The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-25

STELLA.


My house. my home. my heart are still!
Mary Iinge Dercrc. in n. Y. Independent.
STELLA.
JUST at that moment there was moth
ing in the universe between Vega Lyra
and me. lay out there among the
rocks at the foot of the shrubs that the
wind was blowing the other way, the
sea rustling up the shingle far 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 Il desolation since Stella went to
sea.
Ii she had not gone rs she did. l said
TO myself when the first fire fell; but
what was one to expect of Il 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 rustic
taste. But when went to Hillside as
the headquarters of my sketching-
ground. it seemed to me that fairer
hues and finer lines and more ethereal
beauty l had never found-delicatc as
some chiseled statue, color such as that
statue might have if it just began to
breathe and blush, and silky hair soft
As a childs. with tendril-like rings. In
three months time the airy perfect be-
ing had promised to be my wife, when
ever the good taste of patrons should so
increase that my pictures would shelter
two. and meanwhile we kept the story
of our passion to ourselves-the sweeter
secret.
Life sped on that year with rainbowed
wings: the future stretched bright as a
dream; the present was pure JOY.
In the second year Stella went to
visit friends at Newport, once the sum-
mcr boarders of Hillside, but now the
owners of Il villa all peaks and gables
and yerandas, set amid lawns and
fountains and vases overlooking with
flowers. on the edge of the sea-a pal
ace 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 dav l followed down behind her
and established myself-Newport was
one of my old haunts. and l had known
how to be happy there once. did not
know how to be happy there now. l
had scarcely moment of Stella to
myself. If l went to Mrs. Rittener' S
in the morning, throng of beribboned
damsels sat on the wide porches en-
circling Stella; they learned a song,
they practiced new dance together,
and with the groups of dandies, young
millionaires and attaches of foreign
legations they did little of the Boo
caccio and Vatican life. In the after
noon l found the horses at the gate.
Breakfasts. tetes champetres, matinees
dansdntes, bathing, driving, yachting,
filled one day after another, and Stella
was the joyous thing round which
everything seemed to circle. 1t was a
new life to her. She knew it did not
belong to her: that it was leaf Dor.
rowed from the existence of others
that she must 90 back to quiet dutie:
and restricted pleasures. 1t was like
reading some delicious romance; she
reveled in it now and gave no heed tt
the time when it should come to an end
But II. of course, did not recogniz,
this. saw her like butterfly hover
ing over bright flowers. as light, pur
poseless, as lovely, dancing in the beam
drinking the perfume all a la tolie; ant
every day of it maddened me one de
gree more than the last. Early in thu
morning. from my own window, l cOult
see her alone on the lawn in her whit,
gown. strolling to lean over the sea, o.
filling her arms with flowers; but i
would have been out of the question t,
go to her then; and late at night, if
fingered till others had departed, 1 wa
harassed by Mrs. Rittener, who knew
nothing of any relation between us
and who disapproved of poor arts
while there was such a pdrti to be ha,
as young De Luyster, the wealthies
blase Young bachelor of New York; 0
as the old Count Montmorcnci, who
fascinated by the beauties. of America
was about to give his .jeunesse epuisee
his title, castles, Jewels and all the ere
mainder,' to any one among them VIII
Glanced to be lovely and adroit enough
to take his fancy; or Mr.. Burleigh, tn
great pork-contractOr, who owned hal
Illinois; or score of others, in fact, t
the tired experience of each of WHOM
Stella was like some spirit wanderin,
out of strange land, just ALT for
moment among them. | knew in m
heart that Stella was faithful to he
love. but all of this disquieted and KEEP
me in turmoil; and there was no ON
of all the suitors that so filled me wit
disgust as De Luyster.
Utterly worn out in the fierce l.ursui
Of pleasure as he was, and knowing al
l did about him. tOsee him address m
little girl was proclamation; and when
furiously watched them in the walt,
the light touch of his hand seemed sa,
rilege. For some inscrutable reason, {
rather from my very reverence for he
could not speak freely to her on Ii
matter; L could not even harbOr tt
idea of making him the subject of
second thought in her innocent min
If chances could have killed the man
would have been stabbed to death; Il
rest endured in silence.
And it asked for endurance, to 81
her flashing by beside De Luyster
he drove his four-in-hand; to see h
strolling with him in the moOnligh
and pausing in the pauses of the mus
to listen to the murmur of the sea;
see him hand her to the deck of
yacht as if she were its queen
matter if crowd were with them,
always seemed to me then that she w
there on the wide sea alone with hir
1t was concerning this occurs,
yacht that all the trouble came. MI
Rittener and her retinue of youths al
maidens were to go out with DE Luy
ter sailing along the coast some day
His yacht was his last pet fancy. s.
had spread her wings and flown aero
the Atlantic in l don't know how fe
days, and from truck to keelson s
was altogether perfect. Doubtless
could have gone along had ! chose