Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-10-01
And yet he lost tfe game. },

And yet he lost the game
There was W0man's bitterness
/ in her tones as she solved the enig
ma, and a woman's triumph in he
eye as she repeated the last sen
tence. 1t was only human that in
her grief and disappointment sh,
should think of her possible suffer
ing with Il feeling akin to triumph
/ Would it ever be more real2 She
waited long for it.
The family record of Farmer Nal
lows Bible was seven years Older
when a couple of gentlemen in the
richly furnished parlors of an ele.
CANT New York residence stood
! talking of "Qneen Bess. You
could not have mistaken whom
they meaut by that royal cognOmen
III that throng of ssfair women and
brave men," You would have
turned from all those beautiful
forms in costly attire to the noble
face and stately form standing like
a queen in group of admirers, and
whom Wilbur Macy aud Paul
Weston stood regarding so atten-
lively.
Wilbur Macy, more than seven
years sadder and careworn, sighed
as he said =
IPaul, wed a woman and not a
queen. You know my fate"
"Ah, yes; but, Wilbur Macy,
YOU chose the queen of diamonds.
Yonder fair woman, with all her
regal ways, may be a queen OF
hearts, and not a whit less woman
ly for her queenship."
Wilbur Macy started.
"Paul, when she smiles, she is
like my old queen of hearts. She
reminds me of Betty Mallows, my
little country love-"
"tQueen Bess' like Betty NAL
lows! Jaconicas like "Bouncing
Bettiesl Nonsense, man :" ex-
claimed Paul Weston.
HOfcourse / know it is an absurd
fancy" answered Wilbur Macy,
but / should like to know her name.
Thompson, what is the name of
y0nder queenly Woman?" he asked,
as a friend approached.
"Queen Bess. Have you not
been presented ?''
ssNo. But her name? What is
it in the family Bible? She was
not born a queen. What was the
name of her babyhood and younger
years 2"
Elizabeth Stanley" answered
his friend. "DOn't worship at
distance; come this way.n He
drew sigh of relief and followed
his friend.
Queen Bess did not stare as Betty
Mallows would have done when
these two names were announced;
but she certainly did glance up with
an eager, questioning look, choos-
ing look, choosing Paul Weston as
the recipient of her gracious kind
ness. As for Wilbur Macy, he was
content to listen, feeling his heart
stirred with a tenderness he had
thought dead years gone by. This
digniiied, noble woman was very
unlike Betty Mallows, the simple
country girl, and yet there was en-
ough of Betty's old love tones TO
draw him to this woman before
whose Stateliness he bowed. Queen
Bess had new subjects from that
night, two more willing hearts to
acknowledge their allegiance and
do her homage. Paul Weston and
Wilbur Macy had joined her staff.
A few months later Wilbur Macy
was saying at the close of a long i'm
terVieW:
" Then, Miss Stanley, all my
love and devotion goes for naught
II am hopelessly rejected ?"
"Hopelessly rejected!" was the Bit
ter echo from the lips of Queen Bess,
never so proud and naughty as on
this night.
'tSuch love as mine merits a bet
ter fate" he said reproachfully.
She answered not a word, only
laid side by side the queen of hearts
and diamonds.
at was the game of life. You
made it diamonds"
"Betty Mallowsn he exclaimed,
"and yet it cannot be-"
eyes," she replied, "Betty Mel
lows, once the victim of your trifi
ing, then an orphan, afterwards adj
opted by a wealthy relative, now
the heiress Elizabeth Stanley, still
Betty Mallows."
"And soon Betty Weston" 1t
was Paul's voice speaking, and
when Wilbur Macy read coniirma-
ton of the herevelation in the tell tale
bushes and happy greeting of
Queen Bess, He exclaimed:
"You have playe a higher heart
again, and l have lost. Euchred
again, and for lifetime!"