Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-11-13
son shawl and threw it carelessly over

TENDER air brought them to the foot OF
the hill-not a large hill-but steep
and intensely gloomy-looking.
At the base they all paused-all save
the tall, regal figure of Vivienne Har-
court, that went straight up, with light,
unfaltering feet, till more than half the
ascent was climbed; then she turned
round and waved her hand to the group
below.
At that moment the moon swung over
a cloud, and showed her standing there
q strangely, wierdly beautiful vision-a
priestess before her temple.
The shawl had fallen off and hung
loosely at her side, and that white-clad
figure, whittier still against the back
ground of the ruins, seemed cut from
Parian marble.
"God-speed," they cried from below,
sort Of awe creeping into their merry
voices.
A quick turn of the graceful figure, a
few steps more, and she had passed in
to the darkness of the trees, and of the
three standing walls of the ruin.
For moment she stood quite still,
with sort of dizzy horror, in the inn
penetrable density Of the shadows; then,
conquering herself with mighty effort
went forward.
The place was overgrown with the
rank luxuriance of uncultivated vegeta-
ton, but the moonlight, shimmering
family in, showed, through the tangled
masses of greenery, glimpses of placid
water lying like broken mirror.
The girl went slowly on, her daintily-
slippered feet hurt cruelty now and
then by the rough, jagged stones of the
shattered wall, that lay hidden by de-
ceitful grasses. Out of the beautiful
face had died the feverish glow and
sparkle. 1t had grown white-deadly
white-to the proud, sensitive lips; but
the eyes, with such childlike fright
creeping into and vanquishing the de-
termination in the depths-they burned
like great dusk diamonds.
1t would probably take less than .
minute to walk from the path to the
water, but it was fully two before the
girl sank on her kneessblind and dizzy,
beside the fateful well.
For moment she would not look. 4
mad, superstitious terror had crept into
her heart, almost completely conquer
ing her old, fearless daring.
Then, summoning all her courage.
with desperate wi1l-efiort, she put out
her white, jeweled hands. and thrust
aside the trailing vines above the well,
then resolutely bent her eyes close,
closer to its shining surface.
Only enc second did the white, beau
,;ful, girlish face gaze into its depths;
then, trembling in every limb, she
sprang Up as If shot, with low, wall
ing, quivering cry, in which rang pas
sionate love, imploring hope, and, more
than all, unutterable terror.
arthur, my love!'
And the man whose face she had seen
reflected in the water, leaped forward
as he heard that sobbing cry, and
caught her in his arms with tender, sob
hing words.
.Don't, Vivienne, my darling, my
darling-don't! he cried, as she chung
to him like a terrified child, quivering
like leaf in perfect passion of sobs,
as if her very heart would break.
All the reaction of the terrible strain
fell upon her now-the reaction not
only Of tonight, but of the weeks size
had waited and longed for the strength
and tenderness of Arthur Beauchamp' S
old love.
.sMy dearest, hush-for my saker' he
pleaded. cts over now. 1t was only
sudden, mad impulse of mine to come.
I had gone out of the room wild with
jealousy Of you, my precious, when /
heard you determine to come here; then
came on ahead, resolved to trample
pride and plead with you for the old
love want so, Vivienne! When | heard
you coming, a sudden prompting came
to me to conceal myself, and look over
your shoulder into the well. If I had
only known-only thought how would
startle you. Can you forgive me, my
sweet?"
She had grown calmer now, and the
moonlight fell full on the white, tear
wet, happy face, Is she lifted her sweet,
dark eyes to his.
And in them he read that the old love
was as truly his as it ever had been;
still, with mischievously smiling lips,
he bent his handsome head:
"And Lord Neston, Viyienne?"
ooh. Arthur" she said, in playful,
loving reproach.
And he was thoroughly content, as
into his own there shyly crept treln-
bling little hand.
"Hush! Here are the others"
There was hurried tramping into
the brush-wood, a sound Of frightened
voices calling "Vivienne! Miss Har-
courtr' then the seekers burst from the
darkness of the trees into the open,
moonlit space, where stood noble, stall
wart Arthur Beauchamp, and Vivienne,
who coyly confused and brightly blush.
ing, was trying, in vain, to free herself
from her lovers clasp.
..Vivienne! Mr.. Beauchamp! We
were so frightened! What did you
see?''
But Arthur Beauchamp silenced all
their EXPLANATIONS with his happy, ring
ing laugh, that sounded SO thoroughly
human in that mysterious spot.
II heard your plans, my friends,
though wasn't in the room; SO when
Vivienne sought her face in the mirror
of the well, a rather terrified-looking
heroine, I fear-wen, we won't say any
thing about that now-the face she saw
reflected in it was truly that of her fu-
fr1re lord and master And so / saw