. III tolie; ana
every day of it maddened me one degree
more than the last. Early in the morn
ing, from my W window, l could see
her alone or the lawn in her white
gown, ~strolling to lean over the sea, or
filling her arms with flowers; but it
would have been out of the question to
go to her then and late ut night, If !
fingered till others had departed, l was
hirrassed by Mrs. Rittener, who knew
nothing OF any relation between US, and
who disapproved of Il poor artist while
there was such Il pnrti to be had as
young DE Luystcr, the wealthiest young
bachelor of New York; or as the old
Count Montmorenci, who, fascinated by
the beauties OF America, was about to
give his title, castles, Jewels and all the
'remalnderI 20 any II among them
enough to take his fancy; or MI. Bur-
ielgh, the great contractor, who owned
halt Illinois,; or a score Of others, in
fact, to the tired experience of each OF
whom Stella was like some spirit wan
derlng out OF a strange land, just ALT for
a moment among them. l knew in my
heart that Stella was faithful to her love,
but all of this disquicled and kept me in
I turmoil; and thera was no n of all
the suitors that so filled me with disgust
OF De Luyster.
Utterly worn out il the fierce pursuit
OF pleasure as he was. and knowing all |
did about him, to see him address my
little girl was profanati IN; and when !
%turlOusly watched them in the waltz,
the light touch of his hand seemed sac
rllege. For some inscrutabie reason, or
rather from my very reverence for her, !
could not speak freely to her On the
matter; l could not even harbor the idc,
of making him the subject of a second
thought in her innocent mind. II
glances could have killed the man he
would have been stabbed to death; the
rest 1 endured in silence.
MAnd 1t asked tor endurance, to see hel
flashing by reside DR.. Luyster as he
drove his fOur-in-hand; to see her stroll.
ling with him in the moonlight. and
pauSinS n the pausGs of the music tc
listen to the murmur of the sea; to see
him hand her to the dock of his yacht
rs II she were its queen-no matter if q
crowd were with them. it always seemed
to me then that she was there on the
wide sea alone with him.
1t was concerning this accursed yacht
that all the trouble came. Mrs. Rite
ner and her routine of youths and maid.
n were to 60 out with DR.. Luyster sail
ing along the coast Tor some days. His
yacht was his last pet fancy. She had
spread her wings and flown across the
Atiantl IN l don't know how few days
and from truck to keelson she was alto.
gether perfect. Doubtless / could have
gone along had l chosen. but there were
not forces in nature sufficient to have
drawn me on board the Flight.
Not going" cried Stella. coming
down to me in her blue yachting dress
and broad hat, with the fair hair waving
round her sweet face a sea-nymph in
disguise.
"Certainly notm I said. And
should greatly prefer that yeu also re-
manned at Aome.n
"l?" she cried, in gay astonishm.nt
"Why, how could I. dear? Icouldn't
you know. The sail is given for me.
Wtsh you would CO."
Cor l answered her. in scorn
She looked at me in amazement. "Wh,
d. you speak SOP" she asked.
'Whatright has that man to give I'll,
sail to you?-that-"I paused, remem
bering myself.
please tell me what you mean," sh,
said, gently.
"Imean nothing except to insist tina
you shall not Join that party"
1t is absolutely impossible for me no
10 do co." she. said, with a. little gasp
"'Ifyou had spoken before; butnow-
now it would be rude and unkind, an,
bp is ALWAYS so kind RI mo II uon1d -,