The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-11-24
A FATAL INHERITANCE.
BY LEIGH L. BRoOKNER.

Is this artlStS blouse becOmln3 to
me?" asked Drusilla Sterling OF her
Cousin Lucrcce.
What matter whether a garment be-
comes you or notp Your attitudes are
always graceful and fascinating. If it
were for this alone it would be worth
while to be the daughter of dancer. I
wonder what Maxwell st. Ives would
say if he knew that?"
Drusillas anger, was at white heat,
but so great was her self-control That to
an ordinary observer she would have
seemed perfectly calm. Her voice was
unusually smooth and low rs she replied
to Lucrece's scornful speech:
"Thank you for your compliment,
though it is not by any means new for
me to be told that am graceful. As
for st. Ives knowing the story OF my
porentagc, mean TO tell him rs soon as
occasion demands; at present he is too
little interested in me or my affairs to
care about the story"
Poor Lu felt that her thrust had been
without effect. 1t was rarely she al-
lowed herself to he so bitter, but surely
che had occasion. Here was this squint-
eyed. pale faced, ill-bon and ill-bred
creature, who, by some elfHh witchory,
bad won Lucerce's handsome lover from
her.
From the first moment Roy Sebert
heard Drusilla's voice he had been ready
to follow her through the world. Only
two months from England, and nlteady
go unfortunate a. to have caused an atli-
anccd lover to he unfaithful to his VOWS
1t was rumored that II young curato ON
the other side of the watcr had COM
mitted suicide for her sake.
When her cousin left the room Dru-
silla sat down before the pier-glass and
looked at herself steadily, sadly.
"My fate follows me. | am doomed
to make trouble wherever go. Iu is
jealous, and, therefore, unjust. ] have
never, by the slightest conscious act,
tried to win her lover. Yet Roy is hand
some, and the temptation has been very
strong sometimes"
1t was source of deep humiliation TO
Drusilla that her mother had been an
actress, and, when she remembered her
cousins taunt, she resolved to Try and
make her more unhappy.
81 will deny myself the pleasure of
being amiable TO Roy Sebert no longer.
If Cousin Lu, with those lovely dark
ewes of hers, cannot enchaln lover, we
will see what the daughter of dancer
can do
She lifted small green-velvet shade
from the toilet table and placed it over
her eyes. An intense and unrcmittlnG
devotion to philosophical studies had
made her nearly blind. Certainly, her
ewes were not pleasant to look at, and
she said, 81 certainly wish to shock no
one hy my hideousness. Perhaps she
was also aware that the dark velvet shade
would make her forehead the fairer by
contrast. She WAS tall and well devel-
oped, not at all the sort OF woman one
would take to be coquette. This was
what her female friends called her, but
the gentlemen without exception denied
it.
"She is simply q lovable woman, and
wins our interest without effort" said
her gentleman admirers.
"She is so artful as to conceal art,
said the bitter and unloved ot her own
! sex
One day, as she sat talking to Max
well st. Ives, the door opened and little
5-year-old Floy said, "Mr. Devine IL
| come"
Maxwell's lip curled, and he remarked
81 did not know this WAS public-recep
ton day. / will call again.
"Pray be seated, Mr.. st. Ives.
have something to say to you when my
young friend is gone. Fred is priv
legged, and comes at any time yot
honor me with your presence more rare
ly."
The caller had for excrse pair o
Drusilla's white kid gloves, that she hat
left in the village readIng-room. Sh,
took them with thanks for his thought
| fulness. ald as she talked twisted then
carelessly in her hands. Fred was painet
by this seemingly trivial incident. H'
was romantic and not little supersti
tious, for between the palms Of tie glove!
he had placed a dainty blue violet, say
ing to himself, / will let this blossom b,
the symbol of my fate. If she places il
at her throat or in her hair, if it in any
way receives attention or gives pleasure
shall hope. As she tossed the gloves
aside the flower fell broken and un
noticed at her feet. All, how different
Is our dream from the reality. 1t wa
the first violet of the year, as it was the
frst love Of his life
As he arose to go she said: III yor
will please take me by the hand / vii