The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-12-14

az '''' - go 49, ~ - 49, '' "a
c~ouor!~,, lrgul. Il, had drittrd tn
Nrwr"I W.thuut i,Ipu>," I intent. He
t"uud !lmsrlf held There, It., a Vessel t.
It's Wu"Iings: but he knew hI~ auCh"l-
~" lay III Laura >terHr'S smile,
ilrw ii lit up the lovely face Was
IT uuIy us fancy that it always waited
ms coming to first dawn III the wondrI-
tul eyes, and then to grow and deepen
until the red lips caught it,
Vaughn Dare is a firt, y said Dame
Gossip.
sit is diamond cut diamond said
Dame On Dit.
There is "a Jfance awaiting in Goth
am. y asserted Dame Rumor.
But. spite of the three ancient and
worthy ~ danes. the lovers wendell
their way content.
Were they lovers? Had they paused
to put the question to themselves?
Sometimes they would spend hours al
most without words, when Vaughn,
throwing himself OIL the sands at Miss
Sterne's feet, would let his eyes rest
dreamily on the perfect face, on which
neither sun nor wind seemed ever to
rest but with loving impress.
Have you apicture of YOURSELF" he
asked her, n day.
"No." she answered. Isl have never
had a photograph taken. Strange, is it
not? 1 have always hated the idea of
having a cardboard representation of
myself in the possession Of ones five
hundred friends. If one's picture could
be held by one-the one for whom yoC
have had it drawn or painted, one
whom you know would value it as a
counterfit of the real-it might be diff
ferent."
Did she expect that he would answer,
II want It'll L would be that onel''
Silence fell for a moment between
them; then Vaughn sprang to his feet,
and Offering her his arm, they walked
silently back to the house.
That night, as they had finished a
waltz together, he whispered in her ear:
81 am tired of all these people. l
want to be alone. May we not go up for
awhile into your parlor?"
Certainly" she replied, her mood
always falling in with his, and led the
way, he following.
1t was a pretty little room, to which
she had brought the stampo her own
individuality. The music from below
reached them but family; the salt air
| from the ocean stirred the draperies
from the window.
Without, the atmosphere was weary,
oppressive, as though "A storm were
brooding. 1t seemed to weigh on
Vaughn Dare's spirit.
He leaned out to look into the night
to try, if possible. TO shake it off. A
faint scream reused him.
Miss Sterne had crossed the room to
her e%scrltoire; "a breath OF wind had
blown the lace shawl she had thrown
about her shoulders, and fastened ON
her hair, directly across the flame of
the lamp. 1t had instantly taken fire.
AS instantly, Dare comprehended the
danger. A table stood at his side, COW
cred with some pretty, dainty cloth.
He dragged it off, and threw it about
her.
Scarce sixty seconds, and the peril
was oyeri She was unscorched un-
married, but he still held her as he had
caught her-close-wrapped in his arms
-close-pressed to his heartl
One of his hands was severely burned.
He did not even know it, until she
caught and pressed it to her lips.
"For mel'' she whispered. vaughn,
Vaughnl L love you'll love youl The
life you have saved is yours
at her words, he slowly opened his
arms and released her from his hold, an
ashen pallor creeping on his face.
She looked up at him in dim, bewild-
cred wonderment.
what is it?n she questioned.
r,Only that you have opened heaven
to me, and l must turn away from its
gates. Mad, blind fool that l have
been, not TO see whittier we were drift
ing. Laura, l love you-aye, as you
Love ,.. md no, HOUND :. tN,0~ -
another woman
You mean that you have been en-.
gagged to-be-married all this time,
and l. Oh, what have 1 done?'' GOV.
ering her face with her hands and sink
ing back in her chair.
Nothing he replied, ''but what
the loveliest, purest of women might
have done. Knowing no evil, you
thought none ~
Leave mel' she cried, springing to
her feet. go to the woman who has
the right to claim you. L make to
heaven but one prayer-that l may
never see your face again.'
But when he had obeyed her, she
crouched down on the floor in her strug-
gle to keep back the moans-aye, and
kissed the spot where his feet had rest
ed.
Calm, silent, impassive, all her life,
he had opened the pent-up flood-gates
of her soul, for this--for this.
4
We have made a mistake. Forgive
me hat my eyes have just opened to it,
and that l ask you to release me from
my bonds. l thought l loved you; but
women do not always know their own
hearts. | send you back your ring,
your letters. Send me back my broken
pledge, and your forgiveness"
This was the letter, from his affianc.
ed, Vaughn Dare found waiting him in