The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-12-16

couldn't remember a man fifteen years
If he were the Great Mogul himself"
Captain Valentine and Isabel were
married in the little parlor of the old
house, shaded by the old elm-tree, which
made pretty dancing shadows on the
wall. 1t was a most informal affair;
and when it was over, and the clergy
man had pocketed his fee, and the bride
was trying on her travelling hat, Miss
Eulalie stepped into the garden to draw
long breath. What were the working
men doing there at that hour?
go into the house, Miss Eulalie,"
said Captain Valentine. II am going to
celebrate my wedding day. isabel has
made me wedding gift Of the old elm
tree, and I'm cutting it down to burn on
the hearth at The Towers, while we look
out at the 'dreary winter sea- Miss
Eulalie, when you thwart q Valentine,
you do 1t at your peril. Do you think I
married Isabel for love? Revenge is
sweeter than love. When you refused to
marry me, l swore would make you
repent in dust and ashes"
Miss Eulalie turned silently toward
the house, but paused to look back from
the doorway. There was crash, and
when a strange blur had cleared away
from before her eyes, Captain Valentine
lay dead beneath great arm of the tree.
which had snapped as it fell.
II feel so awfully wicked" said Isa-
bel, some months later, awed and
ashamed at finding herself in possession
of the coveted wealth without the bur-
densome conditions. "rve been look
ing over his papers with Mr.. Billings,
the executor, and we ferreted out this
letter. It's from Arson Andrews. /
thought it explained something; at any
rate you might like to see it. It's dated
Australia. y year ago."
"DEAR VAL" Miss Eulalie read)-" Here
am, leagues from home, but possessed with an
unquenchable longing to hear from the old
place. and homesickness which no money can
relieve. Sometimes when I'm smoking In my
der the old eim-iree with Euiaiie, still young,
with hope In my soul. and presently Iawake
from the day-dream and berate myself soundly
for allowing the old wound to throb and ache
Believe me, old boy, in spite Of the fifteen
years behind US, my bald head and her double
dealinR,-I cannot think of her and all I've lost
without weight ct my heart was happy
wight when we shipped in the Water Witch.
Pm free TO confess I've never seen happy
day since you confided to me that vou were go
ing to marry Eulalie. remember how black
you looked when told you she belonged to
me, and how we then and there swore we would
neither of US marry such a heartless tilt How
have you weathered II, messmate? And what
has happened to her? Has she befooled any
more true lovers? After all believe that
my heart would hear her and beat
Had 1t lain for q century dead
"Write me about her, and IL the old elm,
where kissed her first, is still standing. Our
love is dead, but the tree is alive No. love is
not dead; I can not slay it; it shoulders and
torments me-"
"Miss Eulalie," said Isabel, when
Eulalie had folded the letter with tremb-
ling fingers, "there has been a great
wrong done. Mr.. Billings and 1 mean
to right it. We mean to send word to
Arson Andrews; we are going to tell
him what an angel you are. We have
talked il all over. And about this money
Il couldn't make up my mind to touch
a cent of it If were starving. shall
found a hospital with it. Mr.. Billings is
to help me. We have talked it all over;
1 don't care for splendor any longer; /
have found out, Miss Eulalie, that love is
best. "--Harper's Weekly.