Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-01-20

! The happy weeks and months went
Into years. Adele was now II; itlwat
agreed and promised that when spring
time came, she should be Riviere'f
bride.
+ 'sWe must finish the bridal vail, cried
Elise eagerly. II tell you, Monsieur
| Louis, no lady of your proud house ever
wofea q lace mere exquisite and rich.
All, shall not be proud when look al
my beautiful child in her marriage
robes and think of the poor little pea.
SAINT girl Of long ago who toiled at the
lace to earn coarse bread SO far away
over the sea. - .
Louis turned quickly at these words,
look of displeased surprise in his dark
eyes. 9.lt 90 -,.iao 49, +-,a..- ..f,,, II.
What peasant girl, madame?" he
questioned, uneasily. '-l-''- . -
myself" she answered, happily, not
marking the look, or tone. What was
but poor little lacemaker when my
generous young lover married, me, the
father of Adele?" iA i93l ssi1a9
He answered nothing, and Elise went
merrily chattering on but Adele noted
his suddenly downcast air and gloomy
eyes, though she was far from suspect
ing the cause of either. lls 5I ~
His naughty family pride had receiv-
ed blow. -s5-@ islia
"a lacemaker!". he said to himself.
r" A peasant girl. If i had but known
All that night, and for days and
nights afterward, the thought of his
brides humble extraction tortured him.
the sting to his pride would not be re-
moved. - ~ t .vssal
Unconsciously to himrelf his annoy,
ance affected his temper, he became ir-
litable, fretful, impatient, sometimes to
the very verge of impoliteness even /;
above all he conceived an absurd but
violent dislike to the bridal vail. 3
II detest the sight of It'll" he cried, one
evening, in moment of self-forgetful-
ness, and when he and Adele were
alone. III, indeed you love me, never
work at it in my presence, Adele; and
If dared ask one special favor of you it
should be-" o-=.+
Hepaused suddenly-she was listen
ing in great surprise. - ~
"WeIl?" she said, sit should be"
''Wear any other vail in the world
but that one to be married I'M" E y
She folded her work, and let her fair
hands fall on it in her lap, but one
could see that those little hands were
trembling. ss ~ l2L7 #4
She was greatly surprised at his man.
ner and request, and also vaguely hurt,
she scarcely knew how a1d why. go
Indeed, she had wondered often. late.
ly, at subtle and unpleasant change In
Louis. Could it be possible that she
was about to discover its caus?
''You ask singular favor" she said,
with forced quietness. .'Are you aware
that my own dear mother worked this
vail?" p it1sis.tl tl b.
The hot, impulslve temper answered
instantly, without, thought: g.r.
1t isAfor tf1ztvery reason that hate
it.D ss# @ 39sg
And then she understood him. This
daughter of England had been slow to
suspect or to comprhend the pride of the
French aristocrat, but she would not
marry the man who thought he stoop-
ed to take her.
She folded up the yail, and gently but
firmly said: ~ a..-
"You did not know, when first you
sought me for bride. that mamma was
a lace worker In France; if you had per-
haps you would not have loved me.
Since you have learned this fact you
have regretted our engagement. You
need not speak; have seen change in
you feel that 1t is so! But there is
no harm done," she went on with sim
pie dignity, "since have learned the
truth before it is too late; and so. f-she
held out to him little. trembling hand.
which he took acknowledgement so
will grant you the favor you covet, my
friend. Your bride shall not wear my
darling mothers bridal vail"-here he
kissed the hand, and she drew it quickly
away-''but that is because shall not
be your BRIDE" 43 ~ se'
No need to dwell upon what followed.
His prayers, his Observation-Disclosures
at first; then angry-his tears, that had
no power in them to sap the strength of
her resolution. They parted coIdly at
last-lover still in heart, for love dies
not SO easily, but -outwardly seeming
scarcely even friends. a-..t.,,
She stood proudly as he left the room;
when the sound of the street door, closing
after aim, struck like knell of hope, to
her young, passionate heart, she flew to
the window and watched him out of
sight. $50, go!" she cried, dashing
away the tears that blinded her. "Go
from my eyes, hateful tears, and let me
see my love for the last time! My love!
nay love! And have lost him!'
She sank down. sobbing. Just then
the sound of her mothers voice, sing
ing merrily an old French song in a
room above, came to her ears. Once
more she dashed the tears away. r. ~
HE despised you my, darling mann
ma-you! No. no, I will never pardon
him!" ayis{
Her parents questioned her in vain.
She had Quarrelled with Louis-that
was all they could learn. And before
chance for reconciliation came, Elise
was smltten with mortal illness aud
died in three days, and Adele. overs
whelmed by the mortal calamity, was
prostrated with brain fever.
At this juncture alsummons came to
Louis from France, demanding his im-
mediate presence there. Strange chan
ges had taken place. Two of the three
lives that had stood between him and
the title and estates of the Marquis de
la, River had been suddenly swept away
and the third. q frail and delicate child.
lay dying. The present Marquis, him
| self a feeble old man was also at the
point of death, SO they sent in hast to
Louis, as the heir of the dying noble
man. -st, i t57 a3fa .
The news bewildered him. His
heart swelled with excultation and de-
light, but it sank again. Adele! Had
he not lost Adele? Il care not for rank
or wealth unless she shares them!''
cried his heart. II will 60 and implore
her pardon"
| He made the attempt, but in vain.
He sought her father and said few
words to him; however. that might have
made all we'll again had she overheard
them; but she never did. When 1he1
long and wasting sickness was over at
last. and she began, slowly and feebly,
to take hold of life, she found herself an
orphan in every truth Walter had fol
lowed Elise to better world.
| Nor even then had she drained the
cup of sorrow to the dregs; her fathers
effects had been terribly involved; when
all was settled, she was penniless.
Poor Adele! Truly might it be said
that her sorrows "came not single spies,
but in battalions;" father, mother, low
er, home, all gone. What had life left
to offer her but patience and pain?
And Louis? He would have written
her imm. diateiy upon his arrival in
Paris. but that he felt so blissfully sure
that her father would make all well A
few weeks later he did write, informing
her fully of his strangely altered for.