The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-07-09
THE HIDDEN SORROW.

But it meant such desoIate years.
THE HIDDEN SORROW.
It was bitter cold day; the streets of
New York were alive with dense mass
of crowding humanity, evercoated,
muff1ed and yelled. as became those who
ioyously braved the penetrating wind
and sharp atmosphere, in the merry
making time between the death OF the
old and the birth of the New Year.
Notwithstanding the frosty weather,
the Empire City was never in gayer
mood, and up and down, and across the
thronged thoroughfares, stylish turnouts
dashed by to the tinkling music of silver
tongued bells and low, happy laughter,
speeding away to the open roads and
snow-clad country, lying white and still
beyond the hurry and turmoil OF the
great city.
Though SO cold without it was warm
enough in the elegant room where we
were sitting-my cousin Althea, her
half-sister, Mrs. Irene Chester. and L.
NV cousin Althea was not young-past
thirty, in fact; but she was the most
beautiful woman I ever saw, and as she
sat in the large crimson damask chair by
the window, dreamily looking out at the
hurried passers-by, I thought l had
never seen any .one SO charmingly and
irresistibly lovely. Her lustrous black
eyes, clear olive complexion and glossy
wealth of purple-black hair, were SO per-
fectly perfect that one did not know
which to admire the most, and her voice
and smile were as sweet and winning as
her form was graceful and her lace
matchlessly beautiful.
Howard Tremaine loved her as few
men love their wives; and Althea, as
everybody knew, idolized her handsome
husband, and yet somewhere there was a
hidden sorrow, the nature of which I
could not for my life divine. I had seen
the shadow more than once, but the sub
stance itself is well kept out of view, and
but for the sad, anxious, restless look
that often of late crept into Althea' s
great, soulful eyes, I'd not have thought
sorrow could exist in her luxurious
home, much less fix itself permanently
there.
We were going to the opera in the
evening. Mr.. Chester was to attend us
in the absence of Howard, who had gone
away two or three hours before with
three or four friends, who had, very
much to his wife's regret, called for him
to accompany them on little half-hour
or so sleigh-ride out on the Blooming
dale road.
AS the short winter afternoon wore on,
Althea grew every moment more and
more uneasy; her faith in that 'sittle
half f-hour or SO" never having been very
strong, died utterly, before the suns last
cold, golden rays faded in the west; and
when Mrs. Chester rang for lights, and
carelessly remarked that it wss time to
dress, she was noticeably i'll at ease and
would do nothing but walk to and fro
between the window and the warm, rosy
q ,el1ght, in that nervous, listening, ex-
pectant way which is so painfully sug
gestive of secret dread and anxiety too
deep and wretched for words.
Whatever Howard Tremaine touched
turned to gold and all that money could
buy his wife possessed. Her wardrobe,
jewels, house and carriage were among
the most superb in New York, yet her
closet evidently had it's skeleton, and to-
night, more than ever before, it seemed
to rattle its dry bones in our very ears,
and make itself felt and seem in every
nook and corner of the millionaire s
sumptuous home, in spite of all Althea
could do to keep the unpleasant thing
out of sight.
For the twelfth time she walked to the
window, and, with a half-suppressed
sigh on her lips, stood watching the
lost patience, and exclaimed. rather
petulantly:
Nonsense, Althea! Why is it that
you always will be worrying about How
ard? He is not baby and no doubt is
quite capable of finding his way home
alone, as most men are. Mr.. Tremaine
knows that we are going to the opera
this evening and will be sure to drop in
before the end of the first act, you may
depend. And we must dress, if we wish
to hear the opening air in Faust, which
certainly do, however it may be with
you."
Mrs. Chester was one of those positive
characters who Immediately act upon
what they say, and in less than an hour
we were on our way to the opera.
The house when we entered was liter
ally packed with most brilliant and
fashionable audience, but Althea seemed
to move like one in q dream and took
not the slightest notice of anybody or
anything around her.
/ could not make it out at all and
hardly dared to look at her for very
sympathy. Her magnificent dress of
violet velvet and creamy old lace became
her perfectly, and never did a queen
carry herself more royalty, or seem
more unconscious of her beauty and
grandeur.
Diamonds fortunes worth of them
flashed on her arms, neck and bosom,
and CLEANED like drops of liquid light
amid the rich abundance of her dusky
hair but she was not happy.
There was much too heavy sorrow
lying unrestfully at her heart for that
too much of nameless dread and anxiety
to allow of enjoyment of any sort.
At the end of the second act gentle
man made his way to our box, and asked,
in the usual conventional way, after the
customary greetings were gone through
with, how we liked the music.
Mr.. Chester, who had been comforta-
bly, doing in his chair the whole time,
declared he was never more charmed -an
innocent fabrication which none cared to
question.