The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-06-18
A HEROINE OF ROMANCE.


His hair was white as snow, but his
round visage was rudy still, and his
black, bead-like eyes glittered as with
the fire of youth.
sCapt. Dulnare, Will you never grow
DID," said his friends, which saying in
terpreted, meant that he would be hale
and hearty to the last, when death would
take him suddenly, with no worrying
prelude of heightened helpless decline,
as might reasonably be expected, as he
had already passed his allotted term of
three score years and ten.
The beautiful girl at his side was
known as his daughter and prospective
heiress.
Virginia Dulnare was shapely in figure
and not too tall. Her features wele ex-
quisite, her lips scarlet, her eyes large
and brown, and her silky hair like
fleece of gold.
just now the young and flushed face
was hidden on the old mans knee.
"Do you really love the poor fellow
whom they call Hugh Girard?" asked
Captain Dulnare, in a fond, disappointed
whisper.
every dearly, papa" was the smoth-
cred reply.
With both his white withered hands
he lifted the dainty, blushing face, and
looked steadfastly into the big, wistful,
brown eyes.
.sVirgia," he said, in those firm, stern
tones that no man ever dared to disobey,
''it is my wish and will that you marry
Sextus Weldon. You think you love
another, but at your age love is but a
lightning fash of passion and fancy. I
know best what will make you happy.
Therefore I have chosen your husband
for yon."
aon," returned the girl, passionately,
springing to her feet. SIT is your money.
not me, he cares for.
A strange look wavered over the
round, ruddy visage Of the old gentle
man.
ssAnother romantic hallucination, my
child he said. ''The young man idol
ICES you. Do you think your old father
does not know the signs of love. And,
my pretty lamb, Sextus is very rich, and
I would like to have you the wife of a
worthy man when I am gone"
"I had rather be poor and contented,
papa" sobbed the child.
Then the old mans eyes grew stormy
with the anger she feared.
ssYou ungrateful girl how ungrateful
you will never know till I am dead.
Have not been kind to you? Have I
ever asked you to do anything that was
not for your welfare? Have you not
most? What is the experience of twenty
compared with seventy i? Virginia, prom
Use me that you will give up Hugh
Girard, and pledge yourself to Sextus
Weldon when he asks you p
s'I promise, !" answered the awed and
weeping girl, and then with tender
kiss Capt. Dulnare sent her away, being
well pleased.
What varied and momentous events
are oftime crowded into single hour of
lifetime. Before the sun of that day
set, Virginia wore on one Hlly-white,
rose.tipped finger magnificent diamond
ring-the symbol of her betrothal to
Sextus Weldon. And scarcely had the
cold, yellow circlet grown warm on her
finger before Hugh Girard came for the
decisive answer he had expected for many
weeks.
There were passionate words on the
bearded lips of the handsome, blue
eyed man, but a single gesture of that
sealed hand stopped that utterance.
He looked into, her face. That face
was icy white, and the brown eyes were
like the stars of fire.
ST understand, Virginia." he said
slowly, ''they have sold you for gold.
You loved me, but you were weak. God
help you, darlingp'
And so Hugh Girard went his way, and
Virginia Dulnare fell on her knees,
weeping piteous tears in the twilight
dusk.
A strange sound aroused her.
They were calling her to her fathers
chamber.
Trembling, shivering and heartsick,
with strange, portentious dread heavy
on her heart, she obeyed the summons.
Capt. Dulnare sat 40 she had left him. in
his easy chair; but the frost-white locks
that struggled over the crimson velvet,
framed in a bloodless, rigid face.
Capt. Dulnare was dead.
There was a mournful time-the
necessary inquest the death watch, and
the rather pompous funeral-but it
passed as all things of anguish and de-
light must pass into the world of chances.
mans will, and the settlement of his
financial affairs.
And with these gross matters of busi-
ness and lucre, there came to the pale,
stricken Virginia, a terrible disclosure.
Captain Dulnare's large liabilities,
secured by heavy mortgages, and his
floating debts swallowed up everything.
The heiress in prospective was utterly
penniless.
But that was the smallest sorrow.
For by papers of proof left, Virginia
was proved to be child of adoption.
She had been left when baby on the
rich mans door step, and he had reared
her as his own.
And after three weeks of grievous @em-
barrassment, Virginia was thrust out
into the world with no hope except what
she had fixed upon Sextus Weldon. He
only came once, and his tones were
altered and too supercilious.
No matter what he said.
But Virginia's sweet face flushed, and
she tore the /betrothal ring from her
shaking hand and gave it back to one
who was not 10th to receive it.
Then she went into the world to win
her bread-not an easy task for one luxu-
riously reared.
She thought she could do dress-making
nicely; bnt to every store and shop to
which she applied she was greeted with
the one answer:
ssWork is rather slack just now, and of
course, what we have. to give is given to
the employees who have been with us