Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-21

" nis HdJJtTleS Wltf u IdT-aWhy look In ner
oft eyes. One day Grandelaw determined
o probe the wound
"Did you not sit to Victor Blumenthal
or his Undine 2" he asked. at was pic
ure worth painting; he must have had
thousand sittings."
Not nearly so many" sighed Nina.
al should have been jealous, if [ had been
Mrs. Blumenthal."
"Jealousp repeated Nina" Mrs Blu.
menthal His mother 2'
His wife-Victor's wife"
"Iiis wife-Victor Blumenthal's wifel"
"Oh, then, perhaps you did not know he
was married ?"
"He never spoke of it,"
"Because everybody knew it. Come, Miss
Nina, don't look at me as if | was TO blame.
Victor Blumenthal was married more than
two years ago TO his cousin Theodore. II
you doubt it, will find you the notice of
his marriage among my file of the Tribune.
But Of course you have no interest in it,
What is it to you, or me ?"
"Nothing, nothing" she answered. az
do not doubt it," But she had grown very
white, and her eyes shone like wandering
stars, and the needle trembled in her hand.
" Of course he is married." she added, in a
lighter tone, "only the idea never occurred
to me before-it took me unawares."
What mad Victor Blumenthal meant, she
asked herself "by those words thought
too tender" by gances that made love
palmer than speech Why had he held her
hand till she blushed, and kissed the pink
fnger-tips? Why had he sought her out,
only to break her heart Did he not love
his cousin Theodore? And then she hid her
face in her pillow, remembering how her
u l..aI -.
Another woman's lover, and she had mis-
taken him for her own Doubtless this was
why she had neither seen nor heard from
him for so long he had OWNED her heart,
and conscience had made coward of him.
But it should never be said of her that she
wore her heart on her sleeve. And when
Victor returned with the sister whom he had
Just succeeded in snatching from the valley
Of shadows, having written to Nina, but in
his anxiety mailed the letter without an ad-
dress, she had been engaged to Mr.. Grande-
law for month already. and had gone to
visit his mother in neighboring town till
the wedding should take place, without
leaving any trace behind her. Grandelaw
had, in fact, prosecuted her into consent. A
thousand things had conspired in his favor.
She had fallen ill., and into debt, and work
had failed, aud Grandelaw had sent his own
physician to her, with fruits and flowers
aud wines, had taken her out in his car
riage when air was prescribed, aud had
ended by proposing to take care of her all
her life, by winning a reluctant consent TO
endow her with all his worldly goods. Vic
tor had deceived her, or rather she had
taken too much for granted; and had de-
ceived herself, and what better could she do
than reward the devotion of Grandelaw,
who assured her that he had love enough for
them both
Everybody was very kind at Laurel
Lodge; everything was fine enough to win
mercenary heart, if Nina had owned one.
Nobody hinted that Grandelaw was making
an unequal marriage. One day when Nina
returned from gallop across the hills with
Grandelaw, there was tall, gracious woman
waiting for him on the veranda, who al
lowed Grandelaw to kiss her hand, and
made Nina stately bow.
"Have the skies fallen, that we catch
larks ?" asked Nina's lover"
al see that you have already caught one,"
laughed his cousin Stella.
"Stella has come to look at her rival"
said Mrs. Grandelaw, when Nina bade her
goodnight. awe feared that my son would
marry Stella some day. She thought so
hoiociis Ohe aiooPPio'S "a SOuoAaAS AAA"A
rying."
did she love him 2" gasped Nina.
al dare say she loved him well enough;
but one survives these things"
"Oh, how she must hate me |" cried Nina.
But If Cousin Stella hated or loved, she
knew how to disguise her feeling nobody
could be gayer or SUMMER than she during
those days. She sparkled with repartee and
anecdote, and shook her listeners with gales
of laughter. Perhaps she was showing
Grandelaw what a mistake he had made to
choose this sad, shadowy woman instead OF
herself.
al have been sitting for my portrait" she
said one evening. Nina's heart gave little
stir: had she not sat for her picture once
The moon was shining in through the long
windows of the drawing-room there was
no other light in the room, except the fitful
blaze behind the fender. Grandelaw had
been called out of town ON business for a
night or two.
"Indeed," said Mrs. Grandelaw. ais it
not tedious affair ?"
at would be, perhaps, if any one but
Victor Blumenthal were painting it."
Nina started and dropped her fan. Had
she come to Laurel Lodge to hear of Victor
And who is Victor Blumenthal ?" asked
Stella's aunt" another flame of yours ?"
al have seen no symptoms of that kind"
laughed Stella. :" wish might. He would
make an ideal lover
But he is married." spoke Nina out of
the shadow, and there was the sound of
tears in her voice, if any one had had ears
to hear. I" He is married, Stella"
"Then Graudelaw has told you about him
Yes; it was so romantic and sad"
niln't tha m ont vvall Vb
asked Mrs. Grandelaw to whom romance
meant nonsense.
That depends" returned Stella. /" He
married his cousin Theodora-"
al have no patience with cousins marry
ing"
"No? There was no great need Of patience
in this case Blumenthals grandfather had
left all the money to Theodore and her
mother. Victor was as poor as became an
artist to be. | suppose Theodore had al
ways loved him, but she insisted upon be-
ing married to him on her death-bed, that he
might inherit her portion Of the fortune.
She died an hour afterward.
Nina sat like one stunned by an earth
quake shock all Grandelaw's perfidy stood
out like the handwriting on the wall. Vic
tor had loved her after all His kiss had
not been treachery. She would go to him.
She would leave this prison for ever and
ever. How had she ever dreamed of loving
Grandelaw some day?
"You have been very kind to me-" Nina
said, when she kissed Mrs. Grandelaw good
night. al shall always bless you for 1t
but-Stela would make Grandelaw a bet
ter wife, and you wiser daughter"
"My son and think differently" replied
his mother; but she remembered afterward
that Nina he'd fingered and hesitated-" Just
as il she wished to ask pardon for some
thing" Mrs. Grandelaw explained; aud
when Grandelaw himself returned to Laurel
Lodge, there was little threecornered note
on his library table, in Nina's hand, which
read
"If should marry you, Mr.. Anson Grandelaw,
some day, in looking over your file OF old Trib-
unes | should happen upon one containing the
marriage of Victor Blumenthal to his cousin Theo-
DORA and the notice OF her death on the same day,
and your deceit would kill whatever love | had
learned u bear you,
"Sogood-by, and make Stella happy. NINA"
-Hdrper's Bazar
lr occurred TO one of two editors in the
West, who had quarreled, that a reference
to his adversary's life would prove telling,
and he launched it off accordingly. As for