The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-31
A Brave Girl.

nAEASEU
my outspoken admiration.
'fShe is indeed beautiful, and as true
as she is lovely"
Then we silently watched the pair on
horseback until they disappeared: but
the pure, pale, high-bred face, with the
dark eyes filled with love-light as they
gazed upon the proud, manly figure Of
her escort, remained fixed in my men,
DRY. / instinctively felt that I had seen
a woman who would do and dare, and
longed TO know more of that life which
] was sure had been no common one.
"DO you know the young lady ?i' I
asked Of the tiny, silver-haired lady by
my side.
/ had arrived in Saratoga but the
night before, and had risen early this
lovely June morning, and had been re-
warded by the sight Of that perfect face.
VERY we'll. Her mother was my
dearest friend"
And while the pair OF whom have
spoken pursued their way TO the lake, l
sat and listened 20 as sweet and tender a
little love-story as it has ever been my
lot 70 hear.
"Nes, Elaine is very beautiful; very
like her mother when she married law
yer Foster. He was a stern husband,
leaving the little Elaine to his care. /
do not think he ever loved the child,
hut he was proud of her beauty. Three
months of every year he allowed her to
spend with me, in accordance with her
dying mothers wish.
ain nv large, breezy house in the
country the little girl spent the SUM
months in a perfect abandonment Of de-
light at her escape from the somber re-
straints Of her fathers house in the city.
Having no children Of our own, my
husband and / loved her as il she had
been our very own.
"Three years ago, shortly after Elaine
came 10 Us, / was seized with a low,
nervous fever My darling hung over
my bed with all the loving anxiety of a
daughter. DR.. Ray, young physician
Wh no had been settled in our village for
about two years, came every day to see
nae. / might have known that there
could be but one result to unrestrained
daily intercourse between two young
people so fitted to each other in all re-
spects save that of wealth but my ILL
ness, / suppose, made me careless Of
anything except my own suffering.
zone evening, in the latter part of
August, when l was sufficiently recov-
cred to sit in my easy chair, had been
watching the sunset, and must have
fallen into a little doZe, when | heard
my darling come quickly into the room,
felt her throw her arms about my waist
and drop her head in my lap, murmur-
ing,
so happy so happyG
"'What is il, dear heart % l said,
smoothing her golden hair.
Then the answer came, which I, in
d.
suspected:
f'Auntie, Philip loves me, and am
the happies girl in the world .
-" sat a moment, unable to speak.
Then at last l faltered:
80 Elaine Your fathern
The girl shrank back, frightened for
the moment from her happy dreaming.
Then the divine hOpefulness of youth
and love asserted itself, aud she replied:
DIR. Ray will go 70 New York and
speak to father shortly after / 20 back
aud when be sees Philip and knows how
We love each other, he cannot refuse to
make US happy
The following week my little girl
went back ,she never called it going
hOme,' twas simply going back > she
came home 10 June, she used 10 say
aud few days after DR.. Ray also left
AAl new ANlh.
"Then came a heart-brOken letter
from my darling. Her father had
laughed at Philips love for her; ridi-
culed his poverty, and told him to make
a fortune before he aspired to Elaine's
hand. At the close Of the interview the
Judge had said:
"'Young man, don't let me hear
from you again on this subject for two
years, and see that you bold no COM
munication with Elaine during that
time. Then, ii you two still think you
love each other, and you have made
enough TO support wife respectfully,
will hear what you have 10 say
'With this they were obliged to be
content.
Then Philip Ray came to me. His
eyes glistened and his hand was fever
ish. He was altogether unlike his old
self He was going away. He couldn't
make money fast enough there, and
money he must have, or he could never
see his darling again. He would 60
West.
"The next two Summers were lonely
ones 10 me. Judge Foster would not lei
my little girl come home. He said
had deceived him. Perhaps / bad, but
/ did not mean to do so. Elaine wrote
often. Sometimes the letters were hope
fol; more often they were sad with the
WEAKNESS Of hope deferred. Occasional
mention was made of a certain Dilkes
Ramsay, a gentleman whom her father
had taken into partnership. Mr.. Ram
say, she wrote, was very polite to her,
but she did not fancy him. She didn't
want to drive with him; she didn't care
to see his beautiful home; but her
father seemed 10 wish her 10 accent
these attentions, and then il would not
last so long, for the two years were
nearly over.
September came, and with it a wild,
piteous letter from my darling. She
. had heard nothing from Philip; perhaps
he was dead; certainly he loved her no
longer, or he would come and claim her.
Her father had waited until the two
years were up, then told her 10 was his
will that she should marry one who
loved her, and not waste her life signing
over the unfaithfulness Of one who cared
nothing for her. She told me she had
written Mr. Ramsay a note begging
MIN 70 cease prosecuting her with his
attentions but that he came next day
as smiling and determined as ever. g
Inen she wrote again. She had
ceased TO rebel against fate. The mar.
rage had been arranged for the third
week IN December. All she had stinn-
lated was that l should come to her and
spend the last week before the WEDDING
in her fathers house.
81 went. Though my poor girls face
lighted up with joy at seeing M. IN
soon fell into listless, despondent W.
sadder to see than any tears or r.
proaches. Once ] mentioned Pbilini,
name. She started, as though she hac
been stuug.