The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-01-15
lie, to whom am engaged to be mar

LII SmOte MOrQaOnG ike chill OF ICY
air, that calm possessionship of him.
And yet, why should it? 1t was true,
| he was engaged to be married to her !,
and a remembrance of Violet Verne's
lovely eyes came up before him mad
deningly.
He bowed, and gave Mr.. Helvernon
his hand, and said some pleasant word,
then asked Olympia if she was enjoying
herself
Miss Osborne smiled languidly.
"Oh, yes-thank you. Very much.
| The music Is delicious, and have been
| blessed with good partners. / didn't
see you dancing, Mordaunt, after the
Lancers. Oh, doesn't Miss Verne look
exquisite tonight? She is the very first
| who has worn cardinal and navy blue,
and how it becomes herl How unfortu-
nate that / am not dark
She was coming toward them alone, a
faint suggestion of the odor of violets
heralded her, and Leslie felt his pulse
quicken and his breath come in short
. respirations.
Miss Osmond met her with the effusion
beautiful young heiress.
M uSdlt5l Miss OIuO, VIC WC1C ull
admiring you in the trOiS temps, weren't
we, gentlemen? Oh, Mr.. Helvernon,
that is our quadrille! Excuse us, pieasep'
For one second Mr.. Leslie wondered
ut Olympia's unwonted excitement;
then he remembered he was alone with
this girl, with her violet eyes and droop-
! ing lashes.
The temptation was fercely strong on
him-shOuId he ask her to go for quick
walk on the sands? He knew it was the
height of mad, presumptuous, unpar-
donable folly, and yet, only to feel her
slight form on his arm, to look down in
her eyes, to hear the tones Of her voice!
Should he commit this folly, this
heavenly imprudence? And fate took it
IN her own hands on the spot, for Miss
Verne gathered up her silken train in one
hand, and looked up half-smilingly at
him.
"Would you be bored if / asked you
to take me little stroll on the sands
The moonlight is SO delicious, and the
air so cool and crisp"
And 80 Violet Verne took his arm, and
they two sauntered away from the music,
and the lights, and the crowd, and the
dancing, down to the softly-lapping
waves and the numerous songs they
chanted to the white moonlight.
There were only few couples loiter-
ing there, arm-in-arm, soft-voiced, lag
ging-stepped lovers; and every nerve in
Mordaunt Leslie's frame thrilled to the
mOckery of the time, the scene, and the
influence of both.
The girl on his arm was 80 passing fail
to see, with her flushed cheeks SO tempt.
ingly lovely, her long, dark lashes sweep.
ing them, her dainty hand lying like 6
snowflake on his arm, and her sweet
vibrating voice coming to his ear like
! some melody that enchanted him-that
| made him feel he had forever forfeited al
| hope of ever hearing it intone love-words
| to him.
They walked alone, close to the water
! edge, silent with q silence that was more
eloquent than language, while Mordarn
! Leslie felt his whole t0ul rising up IL
CONSERVATION at the bllssful happiness
he was enjoying. He felt paradoxica
sensation of revealing IN what he knew
was not lawful, and Mordaunt Leslie wa
| man of honor to the hearts core, DIES
| pite the slip he made himself make tina
| seductive night IN moonlight on the sea
sands.
That was how he came to lose al
thoughtof Olympia Osmond, all though
Of duty, all thought of anything bu
! the w1tching creature whe leaned on hi
arm, and whose dropping eyelids were al
eloquent Of her feelings at the time al
was her silence.
! That was how it happened that, III
| &C Al
daunt Leslie, who all his life had con
scientiously thought himself heartless
Mordaunt Leslie, suddenl,
stopped In their slow promenade, anC
snatched Violet Verne to his heart Will
a fierce, abrupt passion in the act tina
was 80 indicative of the equal feryor anC
hopelessness of his love.
He kissed her mouth, her forehead
he lustrous hair, her flushed cheeks, like
one whose heart was starving for affec
ton. He called her name over and ovel
in perfect agony of passionful longing
then, as if suddenly fully aware of the
wIckedness OF his behavior, he dropped
her quivering hands, and stood away
step from her.
"Miss Verne--V Violet, have mercy OF
mel Pity me-forgive me! AS there i
a God in heaven l deserve only pity anC
pardon from you-you, the only woman
| ever loved Oh, Violet, Violet, Dc,
darling, my sweet"
His voice fairly vibrated with pain
and Miss Verne looked up In his whit
face, half wonderingly, with little flush
es and pallors alternating on her own
with all the sweet shy light Of answering
love In her eyes.
"Please don't talk so Mr.. Leslie
Don't tell me to pity or forgive you, be
cause-because-"
She hesitated, and the warm bloo'
suffused her very hands.
Leslie groaned in almost DEATH,
anguish at her evident love, and trust
and happiness. What had he done
brute, fend that he was?
She must know the truth, all tn
truth, that comprised his unpardonabl
sin, and her own heart-sOreness sh
must know, and at once, and then
well, after she had once turned ava,
from him, in the just wrath and horro
in which he knew she would turn ava,
when he confessed his rascality, then
mattered but little what came of him.
He nerved hiaself, in all his weak
ness, like man might nerve himself 70
death-blow. Ma felt his heart grow
ing q heavy, icy lump: he heard tn
: roaring OF the sea, as if it were a thou
sand miles away; he saw the look of con
4 sternation on the girls face, tha
changed to fear, to horror, to such MOI
| tai woe, as he rushed like demo
through the confession he was bound t
make, and told her, on his knees, how /
was to marry Olympia Osmond-how b
, had learned the lesson too late-how