The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-05-29
A SEALED LEAF.
By LOUISE BATON

1t was such "A sombre room that, long before
the darkness closed without shadows were
gathering in farOif twilight corners and the
dying cmbcrs on the hearth could only throw
a tittul glow there, chasing but not entirely
routing them. No sound, except the cricket
oD the cherries hearth, whose chlrping was a
mOchery. Yet there were other sounds to
Maurice Eliolts ear, Unearthly echoes of
long -passcd--the mOckery of remembered
laughter the murmur Of a merry, loving voice
silent now in the old grange. The ivy-boughs
which tossed against the window where he
stood, framed in one of those lnemory.pictures
which are often more real to us than anything
on which our mortal eyes can look
Ten years faded out and the last Christmas
eve winch he had spent In the grange was here
again here with its music and lights, its
bright, fair faces and light forms that were
threading the dance in this old hail At this
same window he had stood with Grace, the or
phan cousin brought up under her fathers
roof What a fairy queen she looked that
night-robed in white, without Ornament until
he, Maurice, pucked an lvy.spray for the
MASSIVE brads of her golden hair Just AS
now, the wind was waillng then, and gust by
gust on the pane great rain-drops scattered
through the trailing ivy-boughs But they
were no, heard through the dance; and little
uraCe al hcr easement Was shut from we" by
the dancers. shut from view OF Maurice pres.
emily, as Lady Mays hand again and again
touched his, sometimes lingering as if she
were not loath her tardy lover should know
that the hand hi" father and the earl were
ready 10 place III :, she was not cruelty re
solved to draw ay What wonder then,
that he kept 1t II he was pleading to keep
it, when Il rust behind caused him to turn
quckly-tO meet the flash Of two great startled
eyes, ana the proud mouth OF Trace.
Inc picture faded there, Tonight the Sc.
quel, IN which Tie Lady Mary had thrown
hlih over was as nothing to HIM. lie had
gone abroad after her wedding, at which he
was a guest, and had been absent almost ten
years I'LL now lie only knew Of Grace that
she was no longer at the grange, but made her
quiet nome IN the village Never line or
woru mao passed. between them. lie would
have felt 1t an insult to offer her the heart Just
flung aside by the rival he had preferred be.
fore her. But these thoughts were unendur-
able, He seized his hat and went out hurried
~ into the chill gIoamlng.
The wind was cutting on the terrace height
ana nc descended To the mourland's wooded
edge. At first he strobe along with no object
save 10 escape from memories which logged
him still at every turn. His thoughts were IN
whirl more painful ,han ever as he STUN
bed on aimlcssly in the dim light over dead
boughss, or waded through the wthercd leaves.
The wind went with HIM, shrlek!ng out many
weird lament
Wonder lay the scattered vIllage-here at
last 'hc cottage lett to Grace with her little an.
nmty. Close at hand, at the near end of the
one street, Elliot bowed his head and passed
under the bare roseboughs of the arbored gate
and then mp the dripping gravel walk The
dusk had deepened by this time, so that he
could discern but the dim outline of the CLOSE.
cut hedge. horse saddled and tcthered out
side might well escape his observation.
As he set his foot upon the porch, and the
tangled rose.boughS dropped behind him, the
light which had stresmed family through
them now shone full and softly from the win.