Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-20
THE RING AND THE ROLL.

OF all people that make trouble for
themselves the jealous can take the
palm and of all the jealous, Mr.. Don
aid Mcdonald was able to get the most
torture from the least material.
When Lucia fell in love with him,
she did not dream OF this afiiiction, for
he seemed about as indifferently cool
and naughty man as one could picture.
Perhaps she hirted little recklessly
with one and another lest he should
divine her secret +; perhaps on that ac-
count he thought the only way to get
her was to take her by storm. She did
not fatter herself that he remembered
her when out of his sight, till one day
on the piazza party of them having
been talking gayly of their possible
futures, and all having left but herself,
he came back, and leaning against pill
lar, and pulling down the rose-vine,
"What is that you are doing, Lucia ?"
he said. "Does it require all your
attention? Look at me, Lucia !" and
she thoughtlessly obeyed. "When We
were all speaking of our paths in the
future, was there any seriousness in
what you said 2 Did you suppose 1
would ever listen to any plan of future
for you in which 1 was not part p
"Youp' looking up at him where he
lowered above her dark and superb as
Lucifer.
SCI. And I tell you now, Lucia, you
are going to marry me or nobody. You
are to be my wife, or no mans wife"
And many of Lucia's distresses came
from that acquiescence in which her
glad heart stood still moment before
IL beat upon her lovers, in which her
hand lay trembling in his, while he
slipped upon its finger curious gem
mel.ring of rubies and brilliants. II
she had rebelled, If she had coquetted
or dallied, she might not have remained
in the half.humble light which made
her more like slave than q wife If
she had obliged him to sue instead of
allowing him to claim, he might hardly
have ventured on such lordly and die
tatorial demeanor. He hurried the
wedding 80 that she had no time to per-
ceive anything but his passion for her
self. And nov that regret was too late,
all there was for her was as straight a
path, looking neither to the right nor
the left, as wealthy woman in society
could walk. But to . friendly beauti.
full creature like Lucia, who liked every
body, and whom everybody liked, this
was ne easy matter. Nor especially vas
it easy when some of her former lovers
came along, to whom she felt it right TO
be particularly gentle in view of their
regret and her felicity.
For Lucia was really happy. She
desired no indiScriminate admiration
her husbands was enough for her. She
had his alteration, and she knew II, and
he was her all in all nothing more
grand and noble and beautiful than he
was possible TO her conception Of q
human being. She loved him so that
IL he bad trampled her heart ont OF her
body, she would have thought IL but q
fit service che rendered him in suffering
it. And IL cost her nothing to relin.
quish ell companionship but his, for
she wanted no other.
The one hinderance to her happiness
was that her husband failed 10 recog-
nize ell THE, and seemed to have con.
slant fear of loss of her affection II she
became aware OF the existence OF any
body else. t:he knew that his bursts oi
anger through suspicion did not mean
that he loved her any the less, but they
frightened her and they caused her un-
wisely 10 conceal any attention, hatteryl
or kindness that she received. She
tried 70 frost her manner, but II only
acquired An iey sweetness that made
her I'll the more attractive, md her
house vas thronged, and her invitations
we're multitude.
Nevertheless. L.nois almost forgot