Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-26
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Ol0 WAS a ldSC1Bdlln2 WOIitdI
Her face was beautiful beyond dc
scriptIon, and her voice had sut
tie power, a caressing underton
that sent a thrill through ever.
fibre of her companions being.
She and her widowed mothe
were staying at a spacious farm
house in a lovely Connecticut val
ley. She had come there to recu
perate from her social dissipation
of the past winter in New York
and to gain strength for new dissi
patiOnS and triumphs in the fas
approaching autumn.
Lit was rumored that she had bro
/ ken many hearts, and ruined NOR,
mems lives than she cared to count
but then, rumor often lies.
He was a tall, sun-bun,t man
with dark blue eyes, and a mas
of waving blonde hair. He was
clad in the garb of simple farmer
but he did not look wholly like 3
tiller of the soil. His brown hands
were too shapely and his carriage
| too elegant for man country-born
and country bred.
Still, he had been working on the
Meadow farm during the summer,
and in all his leisure moments had
been the constant shadow of the
woman at his side.
He was man of passionate i'm
pulses, and his heart was capable OF
an all-absorbing love or an all
devouring hate.
As they walked slowly d0wn'the
hillside in the rich evening light,
the lady chatted half Familiarity,
half condescendingly with her com
panion, while he listened with the
partly eager, partly distracted air
of man plunged in some deeply
inteTeresting experiment.
She talked with an air of conscious
social superiority, and he listened
or replied like a man with a hidden
purpose ond a hidden strength.
As they came to a low stone wall
he took her hand to assist her in
surmounting it. Upon the other
sitIe of the wall he still retained her
hand. She turned upon him with
a look full of astonishment.
''Thank you for the assistance,
Mr.. Chapman" she said, coldly,
striving to withdraw her hand from
his. 81 aln quite able to proceed
alone now"
He made no answer, but still held
the little hand i'll his grasp, while
with his eyes he seemed trying to
search the innermost depths of her
heart.
A crimson flood illumined her
face.
"Mr. Chapman, you will be kind
enough to release my hand at once.''
This with freezing hauteur.
but suppose want it," he said
quietly, with look full of meaning;
suppose l tell you that want you
for my wife; suppose I declare that
l love you, that your beautiful face
enslaves me, that your soft heart
sets my heart on fire, that l cannot,
that / will not live without you ?''
His eyes were glowing like living
Goals, and his face appeared trans
figured with the passion of the mo-
ment. Then losing all selfcontrol,
he bnrst forth in the full tide of his
love.
"Ah, Christine, my darling, my
queen, my life," he cried passion
ately, "let me claim you as my
own, let me take you to my heart,
let me make you my wife. / am !
Christine, actually starv-
ing for little love from you. Say
you love me, darling, or" he added |
hastily, "if you do not now love
me, say you will try to. Give me a
fragment of hope, dear, a little !
crumb with which to appease the /
terrible hunger at my heart"
He had dropped on his knees at |
her feet and was looking eagerly, |
into her fair flushed face. |
With a great effort she wrenched |
her hand free. Then with gleam-
ing eyes and a tone that cut him
ike a knife, she said:
"You could hardly have chosen a
more fitting or a better place in
which to insult me, sir. Whether
you are brute or driveling fool
cannot tell. 1 hardly know
whether to feel pity at your ignor-
ance or anger at your audacity. You
marry me-you % she exclaimed
with an insulting laugh. "Do we
nate cows with canaries. or jackals
With lambs? Come, sir, / will al
oW that your speech is a little bet
er than that of the average country
,Iod | will acknowledge that your
manners bear some degree of refine
nent; in short, that you are little
lbove your station in life; but to
marry you, to live on carrots and
urnipS with you, to contemplate a
ife of patchwork quilts and rag
why surely you are insane,
aving mad ~
She burst into cruel laughter at
he picture she had drawn, and
hen, not even deigning to glance
t the bowed head of the man be-
ide her, she turned upon her heel
nd moved slowly away.
With bound he was before her
gain.
''Miss CanneIl, Christine, hear
ne!" he cried eagerly; "you wrong
ne, you do me cruel injustice. l
m a gentleman, every inch your
Deer," he added proudly, "and l
m rich, very rich. l can crafty
'our every wish, | can surround
rou with every luxury. I"
She cut him short.
Enough. / thought you were
razy before, now / know it. You
wealthy man! Do men of means
in homespun, in cotton
cans? Do men of means toll day
fter day in the hroiling sun for
mere pleasure? An inspiring pas
ime, truly, for a rich man."
"But let me explain my position
o you, Miss Cannell," he cried as a
asst resort. 81 came to this place"
"To work; that is obvious. Do
lot prevaricate further, Mr.. Chap
man," with scOrnful accent upon
he title; "it makes no difference to !
ne what you say, for | will not be-
ieve you. / tell gold by its glitter.
You have served to amHse me in
ny idle hours, and for that / thank
you; but | now see | was wrong to
De so familiar with one below my
station in life. cast you from my
mind as l do this glove, and will
Orget you as soGn." Without an
)ther word she left him,
Chapman watched her till she
gained the house, world of misery
shining in his eyes. Then he me-
stopped and recovered
he glove from It's hidlng-place in
he grass, and placed 1t in pocket
next to his heart.
The following day Miss Camel
md her mother departed for New
York