Connecticut western news., 1879-07-09

 little thing, with certain kind of beau ty of the wax-don order, with big blue eyes, dainty features and clustering haxen hair.
 They came forward to where Renee stood.
 "Clare," he said, " this is the young lady I told you Of, Miss Courtland. Renee Miss Courtland, my betrothed wife, Miss Duvane."
 "His betrothed wife p
 Tine words rang in Renee's ears, then soemeyt to G4s,o tr7Tsty with faint, moan ing sound.
 Remember she was only seventeen and childish for her age.
 Tie bright young face grew pallid as death and all the sweet light seemed to fa2e from her eyes. Victor strode to her side. "Take ne home, Victor. IT don't feel very well Please take me"
 The words died away on her lips and the next moment Victor held her white and sen seless in his arms. * *
 A magnificent room, large, lofty and furnished with almost Oriental splen- dor, from the velvet carpet, into which the foot sank noiseless'y, the silken in- laid furniture, the wondrous gems of art that adorned the walls, the rare sta- tues that flied every conceivable nook, | to the most minute article in the room.
 At one of the windows a tall, slender woman stood holding back with slender jewelled hand the foam-ike draperies- woman so radiantly, rarely beautiful that even the casual passer-by half paused with a look of involuntary ad- miration on his face.
 The low white brow, the great dark eyes, the curving crimson lips and waving masses of blue-black hair made 8 picture almost perfect in it's rare loveliness.
 And yet it was not satisfied face j; there was a look of past pain and present longinr, strangely mingled, resting upon it. Where the expression lay you could 1 hardly G6ll, only It WaS Gn0fe.
 And this graceful woman, who seemed born for the wealth that surrounded her, was Renee Courtland. who had lain so white and still in Victor Gray's arms six long years before.
 The change in her life had come so suddenly, so unexpectedly. An uncle of her fathers, who had never spoken to him after his marriage with tho pretty French girl, had seen Renee and, being childless, had left her all his wealth.
 Not for love-" he said, ''she was too like her Frenchifed mother for that, though there was something of the Courtiand about her as we'll, but simply because she was a Courtland and his nearest of kin."
 But loyal Renee had never forgotten her old friends, for when in her stately home Margaret Gray was with her, and every summer the little cottage welcomed her fair young face again.
 For weeks and months after the day she tainted in Victor's arms Renee haG been the shadow of her former self. Pale and listless, 1t seemed as if hope would never reassert her sway in th' tender young heart, and Victor watched her, suffering almost as much in his ow1 great love for her. It seemed at times to Renee Courtlant as if her heart must break, with it's pas sionate pain, but hearts do not breal easily at seventeen, and Renee con { quered her love, then buried it out o sight for ever, and as time passed on, i 1t rose to confront her, she put it asid , with ell the strength of her nature. ? Then came the great change in he life, and smiles came back to the beau tiful face, though sometimes the shado1 F of the old pain darkened it. B And four years later she met Leste l Sinclair again, handsomer, if possible
 than ever, with new gravity about hin j. that became him we'll.
 He had laid his fair young wife to res a in her grave, and was free again. Renee's face grew pale when she frs
 heard it, paler still he bent over he n hand, and then the past seemed to b = forgotten.
 @ Even when he married Lis wealth d heiress, Clare Duvane, Lester Sinclai e knew that the little, dark-eyed girl he1 d more Of bis heart than he would willing
 ly acknowledge, and now, seeing he IT day after day, so regal in her lovelines e the old love deepened, till Renee Cour
 land held every hope of happiness fc
 him.
 v- As time passed on Victor Gray notice g au added reetfulness in Renee's eye 7s that the weary look around her mout '? deepened and could scarcely understa1 ie it.
 He enters the room now, graver, pc e. haps sterner than of old, and the gi
 came forward to meet him. m "You arc welcome, Vjctor," she sai s. claspirg his hand, "and Margaret W CT be so very glad"
 "You do not look happy this evenin ct Rnnee," he said, his eyes on her face. Tae girl turned away with quic
 impatient gesture. ls- II am not happy" she said "1 in life has been one mistake" oo Which will be righted in time," Hi answered, quietly though his face pal
 slightly.
 nd When Victor left her she went ba
 to her place at tie window egain. rg "Wlll happiness pass me by forever :ed she cried "is he blind or is it that
 will not see 2"