Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-06
son shawl and threw 1t carelsssIy over

TENDER air brought them to the foot of
the hill-not . large hill-but steep
and intensely gloomy-looking.
At the base they all paused-all save
the tall, regal figure Of Vivienne Har-
court, that went straight up, with light,
unfaltering feet, till more than half the
ascent was climbed; then she turned
round and waved her hand to the group
below.
At that moment the moon swung over
q cloud, and showed her standing there
strangely, wierdly beautiful vision-a
priestess before her temple.
The shawl had fallen off and hung
loosely at her side, and that Whitehead
figure, whittier still against the back
ground of the ruins, seemed cut from
Parian marble. -a
''God-speed," they cried from below,
o sort Of awe creeping into their merry
voices.
A quick turn of the graceful figure, q
few steps more, and she had passed in
to the darkness of the trees, and of the
three standing walls Of the ruin.
For a moment she stood quite still,
with sort of dizzy horror, in the i'm
penetrable density of the shadows; then,
conqwring herself with mighty effort,
went forward.
The place was overgrown with the
rank luxuriance of unculuvated vegeta-
ton, but the moonlight, shimmering
family in, showed, through the tangled
masses of greenery, glimpses of placid
water lying like a broken mirror.
Tho ri 1raDt cfouyIxr nv, bo,. do; INT w
slippered feet hurt cruelty now and
then by the rough, jagged stones of the
shattered wall, that lay hidden by de-
ceitful grasses. Out of the beautiful
face had died the feverish glow and
sparkle. 1t had grown white-deadly
white-to the proud, sensitive lips; but
the eyes, with such childlike fright
creeping into and vanquishing the de-
termination in the depths-they burned
ike great dusk diamonds.
1t would probably take less than a
minute to walk from the path to the
water, but it was fully two before the
g,ei sank on her knees, blind and dizzy,
beside the fateful well.
For moment she would not look. A
mad, superstitious terror had crept into
her heart, almost completely conquer
ing her old, fearless daring.
Then, summoning all her courage,
with desperate will-effort, she put out
her white, jeweled hands, and thrust
aside the trailing vines above the well,
then resolutely bent her eyes close,
closer to its shining surface.
Only one second did the white, beau
tiful, girlish face gaze into its depths;
then, trembling in every limb, she
sprang up as if shot, with low, wall
ing, quivering cry, in which rang pas
sionate love, imploring hope, and, more
than ell, unutterable terror.
Arthur, my lover'
And the man whose face she had seen
reflected in the water, leaped forward
as he heard that sobbing cry, and
caught her in his arms with tender, Sob
bing words.
Don't, Vivienne, my darling, my
darling-don'tn he cried, as she chung
to him like a terrified child, quivering
like leaf in a perfect passion of sobs,
as if her very heart would break.
All the reaction of the terrible strain
fell upon her now-the reaction not
only of tonight, but of the weeks she
had waited and longed for the strength
and tenderness of Arthur Beauchamp's
old love.
MY dearest, hush-for my saken' he
pleaded. Its over now. 1t was only
u sudden, mad impulse of mine to come.
had gone out of the room wild with
jealousy of you, my precious, when /
| nd al or TO fhar
came on ahead, resolved to trample
pride and plead with you for the old
love l want so, Vivienne! When heard
you coming, sudden prompting came
to me to conceal myself, and look over
your shoulder into the well. If l had
only known-only thought how would
startle you. Can you forgive me, my
sweet?'
She had grown calmer now, and the
moonlight fell full on the white, tear
wet, happy face, as she lifted her sweet,
dark eyes to his.
And in them he read that the old love
was as truly his as it ever had been;
still, with mischievously smiling lips,
he bent his handsome head:
"And Lord Neston, Vivienne?"
..Oh, Arthur she said, in playful,
loving reproach.
And he was thoroughly content, as
into his own there shyly crept trem-
bling little hand.
s'Hushi Here are the Others"
There was hurried tramping intc
the brush-wood, sound of frightened
voices calling '.Vivienne! Miss Har-
| courtr' then the seekers burst from the
darkness of the trees into the open
moonlit space, where stood noble, stall
wart Arthur Beauchamp, and Vivienne
who coyly confused and brightly blush
inc, was trying, in vain, to free herself
from her lovers clasp.
.'Vivienne! Mr.. Beauchamp! W.
were so frightened! What did you
| seep''
But Arthur Beauchamp silenced al
their EXPLANATIONS with his happy, ring
ing laugh, that sounded SO thorough!
human in that mysterious spot.
Il heard your plans, my friends
though 1 wasn't in the room; so whel
Vivienne sought her face in the miro
of the well, a rather terrified lookins
heroine, I fear-wen, we won't say any
thing about that now-the face she saw
reflected in it was truly that of her fu-
ture lord and master. And so say,
now and forever, all honor to the