The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-06-10
THE PAINTED FAN.


"You won't forget me, little one ?"
said Earl Lysle, in his softest accents,
looking down with earnest eyes into the
sweet hower-face, SO trustfully uplifted
to his own.
mo, / will neyerforget you, answered
the girl
And the blue eyes grew moist, and the
red lips trembled. The promise broke
down tile last remnant Of her strength;
the next moment she had burst into
passionate, bitter weeping.
ii seemed as though the branches in
the tree above them bent pityingly down
upon them; as though the sun fingered
a moment in its tenderest sympathy, ere
breathing his good night to the world;
though the robin checked his notes to
listen to the sobs which echoed through
the silence Of the wood, and stirred Earl
Lysle's heart as it had not been stirred
before for many long year.
He had won the love of many women
won it often for the mere pleasure Of
winning; sometimes he had won and
worn it until it wearied him, but always
believing that had the condition been re-
yersed, the woman would have done even
as he did. In this case he knew differ
entity. When he first met Lena Man
ming she had been child 1t had been
his hand which had guided her wavering
steps across the boundary line from
childhood to womanhood; he who had
wakened her child heart from its slum-
Der. For what? For Mts' 1t had been
in his life a summer-idyl, passing folly;
in hers, the one spot from which all
things henceforth must date. He was
man Of the world; she child Of nature,
whose world henceforth was bounded by
the horizon of his presence.
Hush, Lena--hush!" he entreated,
passing his arm about her waist. 'Do
you really care for me like this ?"
A passing pride stirred at his ques-
ton.
"Do you care for me so little that YOU
can not understand it ?" she answered.
Nay! | love you very dearly-so
dearly, Lena, that might carve out my
own desires, and forget my duties, I
would never go back to the great city,
and the life which has grown wearisome.
as 1t Is, ! must go; but, Lena, if / may,
dear-if | can so shape my destiny
some day will leave it all behind me,
and come again, this time to pluck and
wear my sweet woodland rose next TO my
heart forever"
Pretty words were very natural TO
Earl Lysle; yet even as he spoke these
words, he knew that ere another wear
mad run its course, he was destined to
lead to the altar his heiress-cousin-a
tall, naughty brunette-whose letter 81
recall now lay in the breast-pocket Of his
"But-but if things should 90 amiss
hot as you fancy?"
There was absolute terror in the girls
tones-terror SO great that, to the man,
II seemed cruelty not to quiet it; and,
besides, his heart was stirring within
MN to nobler, better purposes.
ferchance he might avow to his be-
uothed the truth, that, instead of mar
mage Of convenience, he sought mar.
rage OF love, and ask her to free him
from a chains which already began to gall
ere they were fully forged.
30 he only drew closer to him the
girls slender figure, until the blonde
mead lay on his shoulder, as he stopped
ana pressed his lips to its golden crown.
Have no fear, my little one. will
come back with the first snow"
Iou promise, Earl?"
Il promisel'
Lena had always loved the summer
sat1er than winter. The leafy trees, the
pirds, the flowers, the blue slIy-all hat
peen TO her as welcome friends, to b,
greeted rapturously, to be parted will
almost tearfully; but this year she coult
scarcely wait for the turning of th,
birds. '
She smiled from her window, as sh,
looked out one bright morning upon tn
nrst frost. She laughed when peopl
sala that 1t would be an early winter.
an her painting-for she possesse,
sIeat talent with her brush-depicte
winter scenes-snow and ice.
but lust at the Thanksgiving seaso
uer Istner, sturdy farmer, was born
ssenseiess, one day, to his home, an
usa before he recovered consciousness
u was her first real grief. She ha
.ust her mother when an infant ]
seemed to her that she could not hay
naa strength to live through it. but tha
ss tney lowered the coffin into the gray,
ley teW Takes Of snow came whirling dow
& the gray sky, and she welcome
snSm as heaven-sent messengers of hop
Mesp she came back 10 the qui,