The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-12-09
LILIANs MISTAKE.

LILIAN'S MISTAKE.
Lillian Whitley looked out into the
gathering twilight, her fair fsce, with
the nut brown curls clinging about it.
brought out in startling relief by a
background Of vivid blush roses.
The love light shone AMI glow,d in
Lillan's wondrous gray eyes, and faint
sni lie of perfect peace and happiness
curved the corners Of the proud, almost
naughty mouth.
And how could she be otherwise than
perfectly happy this evening" Was she
not expecting her lover-Doble, hand
some Frank Carl,t n? OIly a week ago
he had poured into her ears the story Of
his love, aud hal asked her 10 be his
wife.
And she-she did not clearly rcmem
Der what answer she gave; she only
knew that she was flled with a Joy and
happiness that was almost pain at times.
And she smiled softly and blushed, as
she looked at the diamond ring, which
cleaned in the tender lish Of the
glorious june moon, just grandly rising
behind the flrolf purple hills.
The faint and plaintive cry Of the
whippoorwill was borne TO her ears on
the breezes scented with June roses. A
dreamy look came into Lilian's eyes as
she slowly repeated few lines Frank
Carleton had read to her few days
before:--
"And what Is SO rare as day in June?
Then il ever, come perfect da S;
Then Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune.
Aud over It softly her warm ear lays
#4a4 as#a sea* @h@
New the heart is so full that drop oyeIfills il
We are ha pY now because God viii it,"
Eyes murmed Lllian, 81 am happy
now because God has willed that Frank
Carleton should meet me and ask me 10
become biss wife. What have ever
done, 1 wonder, that such grand, no
ole man should love mel" And rich,
happy blush, riyalling in color the blush
Of tho juno roses, came over her del:
ca cheeks.
The love-light in her eyes became
brighter, tho blush on her cheek deep.
ened, for she heard foot-step which
she could never mistake. With q hnt-
tering heart Lillian shrank back among
the rose bushes, thinking fondly that
Frank would soon find her.
But Frank Carleton was not alone
for woman tall and graceful in form,
dressed in sombre black was walking
beside him. Lillian peered out at them
with a wild, jealous pang at her heart.
The strange woman's beautiful face
cleaned white as marble in the moon
light.
Hark Frank was speaking, and Lii
lian strained her ears to hear. What
look of love and devotion there was on
his face as he bent over her Lillian
clenched her hands, and her lips grew
white and rigid.
"Dear MAud,' he said, softly and
tenderly, "you can never guess how
very, very thankful I am that that man
is dead, Nowyou are free. and moth.
ing shall part us again"
"Noihing, Frank 2" she said, looking
up AZ him and Lillian could see the
passionate love shining in her eyes.
mot even your marriage with this
beautiful Miss WhitneyY
"Surely not" he answered, almost
rerroschfully. "Why should it2' And
then they passed on, s
With low moan Lillian fell prone
among Tho rose bushes A rose which
she bad pluchcd stung her hand cruelty
with it's sharp thorn, but she scarcely
needed IL; tho thorn in her heart was
too terribly real for that. The Jtne
rosos bent low over her, and the dew,
drops fell softly from them, like tears
upon her white, upturned face but
still she lay there.
And this was the man sho loyed2
This was the man whom she had thought
SO grandly noble--thia man who, she
doubted not, had deliberately intended
TO wrong her.
Lillian did not stop TO reason--did not
stop to argue that there might be
mistake, that deceit and iaisehood had
ever been foreign to Frank Carleton's
nature. shc was too madly Jealous ana
wounded for that.
And SO the next day Frank received :
small package--a few books some ola
love letters, and diamond ring. Therc