The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-11-25
THE BRENTWOOD FIRE.
1Tarnar's Weekly.

Deen laid on the hearth of the great
hall. where all summer We had been
won't to do our masquerading and our
dancing.
We were none of us very gay; indeed,
we were some of us very sad. We were
lust about to separate, and summer was
over. 1t was wild autumn storm out
side, and there was not another house
within q half dozen miles of this lone
some hostelry; but, more than all, it
was two days and night since we
had seen or heard of Raymonde, whose
royal foreign name only bespoke royal
foreign nature; for how such a trop-
ical soul came out of our commonplace
temperate existence and civilization
was not to be explained. He was Won
derfully charming in his appearance,
dark and pale, with glowing eyes as
dark as eyes dare be, and dark locks
falling over vide, low, white brow.
As you looked up at his face, you We're
reminded of something of the princes
in the halls of Eblis before their hearts
took fire, so gentle melancholy was
stamped there. Yet it was not easy to
understand this melancholy; he seemed
to have almost everything in his life
that made others people glad and gay.
He was rich, and had no sordid cares;
he was so manly that women adored
him, and so gentle that men loved
him; he had such marvellous powers
that he could acquit himself well in al
most every one of the arts-could
paint, could model, could harmonic;
and he had such discretion that he
contented himself with swallow flights,
and sketched on broad canvasses,
planned no great symphonies. He
liked his gun better than any of his
playthings, and really seemed to be a
little proud of being able to toss a pen
knife in the air, and split bullet on its
descending blade, and of nothing else.
He had been at the Beech since June,
and had unconsciously led all hearts
captive, although he cared for nothing
less. We were a little interested to
see how he would strike Marion Mer-
Ger when she arrived, with her mother
and aunt, and the maids, and the bird,
and the dogs, without which Mrs.
Mercer never travelled. Apparently
he struck her no more than if he had
been the shadow Of somebody else.
She never had any color, and SO none
rose to her cheek, and no fresh light
came to her eyes, as-when hailed and
saluted on the piazza, as she came in,
by Sallie Worthen-Mr. Raymonde,
standing near, was presented by Sallie
with the air of treasure trove; and Miss
Mercer bowed in her slow, graceful
way, and passed on, while Mr.. Ray
monde lifted his hat as indifferently.
We wondered little that Marion did
not give SO extraordinary a person, as
we had come to consider him, a Sec
ond glance, and at Mr.. Raymonde's
languid carelessness as we'll in the pres
ence Of Marion, who had never known
anything but conquest; but perhaps
we were just as well content, although,
for my part, nothing Of the sort made
any difference to me-a sick old maid
on the outside of all such matters. But
sometimes the lockers on in Vienna
have a better time than the players in
the pageant; and I realized it one even
ing, after week had gone by, in
which no one saw Raymonde looking
over Marion's sketching book, or ask
ing her to dance, or exchanging a sin
gle glance with her, or Marion's eye
once flashing in his direction. I had
taken a longer walk on the lonely
beach than had intended, and, quite
tired with hurrying, had stopped to
rest, ON my way hack, in the shadow
of the cliff, and think I must have
fallen asleep few moments; for all at
once l started, shivering, to think what
had happened, and finding that it was
quite dark, and to hear a voice-a
voice that I knew at once was Ray.
Notwithstanding, "Marion, how
long do you think can endure this?''
II don't know what you mean, SIR
was the cold reply.
-. AHA, Miss Marion Mercer!" thought
&ts"now know why it is that none OF
these suitors suit. And you and Mr.
Raymonde such strangers too!'
"Marion!" he exclaimed again, in a
tone that would have rent her heart il
she had any, thought.
"Be so good as to let me pass" she
said, very low and distinctly.
NO." he returned, not till I know Of
what it is that you Aold me guilty, why
my letters have been returned, un.
opened, and my name refused at your
door,"
"You wish to know!" she cried out
as if repression suddenly ceased, and
the flood gates were opened. "You
to address me so-you. whose wife
had promised to be, whom I adored
who forsook me for a dancing girl, and
left me desolate"
There was one moments. silence.
"And you believed this!'' he gasped,
II suppose it was the dancing girl who
stood to me for ray picture of the
Almee-that innocent little thing, the
support of mother and sisters. Since
you could believe that" he said in q