River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-12

/ claimed my attention.
wi, dearest, my great-niece, Peri Hol-
| brook She smiled.
| turned my ewes from Albert's face 10
meet the eager, half affrighted gaze Of the
golden-haired girl | could not but admire
bowed, and somewhat coldly accepted
the profiered hand, and answered the few
musical words of gentle welcome Then
invountarily flashed swift glance at
Albert.
All how the blood leaped through my
veins! And how | hated the charming
creature standing before me, so regally
graceful and sweet. Yes, hated her; for
there could be no installing the brooding
tenderness ard passion with which my
stepbrothur was regarding her.
But only Tor an instant did his eyes be
tray him; and as the pleasant hours OF the
evening flew by, grew halt disposed to
laugh nj nv Jealous pain. Nevertheless,
when NV stepmother followed me to my
room I smiled lightly.
peri is very lovely, mamma, and Al
bert seems to admire her.
Madame Nielc turned glance upon
me that covered my face with flood of
color
Nay, nay" she laughed softly the
next instant, winding her arms caress-
ingly about me. "You have no cause for
jealousy, my love Albert is heart-whole,
and knows well that it is my dearest wish
to see him your husband. Knowing this, y
she added with naughty sternness, he
would not dare brave me by loving anoth-
cr.' Then, with swift return 10 her
former tenderness, she continued; my
dear child, ! trust you can make me hap
by by loving my handsome and noble
SOM
could not bear the gaze of her pene-
tNting black eve, soft as it was, and my
face dropped blushingly 10 her friendly
shoulder
Il am eloquently answered, love, y she
whispered softly; ''and let me say that,
with your rare beauty and winning grace,
You are sure to garner his whole heart.
MAY Heaven bless YOU. my dearl''
Then as she kissed me good night, she
cried earnestly
Don't rush INTO icalously, vi. Peri is
q good and beautiful girl; but Albert
gives her only cousinly affection. Though
She is in no way dependent upon me pc
cuniarily, | promised her dying mother
to give her home at Gray Fell, as you
know and YOU can see, my love, how
very unpleasant il would make il for YOU
to brood over foolish iealously So
dear, put all that nonsense out of your
charming head and rest assured that |
am right. My eyes are keen, and in the
eighteen months she has been at Gray
Fell must inevitably have penetrated a
secret Of that kind
"OfCOurse mamma is right, | muir
INJURED as the door closed on her imperial
form, and | summoned Manton.
But my maid dismissed, sat down in
my dressing gown and stared at the glow
ing GOALS, my thoughts and feelings in an
anxious whirl. After time l rose, sigh
ing impaticntly.
81 can't sleep, will go down and get
a book
With the words l crept out into the
hall
I had travcrscd half its length when
the sound of stealthy steps on the stairs
sent me with bated breath behind the
heavy damask curtains of window near
me.
Burglars were in my mind, but l made
no cutlery. The next minute the steps
paused a few feet from me and | was
quickly undeceived.
\ voice we'll knew, murmured in
hushcd tones, Don't grieve, my darling
it will all come right Only be patient,
my own
And felt more than heard the soft
kiss that finished the sentence.
1t was PERKS voice that answered.
''Oh, Albert. Albert" she breathed, fall
teringIy. "Where Is it all to end. We
have done very, very wrong, dearest
And oh, Albert, she loves you, saw It'll
in those great, passionate, dusky eyes of
hers tonight and in a vague terror of the
future [ stared almost wildly at her as
Aunt Ray presented me
Nonsense Do YOU want to make me
vanl" laughed my stepbrother softly
And then he murmured in graver accents
8. You say We have done wrong, darling
that we had to choose between
two evils, Remember that my mother
possesses an iron will She would have
ground us both to powder rather than
consent 10 what We"
Yes, YES, | know sighed Peri, before
he could finish the sentence | was painting
10 hear
Then cease to grieve. darling" he
whispered "And now, once more, good
night"
And knew he folded her close to his
heart for brief moment
As their doors closed noiselessIy upon
thcir retiring forms | crept weakly back
10 my chamber, pride, anger and dispair
clutchiug at my heart-strings.
With stifled cry flung n yselt pas
sionately on the rug before the fire and
buried my face in the tiger-sl1in covering
"a pile Of soft, yielding hassocks.
Lost lost to met | moaned in my
fierce agony And then starting upright,
painted with vengefu breath "But
what meant that unfinished sentence2
Can they
And then paused and stared breath
lcsSly at the glowing GOALS.
.Ah" | will watch | will watch =
muttercd later.
And | shivered at the sound of my own
low, relentless voice.
did watch
AtdQdNlt tttC uGNti tticdtuEu VI tlit
task that engaged me; nor did the victims
OF my pride and love [ took care TO be
always gay and charming, SO how could
they suspect'
But something | marveled my keen
eyed stepmother failed to observe PERKS
pallor and evident sadness
''Ah, we'll, | laughed, harshly, to my
self, ''she will see it all in good time, and
then let them look to themselves" So l
silently Swallowed the pair.
Night after night they stole an hour OF
blissful peace in the ante-room of the dim
old library, and night after night was
ruthlessly ON their track. But in vain |
listened their fond speech. The unfinish-
ed sentence had caught in the hall above
remained unfinished.
But one wild, bleak night, a month
later, my task was ended. With stifled
breath noiselessly crept from the library
TO my stepmother's chamber.
She sat in her dressing gown before
the fire, lost in an enchanting book. At
my stealthy and unceremOnious entrance
she glanced up.
'sGreat Heavensr she cried, dropping
her book and staring at me in alarm
'sAre YOU i'll, Viz
| laughed harsh, short laugh.
"Only transformed into a Nemesis,
mammal
"a Nemesis echoed my stepmother
in slow tcnes of profound amazement, the
next instant adding impetuously, ''You
l.