National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-12-24
THE uNLovED WIFE.
by Mns. E. D. 3. N. sournwoRrn.


| Certain illustrious personagcs of royal rank or
lineage-a Brazilian emperor Russian grand
duke, ana Bourbon ptincc-werc among the
! transient and honored guests OF the city;
Besides these, there were gathered at the capital
| the usual winter multitude of noted politicians,
fnanciers authors artists, beauS beauties, lead
| ers of fashions, and queens Of society.
CG112spienons among these bright lights 81 lhe
| aud the other the " belt" OF the season.
They were both young, handsome, gifted and
The name OF the first mentioned was Tudor
! Hefcward. lie was an accomplished scholar an
eloquent orator, rising statesman, and although
| but twenty seven years of age he was already nn
able party leader In the National House OF Repre-
scntatiyes. In person he was tall fair aud stately
lis dress was always iauluessly neat, ana even
| iastidiOusly dainty.
| His manners were reserved and cold, except
! when lie was warmed mp In debate on the moor oi
| the House OF Representatives. when howould often
seem to be TRANSPORTED, and inspired with
| splendid and burning el0qucnce. Men predicted
for him an illiistrious future lie was now as has
| been said, the 81 lion " OF the season.
| The belle" of the winter was Leda Won kirsch-
| berg, the only child and hciress of Jacob Won
! kirschberg, head of the great banking house OF
| that name.
She was beautiful, stately blonde, with brill.
| tantly blooming cOmpeNiuni sparkling, purplish
blue eyes, small aQuiIine nose, p0uting ruby
lils, and shining, ripping, auburn hair.
Her dresses were the happiest Inspirations OF
| Worth and of Pingcn, and The envy and despair Of
| hernvals. Her manners were at once digniiied
| and gracious.
poarancc Of the Lion" and the belle" of that
! rcsplendcnt scene aud season.
To say. that nearly all the young Indies were
/ more or less Infatuated with the "lion" and that
| quite all the young men were In love with the
| BELLE" would be but faint statement of the
| Aud that these two were utterly devoted to each
other was too apparent to all 60,
But uhl for the course OF true love there wns
an insurmountable obstacle In the way OF its happy
| termination in marriage.
| The belle of the season was bctrothed maiden !
The fact was not generally KNOWN for 1t had not
been OstentntiOusly announced in the society col
umn OF The newspapers but Miss Won kiTschberg
was really engaged to be married to Mr.. Nicholas
| Hruyin, millionaire much richer and very much
| older than her own father.
So you see
Tho ancient bridegroom .cxpectant had not
come with the widowed father and motherless
| daughter to Washington, 50 that lew in the city
| knew of the great mans existence, and none
| knew of his relations to the beauty and heiress
| Least of all did Tudor Hereward, her devoted
knight, suspect the truth for If he had done So
be sure that his fine sense of honor would have
forbidden him to trespass on the sacred rights of
the betrothed lover by too marked attentions to
the bctrothcd maiden.
| mol Tudor Hereward was ignorant in seeking
and innocent in winning the impassioned heart
| of LedH Won kirschberg
riage engagement. and why she had encouraged
and even invited the exclusive attentions of MIR.
Hereward Is, perhaps, not difficult TO understand.
In the first instance IT was probably nothing
more than vanity prompted her TO seek to attract
and monopolize the attentions of the most brill
meant no harm mt all, and had no ultimate OBJ
lcct IN view but she who plays at flirting" plays
with fire.
Before she was well aware of the truth she had
not only captiyated the famous young statesman,
but she had irrevocaby lost to him her own heurti
But that she had no intention of giving him her
hand was soon quite apparent.
The night of the last day in the old year, the
night of the masquerade Oall given by Senator S..
IN his splendid new mansion in the. northwest
quarter Of the city, was destined to decide their
fate.
Miss Won Kirschberg and Mr.. Tudor Hereward
WERE of course, among the invited guests
He took no character. II would not have been In
harmony with hisproud, fastidious nature TO play
any part or ut least any conspicuous part in such
He merely covered his usual evening dress with
an inscrutnble black domino of fine cashmere and
his handsome face with n black mask of fine vel.
vet.
Shelby some subtle sympathy divinng hi.
! thoughts and intentions on the subject-also es.
chewed the queens, gipsieS, PEASANTS nuns, and
nights and mornings, into which the ladies would
try TO transform themselves for one evening only
and over her dress she wore white silk domino
aud over her fair face II white mask of satin and
lace.
Neither had received any intimation of the
others disguise yet the same subtle sympathy
which had directed their costume for the evening
brought them together through the immense
crowd of maskers that filed all the reception
} rooms, dancing rooms, supper-rooms, and con
: servatories ana overlooked into the halls bal
comics, paz2as, and even into the glass roofeC
, winter garden on the grounds.
Dnzzling lightand deaiening music were stream.
ing through every window of the crowded man.
sion when the Black Domino, our hero, passed ou
of the conservatory, entered the winter garden
, and looked about him.
Here were no lighted lamps for the moonshinC
\ pouring in through the glass roof flooded thu
! wonderful, beautiful scene With SOFT bright radi
anCe.
, The Black Domino stood peering down the lovely
, walks bOrdered with evergreens and hardy rose
in full bloom. His eyes were searching for the
r "swan," us he mentally called lovely whit,
, form whom he had been watching all the evening
I and whom he mad seen glide through the crowded
room out OF the house and in the direction OF thu
winter garden.
. lie had followed her slowly and with difficulty
for he could not slip througha Jam" as easily q
Now in this freer space and purer afr, he hoped
i TO find her.
= But she was nowhere to be seem There SCENE,
a 10 be no one in the garden.
= Nevertheless, he walked down between thu
hedges Oibooming until he saw, In the corne
of the renr hedge, an arborof climbing roses, in tn
midst OF which his eyes caught II CLEAN of silver
raimpnt.
j.. lie hastened directly to the spot, and found he
there
She was reclining on the rustic seat, and ha
! taken oil her mask for air revealing the full
y proud face of Leda Won KiSchberg
: He had not expected this revelation of he
!, Identity and he felt that his presence at this mo
y ment might be considered an inexcusable ntru
i sion upon the privacy of the lady.
y "LedH," he said, deprecntingly, as he stood be
u fore her and removed his own mask" please
y pardon my ndiscreion, but have been trying I
g make an opportunity for speaking with YOU al
e the evening-in fact, all the day-bnt have nc
~ Tudor, SIT down hero for little while. Tn
y rooms were SO warm and the crowd Sc, dense tina
II felt like suilocatng; so came out here TO I'm
= mask and inhale II breath Of fresh air. she sale
e us she smilingly. made room for him beside her
T. p" am very, glad You did sol lprcsumed I
!; follow you. Do you forgive me for my presump
"a ION? he inquired. Us he bowed and took the OF
D "ThNt depends" she answered archly. "Ho,
I" could you know me TO follow me? Or were yol
J. perhaps, following an uRkNoioR white domino thu
VI How could know you2" he repeated gravel,
Is taking her hand and fixing his eyes on her loyci
N face" How could know you? BY, the sam
4, simple, universal law Of nature through which
= know myself-for you are my sweeter, pure
10 higher self Leda, my queen, do you imagr
W edge? My heart would always recognize yo
=; | LcdRl'
al ,'"oh, Mr., Hereward !" she murmured in 10,
u distressed tone, whose meaning he could not hay
a, perceived, for lac went on to plead
20 81 have been seeking you for many hours, N
Nv oys, my queen Not to tell you IN SET speech th
", been telling you ever since we first met, aud
81 that meeting recognized each otheEl All, Lad
eu mnel Ever since that sacred moment of meetil
Wy aud mutual recognition, have been tempted
believe in the old heather myth, that man al
,r, woman were originally one being; but that JOY
r. IN rage, cleft them IN two. leaVIg the halves
Us seek each other sorrowing through all the age
~ To seek IN yGin-as we see by all the misnGtchC
Ut couples In this lower wOrld-except In such hapI
lr cases Us ours; for, sweet lady, l have found N
IN comp completion ~ you and you yours in me- ANDY
in "oh, Mir, Hereward " she moaned, in az almo
TO- inaudible tone.
ne "lhus, dear Leda l have not followed you he
u 10 tell you that which you feel aud know so we
en- but only TO ask your permission TO speak, at ono
IN TO- your good father and invoke his blessing
IN uon-for surely know 1 have your sanCtC
for IT,"
e. &C. "oh, Mr.. Herew&Ed Pray prpydo not talk
re- me in this manner" she mOaned, In agitation,
'er she withdrew her hand from his fond clasp al
as covered her white face.
r. lie gazed on her I'M surprlse md uneasIne
yet scarcely taking in the full meaning of h
lr' words,
IT. "But whyY Why NAV not sneak 10 Won I'm III