Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-03

WanucIluS Sllio, auu viz nNSSN 'N
bled in her hand. of fcouse he is mar
ricd.' she added, IN lighter tone, only
the idea never occurred to me betore-it
took me unawares.
What had Victor Blumenthal meant,
she asked herself, by those words q
thought tco tender By glances that
made love palmer than speech Why
had he held her hand till she blushed,
and kissed the pink nger-tlps? Why
had he sought her out, only to break
her heart? Did he not love his cousin
Theodore E? And then she hid her face
in her pillow, remembering how her
heart had gone out to a married man.
Another woman's lover, and she had
mistaken him tor her own! Doubtless
this was why she had neither seen nor
heard from him for so long; he had di-
yIncd her heart, and conscience had
made a coward of him. But it should
never be said Of her that she wore her
heart on her sleeve. And when Victor
returned with the sister whom he had
lust succeeded in snatching from the VAL
lev ofshadows, having written to Nina,
but in his anxiety mailed the letter
without an address, she had been engag-
ed to Mr.. Grandelaw for a month al
ready, and had gone to visit his mother
in a uelghboring town till the wedding
shou d lake place, without leaving any
trace behind her. Grandelaw had, in
fact, prosecuted her into consent. A
thousand things had conspired in his
favor. She had fallen i'll and into debt,
and work had failed, and Grandelaw
had sent his own physician to her, with
fruits and flowers and wines, had taken
her out IL his carriage when air was
prescribed, and had ended By proposing
to take care of her all her life, by win
ming reluctant consent to endow her
with all his worldly goods. Victor had
deceived her, or rather she had taken
too much for granted, and had deceived
herself. and what better could she do
than reward the devotion Of Grandelaw,
who assured her that he had love
enough for them both
Everybody was very kind at Laurel
Lodge everything was fine enough to
win a mercenary heart, if Nina had
owned one. Nobody hinted that Gran
delaw was making an unequal marriage.
One day when Nina returned from
GALLON across the hills with Grandclaw,
there was tall, gracious woman wait
ing for them on the yeranda, who al
lowed Grandelaw to kiss her hand, and
made Nina a stately bow.
Have the skies fallen, that we catch
larks p asked Nina's lover.
Il see that you have already caught
one laughed his cousin Stella.
Stella has come to look at her rival,
said Mrs. Grandelaw, when Nina bade
her goodnight. We feared that my
son would marry Stella some day.
thought so herself, but dis'pprove OF
cousins marryisg.'
Did she love him?' gasped Nina.
L dare say she Loved him we'll
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 gayor or SUMMER than
she during those days. She sparkled
with repartec and anecdote, and shook
her listeners with gales Of laughter
Perhaps she was showing Grandelaw
what n mistake he had made to choose
this sad, shadowy woman instead OF
herself.
L have been sitting for my portrait,
she SAID one evening. NIna's heart
gave little stir had she not sat Tor
her picture once' The moon was SHIN
ing in through the long windows OF the
drawing room there was no other
light in the room, except the fitful blaze
behind the fender. Grandelaw had
been called out Of town on business for
night Or two.
Indeed said Mrs. Grandelaw. lie
it not a tedious affair ?
1t would be, perhaps, ifany one but
Victor Blumenthal were painting it,
Nina started end dropped her face.
Had she come to Laurel Lodge to hear
of Victor?
And who is Victor Blumenthal?
asked Stella's aunt another fame OF
yours:'
4 have seen no symptoms Of thai
Iklnd,' laughed Stella. l wish might.
He would make an ideal lover
But he is marred, spoke Nina out
of the shadow, and there was the sound
Of tears in her voice. if any one had ears
to hear. He is married, Stella
Then Grandelaw has told you about
him? Yes; it was so romantIe-and
sad.'
Didn't the marriage turn out well !
asked Mrs. Grandelaw, to whom ro'
nance meant nonsense.
THAT depends returned Stella
eHe married his cousin Theodore =
: sIhave no patience with cousins
marrying
No? There was no great need ofpa-
tience in this case. BlumenthaPs
grandfather had left all the money TO
Theodora and her mother. Victor was
as poor as became an artist to be. l
! suppose Theodore had always loved
bi,, hut she insisted upon being married