Louisiana capitolian., 1880-06-19

be at all strange.
This girl of 90 lived astrangely isolat.
ed life. She was the last Of her race
living on the estate bequeathed to her in
infancy by her dying father. A half
sister of her mothers, an aged woman
called Aunt Resolve, was her only com.
panion. She had never entered society.
She knew little of the world outside the
beautiful gardens and shores of the Ju-
nipers.
But for Aunt Resolve, the girl seemed
to be wasting her sweetness on the de-
sert air. The DEVOTED old woman idol
lied her. From her babyhood, she had
dressed, washed, and tended her. Per-
haps it was a mistaken fOndness that
relieved the heiress of all care of her
estate, for it required some manage
ment to make it yield an income for
the family, and Adelaide suffered from
ennui. Perhaps little care would
have been good for her. But Aunt Re-
solve thought differently, and tho girl
knew nothing Of the oyster-beds and
the crops thai were hers.
The girl stood in the rosepath again
the following evening, her garden hat
in her hand, her eyes unconsciously
fixed upon the yacht Mermaid in the
ofiing. She was in an unusually
thoughtful mood. There had come to
her for the first time the thought viii
ther her life was tending. To wear
away the seasons from youth to age in
uneventful monOtony, her soul unsatis'
fed, did not suit her. But spell, a
fate seemed upon her. Probably it
would never be otherwise; and a sad
ness no words could express spread
through all her consciousness.
A step upon the gravel. She turned
and encountered the CLEAN of two blue
eyes. Captain Somm ers bowed low.
Your pardon; more missing property,
Miss Westerley,' he stammered.
What is it nowN asked Adelaide, in
amazed tones.
"A ring | dropped yesterday. All, here
it is,' stopping to hide a guilty blush,
and Immediately, with strange good
fortune, discovering a diamond ring at
the edge of the grass plot.
lie showed it to her-a diamond
quantity set; his property for fifteen
years, he said, the gift of his dead
mother
The heiress Of the jumpers was as
guileIess as a child. She never thought
of fear: and what was there to sug-
gest it in gentle words and courtly
tones ? And, fortunately, Captain Som
mers was an honest man, and honestly
in love.
They chatted among the rose-vines
for long hour. The young man made
a practical use of his time. With undue
stress he told her who he was-the
younger Of two orphan brothers left
early to find their fortunes. The elder
had succeeded better than he: perhaps
less scrupulous, 1t was Godfrey's yacht
Gordon commanded. He had no money,
but he had not vice, and the good
will of all men.
And when he had gone, she found
! that he had left with her letters highly
complimentary, recommending him to
stations Of trust, so that she was able to
afford astOnished and alarmed Aunt
Resolve all the assurance she needed.
And now Adelaide was no longer
alone. She had a lover.
Week after week the yacht Mermaid
remained in the ofiing. Day by day the
young people iloatel on the smooth sum-
mer tide, or srrolled in the garden, or
sang at the cid piano songs ringing and
full Of sweetness.
Perhaps no happier hearts existed un-
der the sun. Then Godfrey Somers sent
for his yacht, and Gordon must needs
obey and speed North.
Oh, Gordon, you Will forget me' she
cried,
Forget my little oriole? Never Child,
you do not know how love you. Wear
this ring for me, AIelaide.'
1t was deep and yellow, and bore in
deeply engraved characters the word
Always And so they parted for few
weeks, betrothed lovers.
The summer wancd, but Adelaide was
so happy she did not mind when the rose
petals fell and the fruit was gathered.
Aunt Resolve, who watched her con-
stantly nowadays, saw that she was
wrapped in dream of bliss. Her ma
ture of great sweetness was alive, and
!. L. 4 !.