Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-02-05

and urandelaw had sent his own physi-
clan to her, with fruits, and flowers and
wines, had taken her out in his carriage
when air was prescribed, and had ended
by proposing to take care of her all her
life, by winning reluctant consent to
endow her with his worldly goods.
Victor had deceived her, or rather she
hak taken too much for gran ed, and de-
ceived herself, and what better could she
do than reward the devotion of Grande-
law, who assured her that he had love
enough for them both:
Everybody was very kind at Laurel
Lodge; everything was fine enough to
win mercenary heart, if Nina had
owned one. Nobody limited that Gran
delaw was making an unequal marriage.
One day when Nina returned from gall
lop across the hills with Grandelaw,
! there was tall, grcious woman waiting
for them on the verandah, who allowed
Grandelaw to kiss her hand, and made
Nina stately bow.
larks? asked Nina's lover.
Z" see that you have already caught
one" laughed his cousin Stella.
"Stella has come to look at her rival, :"
said Mrs. Grandelaw, when Nina babe
her good night. eve feared that my
son would marry Stella some day. She
thought so herself, but l disapprove of
cousins marrying"
odd she love him ?" gasped Nina.
&c! dare say she loved him well
| enough but one survives these things. {"
"Oh, how she must hate me |" cried
Nina.
But if Cousin Stella hated or loved she
knew how to disguise her feelings; nobody
could be gayer or SUMMER than she dur
ing those days. She sparkled with re-
partee and anecdote, and shook her lis
teners with gales Of laughter. Perhaps
sh' was showing Grandelaw what mis-
take he had made to choose this sad,
! shadowy woman instead of herself.
81 have been sitting for my portrait"
she said one evening. Nina's heart gave
little stir; had she not sat for her pic
ture once? The moon was shining
IN through the long windows of the
drawing room there was no other light
in the room except the fitful glare be-
hind the fender. Grandelaw had been
called out of town on business for
night or two.
"Iudeed, said Mrs. Grandelaw. els
it not tedious affair"
I" 1t would be, perhaps, if any one but
Victor Blumenthal were painting it."
Nina started and dropped her fan.
Had she come to Laurel Lodge to hear
of Victor?
"And who is Victor Blumenthal ?"
asked Stella's aunt" another flame of
yours.
81 have seen no symptoms of that
kind" laughed Stella. "I wish l
might. He would make an ideal lover"
But he is married. spoke Nina out
OF the shadow, and there was sound of
tears in her voice, if any one had ears
to hear. "He is married, Stella
"Theu Grandelaw has told you about
him ? Yes, it was so romautic-and sad. :"
Didn't the marriage turn out we'll ?"
asked Mrs. Grandelaw, to whom romance
means nonsence.
THAT depends" returned Stella.
He married his cousin Theodore"
81 have no patience with cousins mar
rying."
ono? There was no great need of
patience in this case. Blumenthal's
grandfather Ind left oil the money to
Theodore and her mother. Victor was
rs poor as become an artist to be. |
suppose Theodore always loved him, but
she insisted on being married to him on
her death bed, that he might inherit her
portion of the fortune. She died an
hour afterward."
Nina sat like one stunned with an
earthquake shock; all Grnndelaw's per-
fidy stood ont like the hand writing on
the wall. Victor hnd loved her after all.
His kiss had not been trenchery. She
would go to him. She would leave this
prison for ever and ever. How had she
ever dreamed of loving Grandelaw some
day?
"You have been very kind to me-"
Nina said, when she kissed Mrs. Grande-
law goodnight. q shall always bless
you for it: but--Stella would make
Grandelaw better wife, and you bet
ter daughter"
My son and think differently re-
piled his mother; but she remembered
afterward that Nina had fingered and
hesitated-" Just as ii she wished to ask
pardon for something" Mrs. Grandelaw
explained; and when Grandelaw himself
returned to Laurel Lodge, there was
title three-cornered note on his library
table, in Nina's hand, which read:
''If l should marry you. Mr.. Arson Grande-
law, some day, in looking over your file Of old
T1'lbuaes, | should happen upon one containing
the marriage of Victor Blumenthal to his cou-
sin Theodore, aud the notice of her death on
the saIne day, and your deceit would Kill what
ever love had learned to bear you.
n ,rp.Nl- Inv and mako StsIla bar,,r