Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-12
"A STORY OF A NIGHT.
BY MARY REED CROMWELL.

Ine ocean House parlOrs were crowd
ed that lovely August night, and Nor
daunt Leslie leaned against one of the
windows In a lazy, lounging attitude,
that betokened very faint interest in
the gay merry-making that was going
on, IN the exquisite music of the band,
to which scores of feet were making
2ythmic fall in the graceful evolutions of
the frois temps, OF even in the bevy of
pretty, Observation-Disclosures women who
passed by his post of relief like the
swift, brilliant changes of a kaleido-
scope.
He was fine looking fellow, dressed
IN the regulation evening costume. and
looked every inch the refined, welI-bred
gentleman he was. Just now, however.
there was very perceptible deepening
OF shadow that had been growing on
his handsome face ever since a dav. a
month ago, when he had been presented
to Violet Verne:
Just now there was almost hopeless
despair In the deep set splendid gray
eyes, as a slight falry-like creature glided
slowly, gracefully past him in the dance
"a girl with eyes that matched her
name-tender, loving eyes, whose violet
tints deepened to almost liquid darkness,
as she looked up at him, half-smiling.
half-adoring, as she came within the
reach of his ardent, gloomy eyes.
He was conscious of a suffocating
quickening of his heart-beats; he was
conscious of wild, passionate warming
toward this slender, lovely girl, whose
face lighted so at sight OF him-whose
faintest flush set his heart madly throb-
bling; and the wild usefulness and
yearning tenderness almost maddened
him with their savage strength; as he
watched her-a picture, in her navy blue
silk, with cardinal ribbons setting off so
uniquely her piquant brunette beauty.
He compressed his lips with the stub
born determination of man who knows
he.is bound to wage war with himself,
and not only to wage the war and fight
the battle, but gain an undoubted vic
tory. He looked after her one long, long
minute, and then turned resolutely away,
to almost gasp for breath as he saw
Olympia Osmond's face smiling in his
Olympia Osmond, the fair, stately, yell
low-haired girl, who wore on her finger
the blazing solitaire his hands had placed
there, three months before, when he had
asked her to be his wife.
Lit had been a pleasant enough wooing.
MI. Leslie had been attracted to her by
her evident supreme disregard of him.
whom women were prone to make a good
deal OF, on account of his god-Iike beauty
and kngly presence, no less than his
fabulous wealth and high social position.
He admired Miss Osmond for her I'M
deniable beauty, regular, girlish fea-
lures, as cold and passionless in express
sion as perfect in outline. Then her
disregard for him piqued him, all I'M
used as he was to being disregarded.
Then, when some one told him that Miss
Osmond had said she disapproved high
~ of penniless girls making a market of
their charms to entrap wealthy bus
bands, and that she for one should lead
the crusade IN favor of reform on that
score, then Mordaunt Leslie thought the
time and the woman had come, and he
deliberately set himself to win this fair
haired passionless girl, who was so diff
cult to WOO that the task gained in i'm
portance, and man-hke, the wooer gained
In eager determinedness, until the
fortress finally yielded, and Miss Osmond
blushingly acknowledged her detection
from the ranks Of the crusade she had
ayowed her intention of leading
Leslie had been content; nothing
more, for his heart had only been super
ficially touched. His pride was graft
fed at owning such a splendid creature
as Olympia Osmond, and at being
envied by other less fortunate men; and
there it stopped, although his manner
was perfect to the beautiful woman, who
moved SO regally grand through his
magniicently appointed household.
So he had been perfectly content; and
had told himself he had not the capabil-
ity of ardent, intense love for any wom-
an, and had played the lover very agree
ably to bis betrothed, and had his car
riages and horses at the sea-shore for her
especial beneft-while her cross old
aunt, in a thankfulness that Olympia
would soon be off her hands for good.
made an extra effort and dressed the girl
like princess, and made her the belle of
the Branch-until Miss Verne came.
heralded by newspaper correspondents,