Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-12-24

to use small comparisons. She
would have substituted the ocean
for a bucket of water.
When her escort returned with
the ice, he did not find Mrs. Seyden
where he left her. Had he gone
thither he would have seen Mrs.
Seyden standing under one of the
giant palms in the conservatory
looking across to where her husband
sat with vi Duncan's hand in his
and some very earnest emotion on
his face, as he looked at her. He
would have heard him say still hold
ing Wis hand:
"Dear Vii, forgive me, but l can
not. There are other considerations
to be regarded. The impulses of
ones heart are not always to be
trusted. 1t is a miserable business,
but things will right themselves
after while. Only watt"
"Then he would have seen vi.
Duncan throw his hand from her
and rise, with the tears in her eyes
flashing. He would have heard her
say:
"I have been a fool to trust you !
Coward ! afraid of the worlds cen
sure-have no fear, you shall not be
compromised"
And then he would have seen her
sweep away; and the young bride
who had vowed that nothing could
shake her faith in her husband, he
would have seen her, the lovely
young Bacchante of the hall, sink
down like n smitten beneath the
palm, all the roseate flushes dying
out of her face.
What a miserable, miserable
Christmas it wasl Her heart ached
as she thought of the happy eason
beneath the home-roof when father
and mother-love were all sufficient
for her.
"What a dangerous, bad woman 7"
she unused, as she sat among the
guests next day in the large parlor
and looked across to where her hus-
band lounged, with a finely-drawn
line between his brows. For this
sudden cold reserve of his little wife,
coming upon the heels, las it were, of
his old p~lay-fellow's desertion, rem
dered him very uncomfortable.
"She tempted him by every wile,'
she unused, 'but he would not
yield - and amid the pain at her
heart came an unmistakable throb
of pride, for loving loyalty like a
woman, she was proud TO do her idol
full justice. "He held her hand; he
called her dear VII; he said it was a
miserable business o, Hugh !!
Hugh! did you mean me ?" She
came so near sobbing outright then
that she got up and went to the
window.
Beneath it he lounged in an easy
chair. She passed him, oblivious of
the quick, %imploring glance he gave
her. His dark head brushed her
sleeve. What would not the poor,
little aching heart have given to
have gathered that dear head in her
arms and wept all her bitter tears
with her cheek against his hair. O.,
she loved him so, poor, silly little
soul ! and how was life to be lived,
with him loving that beautiful, vio-
lent woman, and regarding her in
the light of a miserable business"
His very hunting cap was dear to
her. This morning it had fallen
from the rack and as she stopped for
it she felt her fingers caressing it
as though it had been a sentent thing;
every tone of his voice and echo of his
footstep made her heart throb with
delight, and until she could learn in
difference-and, oh! would she ever?
she would have to bear these great
aching throbs Of her heart, and this
dull, dreary sense of loss, that no
after time could supply. Foolish
child, Forging a lifelong trouble
for herself by taking false for truel"
AS she stood there looking over the
lawn, with dim eyes, she grew grad
ually conscious of some revolution
being enacted in their small circle
that shook it to its very center' Old
MI. Duncan had dined with them
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