Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-10-05

Alien fingered rs II in an enchanted
castle, till he had no life, no will, no
hopes, but those which centcrcd in
Mabel Rae And she soon returned
his passion with love even more ab-
sorbing and far less selfish than her
lovers.
Oh, the sweet, warm, lovc-laden days
in those solcmnly shaded woods! Oh.
the blissful hours in the cool evenings.
whenl the perfume of tuberoses and
| jasmine filled the air. when the soft
calm moonlight glorilicd every lovely
and every common thing, It was like
a dream of those days when the old
rustic gods reigned, and to live was to
love, and to love was TO be happy.
With the fall, however, there came
letters from Scotland, and Allan could
no longer delay. Mr. Rae would hear
of no engagement for two years, 10y
which time he said he hoped to be able
to give Mabel such fortune rs would
make her acceptable in the eyes Of
Allan's father. But for the present he
absolutely declined to look upon the
young peoples attachment as binding
on either side.
"In less than two years will be here
again, Mabel. darling" were Allan's
last whispered words. as he held her in
his arms. and kissed again and again
the face dearer than all the world To
| him. And Mabel smiled through her
/ tears. and held the last tubcrose of the
summer to his lips for parting pledge
But the two years brought many
changes. The war cloud gathered, and
long before Allan could redeem his
promise the little inland plantation was
dcsolatc and deserted Mabel was an
orphan, and cruelty embarrassed in
money affairs claimants without num-
/ Der appeared against the Rae estate
and creditors forced the plantation into
the market at the most unfayorablc
time. She was driven from her home
in strict accordance with the letter of
the law. but she felt and knew. though
powcrless to prevent it, that she had
been wronged.
For the first time in all her life Ma
bel thought for herself. and dared to
look the future in the face She had
promised her father never to write to
Allan without his permission, hut she
considered that death annuls all con-
tracts. and surely now If ever it was
Allan's duty to bcfricnd and care for
her. 80 she sent him word, in a few
shy. timid sentences. of her sorrow and
loneliness. But il was doubtful If ever
the letter woold reach him; mails in
those days were not ccrtaintics: and
even If it did reach Allan. IL was still
more uncertain whether he could reach
Mabel. And in the meantime she
must work; and though Mabel could
command no higher position than that
of nursery goycrncss, yet she found
in it higher life than ever the dreamy
luxurious selhshncss of her fathers
home had given her.
Her employers were Of the ordinary
class. can weave no romance out
of them. They felt no special inter
est in Mabel, neither did they ill-ttse
her. She was useful and unobtrusiyc.
and asked for neither sympathy nor
attention. No letter came from Al
Ian, though she waited and hoped with
failing heart and paling cheeks for
more than "A year. She had not the
courage to write again, and her anN-
iety and distress began to tell very per-
ceptibly on naturally frail consttu-
tion. Then n physician advised her to
try at once more inyigorating eli
mate. and she not unwillingly agreed
TO accompany the invalid wife Of an
officer returning to her home in New
York.
This was the dawn Of brighter day
for Mabel by the advice of friends
she established herself in fashionable
locality and commenced teaching mu-
sic. think few women could have
been more successful so in the sec
ond winter of Mabel's residence in New
York 1t became "t the thing" to invite
Miss Rae to preside over select social
and musical entertainments. have q
friend who met her during that season
frequently, and who describes her tact
and influence rs something extraordi-
nary and magnetic. Her rare beauty
was undiminished, though more