Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-12

que CeLuc-t lAuy IIUUlo lduy, DIS uu6,o-
Stunning as lovely, as graciously sweet as
dignifed, who took male and female
hearts alike by storm, and who made
Mordaunt Leslie almost mad for love of
her; who taught him, all so late, that his
real true love had slept the enchanted
sleep, until Violet Verne's dainty hands
had broken the spell.
That was the condition of affairs that
lovely August night, when Mordaunt
Leslie turned away from looking after
the girl who was like light to his eyes,
and who met the cool, placid face of the
woman he was to marry in less than a
month.
Miss Osmond was leaning gracefully on
a gentleman's arm-a stranger to Leslie
and Miss Osmond quietly introduced
/ the two.
"Mordaunt, this is Mr. Helvernon, an
old friend of mine. Mr.. HeIvernon, Mr..
Leslie, to whom am engaged to be mar
ried."
/ It smote Mordaunt like chill of icy
air, that calm possessionship of him.
And yet, why should it? It was true,
he was engaged to be married to her,
and remembrance of Violet Verne's
| AONOiy eyes CaAnC up USlOIS uAIl u1du-
deningly.
He bowed, and gave Mr.. Helvernon
his hand, and said some pleasant word,
then asked Olympia if she was enjoying
/ herself.
Miss Osborne smiled languidly.
ooh, yes-thank you. Very much.
! The music is delicious, and [ have been
blessed with good partners. I didn't
| see you dancing, Mordaunt, after the
Lancers. Oh, doesn't Miss Verne look
exquisite tonight? She is the very first
who has worn cardinal and navy blue,
and how it becomes her! How unfortu-
nate that am not dark!'
She was coming toward them alone, a
| faint suggestion of the odor of violets
heralded her, and Leslie felt his pulse
| quicken and his breath come in short
respirations.
Miss Osmond met her with the effusion
that it was The proper thing to show the
beautiful young heiress.
My dearest Miss Verne, we were all
admlring you in the trois temps, weren't
we, gentlemen? Oh, Mr.. Helvernon,
that is our quadrille! Excuse us, piease!'
For one second Mr.. Leslie wondered
at Olympia's unwonted excitement;
then he remembered he was alone with
this girl, with her violet eyes and droop-
ing lashes
The temptation was fercely strong on
hlm-should he ask her to go for quick
walk on the sands? He knew it was the
height Of mad, presumptuous, unpar-
donable folly, and yet, only to feel her
slight form on his arm, to look down in
her eyes, to hear the tones of her voicei
Should he commit this folly, this
heavenly imprudence? And fate took it
In her own hands on the spot, for Miss
Verne gathered up her silken train in one
hand, and looked up half-smilingly at
him.
"Would you be bored if I asked you
to take me little stroll on the sands !?
The moonlight is SO delicious, and the
air so cool and crisp"
And so Violet Verne took his arm, and
they two sauntered away from the music,
and the lights, and the crowd, and the
dancing, down to the softly Tapping
waves and the numerous songs they
chanted to the white moonlight.
There were only few couples loiter-
ing there, m-in-arm, soft-voiced, lag
ging-stepped lovers; and every nerve In
Mordaunt Leslie's frame thrilled to the
mockery of the time, the scene, and the
influence of both.
The girl ON his arm was so passing fair
to see, with her flushed cheeks SO tempt
ingly lovely, her long, dark lashes sweep
ing them, her dainty hand lying like
snowflake on his arm, and her sweet,
vibrating voice coming to his ear like
some melody that enchanted him-that
made him feel he had forever forfeited all
hope Of ever hearing it intone love-words
to him.
They walked alone, close to the water
edge, silent with a silence that was more
eloquent than language, while Mordaunt
Leslie felt his whole soul rising up in
CONSERVATION at the bl1ssful happiness
he was enjoying. He felt paradoxical
sensation of revealing in what he knew
was not lawful, and Mordaunt Leslie was
. man of honor to the hearts core. des-
pite the slip he made himself make that
seductive night in moonlight on the sea-
sands.
That was how he came to lose all
thoughtOf Olympia Osmond, all thought
OF duty, all thought of anything but
the w1tching creature whe leaned on his
arm, and whose dropping eyelids were as
eloquent of her feelings at the time as
was her silence.
That was how it happened that, in a
moment of ungovernable feeling, Nor
daunt Leslie, who all his life had con-
scientiously thought himself heartless,
indifferent Mordaunt Leslie, suddenly
stopped in their slow promenade, and
snatched Violet Verne to his heart with
a fierce, abrupt passion in the act that
was SO indicative of the equal fervor and
hopelessness of his love- U
He kissed her mouth, her forehead,
he lustrous hair, her flushed cheeks, like
one whose heart was starving for affec-
ton. He called her name over and over
in perfect agony of passionful longing;
then, as if suddenly fully aware of the
wickedness of his behavior, he dropped
her quivering hands, and stood away a
ctoY, f,oy,, ho,,