The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-10-01
lIrIa al u.l Magazine
HOW WOMEN LOVE.

ives, she was beautiful. | tell yuu,
Phillip, II l.ucifrr had fallen Tor love Of
surh daughter ul man, the angels that
shared his glory would have cnvicd his
driE,semcnt. She was royalty beautiful.
Every luuk WAS II CLEAN OF starlight,
every smlic nay out al heaven. Oh,
yrs, IL all we'll enough fur You, Philip
Phillips, 1" sit there smiling al my fam
cics, and You may keep on calling me
cNtravugani and that sort of thing, hut !
tell yuu that Glare Milbank, WAS an es-
capped angel ont oi the land of light"
Ii Was Il winter night in the up-coun.
try. My friend Stephen Wilson had
sent mc most urgent invitation To come
up Ia the old hail and pass quiet
Christmas with him, and ! had accepted
III" invitation iuT the SAX. Of tito quiet.
| knew that no one would disturb IIs
there, and the uuy after larrIyed Il snow
storm set IN. aud blew and showed and
showed ami blew until there was no
Irncr and scarcely barn left visible
around the house. The morning after
tho storm cleared of We held Il council
aud decided Ia forbid the breaking of the
avenue road for II week, and it WAS II
clear ease thai no visitors could approach
through tina inIl" uf SNOW, varying from
two Ia ten feet in depth from the house
Ia the gate. 1t wa- barrier between
us and the outer world all sufficient, and
"" sat down in the library Ia our books
aud talk thoughts with much of content
and satisfaction.
Ii was the evening before Christmas
Christmas Eve, hallowed 10y thousands
uf memories other than those of the
birthday night, in every human heart.
| say human, for that heart is not Of the
same mould, nay, /, scarcely of the
same clay with mine which fails 10 thrill
with emotion in the memories of Christ
mas Eve.
We sat ia front of II blazing fire, and
un the table between us stood the golden
lvuurne and the last few sparkling drops
of II bottle Of st. Peray. Dinner was re-
moved but few moments ago, and
Stephen, having left his wine To praise
itself, had commenced "A conversation
which |, not without II design, had led
on IL the point at which ] have COM
In"nccd tins narration.
My iIicnd was II man of fifty, the
proprietor al fine estate, wealthy, and
withul, lover OF his ease. Having
whcrewithal to CRAFTY his TASTES, he did
not think it wrong To pay literally for
pleasure, and hence there were few
places IA the city or country a. could
boast ns complete furniture IN his. 4
choice library, splendid rooms, horses,
dogs, and every means Of killing game
and time yOu found at Your service
there, and among all these appliances,
we two were not at II loss iii helping the
progress OF the hours. But there had
always been II certain something III VIII
sons way of speaking when lac talked of
the past that led me Ia fancy there WAS II
history concealed III his memory that,
once told, would throw light on many
points ia his character which did not
fully understand. 1t was when lc had
reused himself, or had provoked him,
to the emphatic declaration with which
have commenced, that said to him, fall
ing back in my chair and slipping the
lvournc from II blood-rcd glass that
made il look like blood. Tell me all
about her, Stephen"
He looked into my eyes. They ex-
pressed no great anxiety, nor yet any
coldncss. ] feared to brighten him away
from the subject 10y one and to offend
INN too much by the other. lifted the
glass Ia my lips and eyed him over the
ruby rim. He fixed his gaze on me for
AN instant before he spoke.
"Put down the glass, Philip. Put it
down, say, and | will talk to you, but
not while You drink that stuff. II is too
cold IT tipplc for II December night like
this, and there is that in the cellar that
would warm the blood in the veins of
Pharaoh the First, could we but find his
mummy. JoLm-John-bring up the
Mountain Dew"
II came, and all being ready, he thus
hogan, and continued even To the end:
Clare Milbamk was the daughter Of the
rector of the parish in which | was born.
II was far from hcre-ycry fnr Ii was
country plncc not unlike this in many
respects. The old church stood in a
grove near the crossing Of three roads.
and hundred yards from il was the
farm house, deep among trees and vines,
which was the rectory. In il for many
years my fathers counselor, friend, and
companion, Henry Milbank, Ind lived,
and from its yinc-covcred door he had
carried out his Clarc--the beloved of his
younger years, who had slept on his
heart for almost IA score of winters-hall
carried her out 10 grave in the church
yard under the moaning trees. From
his study window he could look to her
grnve, aud there, for ten years, he never
failed {" at ut the hour OF sunset, and
look and long for the hour when he, too,
having been carried out even IN she,
should he permitted to pass through the
clurclyard To the upper sanctuary
wherein she was now worshiping.
"liis daughter was IA fair child, ut
lhoS" early ycms when children first he
gin to 10" Interesting; and l remember
We'll, when ! was II boy of ten and she n
girl OF SiN, HAT | thong ht her the veriest
beauty IN the world. And 10 she was
with one and only one exception. She
had cousin, Philip, whose name You
have never heard me mention--haye
never heard mentioned in this world.
whose name has never been uttered ON
the cold winds Of earth snce-since-but
no matter. | know not what impels me
GA different course tonight. 1 feel q