The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-10-08

neSce, passionate ioge-
lifted my eyes, lustrous with the
new born feeling. TO the handsome
smiling face Of my brother, aud again
my heart swelled with jealous pain al
sigh, of its unruified calm.
BIT the next moment Madame vi.
ele claimed my attention.
"Vi, dearest, my grea. niece, Peri
Holbrook.n She smiled.
l turned my eyes from Albert's
face to meet the eager half-aGrighted
gaze of the golder-haired girl l could
not but admire.
| bowed, and somewhat coldly &C.
cepted the proffered hand, and an.
swered the few m1sical words of gen.
tie welcome. Then l inyoluniarily
flashed a swift glance at Albert.
All, how the blood leaped through
my veins! And bow | hated the
charming creature standing before
me, so regaliy graceful and sweet.
Yes, ] hated her, for there could be
no mis,aking the breeding tenderness
and passion with which my STEP
brother was regarding ber.
But only for an instant did his
eyes betray him; and as the pleasant
hours of the evening flew by, / grew
half disposed to laugh at my jealous
pain. Nevertheless, when my STEP
mother followed ne to nv room l
smiled lightly.
"Peri, is very lovely, mamma, and
Albert seems to admire herr
Madame viele turned glance up
or me that covered my face with q
food Of color.
"Nay, nay" shelsughed softly the
next instant, winding her arm caress-
idgly about me-
You have no causes for Jealousy,
my love. Albert is heart-whole, and
knows well that it is my wish to see
him your husband. Knowing this,"
she added with saughty sterDness,
"he would not dare brave me by low
ing another"
Then, with a swift return to her
former tenderness, she continued !:
"My dear child, l trust you can make
me happy by lovipg my handsome
and noble son {"
Don't rash into jealousy, vi. Pc
ri is good and beautiful girl, but
Albert gives ber only cousinly af-
fection. Though abe is in no way
dependent upon me peeuniarily, |
promised her dying mother to give
her home at Gray Fell, as you
know and you can see. my love,
how very unpleasant it would make
it for you to brood over foolish
jealousy So. dear, put ali that nom
sense out Of your charming head and
rest assured that / am right My
eyes are keen, and in the eighteen
months she has been at Grey Fell
must inevitably have penetrated O
secret Of that kind
"Oi course, mamma ia right,n l
mnrmared as the door closed on her
imperial form. and / summoned Men
ton.
But, my maid dismissed, sat down
in my dressing gown and stared at
the glowing Goals, my thoughts and
feelings in an anxious whirl. Alter a
time l rose, sighingly impatiently.
Il can't sleep; viii 60 down and
geta book"
With the words crept out into
the hall. l had uaversed half its
length when the sound of stealthy
steps on the stairs sent me with ba-
ted breath behind the heavy damask
curtains of a window near me.
Burglars were in my mind, but l
made no outcry. The next minute
the steps passed few feet from me,
and was quickly undeceived.
A voice | well knew murmured in
hushed tones, Don't grieve, nv
darling, it viii all come right. Only
be patient, my own"
And l felt more than heard the soft
kiss that finished that sentence.
1t was Peri's voice that answered
"Oh, Albert Albert.r she breath
ed, falteringly. Where is it all to
end? We have done very, very
wrong, dearest. And oh, Albert, she
loves youl | saw it in those great,
passionate, dusky eyes of hers to-
night, and in a vague terror of the
future stared almost wildly at her
as Aunt Ray presented me-"
Nonsense Do you want to make
NE vain ~ laughed my step-brother
softly. And then be murmured in
graver accents: You say we have
done wrong, darling. Remember we
had to choose between two evils. Re-
member that my mother possesses an
iron will She would have ground
US both to powder rather than con-
sent To what We"
Yes, yes, ! know" sighed Peri,
before be could finish the sentence /
was painting TO hear.
Then cease TO grieve, darling" be
whispered. And now. once more,
good night"
And knew he folded her close to
bis heart for brief moment.
AS their doors closed noiselessly
upon their retiring forms ! crept
weakly back to my chamber, pride,
anger and despair clutching at my
heart-strings
With stiiied cry flung myself
passionately on the rug before the
Gre and buried my face 10 the tiger
skin coverings pile of soft, yielding
hassocks.
"Lost! los. 10 me !" | moaned in
my fierce agony. And then, starting
upright, l panted with rengeful
breath. "But what meant that uu-
finished sentence? Can they"
And then paused and stared
breathlessly at the glowing Goals.
.Aht I will watch | will watch y,