The Republican journal., 1881-07-28

under spell. He never forgot the pict-
ure he beheld as he stood in the doorway.
The windows, reaching to the floor were
open, and the air was heavy with the
scent Of the magnolia blossoms on a tree
outside. Green Towering vines draped the
easements luXuriously. A cool red and
white mating was on the floor. All the
furniture was in wicker work. though the
settees were piled with soft cushions.
The whole place had an Oriental air. In
one Of the wicker easy chairs Madame
MARTINEZ sat. Will would have known
picture his mother had Of her; though
now all the charm Of rounded outline and
brilliant coqring was gone. But the per
feet features and the heavy falling black
hair were the same, and the great dark
eyes looked brighter than ever, shining
out Of the thin, sallow face.
BY her side, half-kneeling, half-sitting,
was q girl whose singular beauty seemed
like a resurrection ofwhat Madame Marti-
nez might once have been, but with some
subtle fascination added. AS Tretethen
entered, the girl rose and retired to one
OF the vine shaded windows. Madame
came forward to meet him.
''1ou are VIII, am sure,' she said,
with gracious and graceful cordiality. II
should know katherine's son anywhere.
You have her eyes and her SMILE
"And her loving heart for yOu, Aunt
julia the young man answered, with
that tender carnestness that became him
so we'll ''My mother would have come
for you herself, but she was not strong
enough; so she sent me as her deputy,
and am to take you and the little girl
home
Julie" madame murmured, and the
girl Will had noticed before came forward.
'7his is my little girl and, Julie, this is
your cousin"
Chief among the charms OF Julie Marti-
nez, and they were many, was her voice
with its indescribabe Sweetness Itmade
you think of a siren, of Lurlei with her
Deguiling musc-anything mysterious,
enchanting She was a very
different type of womanhOod from hand
some Helen. Not less beautiful possibly,
but less grand, less queenly, less lofty as
we'll OF mien as of nature. There was
about her a wonderful piquancy. She
was brilliant and elusive as FREELY, and
she possessed certain kind Of power
which she knew how to use to the utter
most. Will Tretethen looked at her in
"Was this Aunt Julia's
little girl?' His knightly devoir was to
be something quite different from his
plans and fancics.
Three weeks after the receipt of Helen's
first letter. another came to her-very
short this time, and with an air Of hurry
about it. Will was Just ready to leave
Cuba, though he would not be with her
quite as soon as he had hoped, it having
been decided that they were to return by
sailing vessel, that his aunt might have
the benefit Of longer voyage, from which
the physicians predicted much good to her
health. He had been so very busy in az
some business affairs for Madame
Martinez, that it had seemed impossible
to write, and he was SO sure of Helen's
that she must forgive him if
he had presumed upon it.
TO 4 reader less generous the letter
would have seemed labored and con-
but Helen was never critical,
where She loved. Will was coming.
Those were tidings to make her think any
letter which brought them perfect. She
was almost done with her wedding prep
only one thing she had not pur-
chased. Some indetinable feeling had
restrained her from buying her wedding
dress. 1t would be time enough, she
thought, when the day was set AS for
Will, meanwhile, the Lurlei was singing
to him. At last, one September evening,
a messenger came over with note. Will
had reached home, and would be with
her in the morning
''Why didn't he come tonight ?" Grand
mother Armytage asked, when she heard
the note read aloud. 'In my day, young
men used not to be such laggards in love
as to let q four miles ride keep them over
night from a sweetheart they had not
seen for couple of MONTHS
Helen flushed with the warmth of her
defence. OF course VIII was tired. Of
course his mother could not be willing to
spare him, the very first evening. Of
course it would seem unkind to forsake
his guests the moment of their arrival.
But just then despite her eagerness in his
behalf, Helen's very first doubt of Will
took possession Of her. She did not, in
deed, associate his absence with Julie
Martinez, of whom she had only thought
as little girl She simply questioned
whether Willis love were, indeed, the
pure and perfect passion Of which she
had dreamed whether his nature was
large and strong enough for her to take
shelter in it forever.
The next morning Will came over, and
she welcomed him with as cordial a sweet
ness as if he had come the night before.
1t would not have been in Helen's nature
to reproach any man for what he did not
give her. What she failed to win with
out an effort, she could always dispense
with. But she felt something in his rest
less manner which either had not been
there before he went away, or she had
not been clearsighted enough to per-
ceive. He had come with the carriage to
take her back. His mother did not like
to part with him SO soon for all day; and
his Aunt Julia was impatient to see Miss
Instead Of the little Cuban girl Helen
to amuse herself by petting, she
found Julie Martinez in the oak-par-
lor, with her passionate, dreamy eyes
her Spanish inheritance-he remarkable
beauty, her indescribable, bewildering
charm Of voice and manner. A swift in
tuition certified Helen that in this voice
and manner lay the secret of Wills rest
lessness. She was just enough not to
blame Will for having discovered it. If
there were any underlined attraction be
tween them, it was not the fault of either
She had faith enough in Will to be sure
he would struggle against such q feeling,
honorably and silently. But had he need
to struggle? One pang pierced her,
sharp as a sword thrust. One moment
she felt her breath coming painfully.
The sights in the room were dim before
her eyes, the voices vague as sounds
heard in dream. Then she came back
to herself, and set all her woman's pene-
tratlon at work to discover a secret so
important to the very life of her love.
Before nightfall she had reached one or
two conclusions which stood in her mind