Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-02


do you love him, Isabel?"
II like him well enough. I love his
money"
"Isabe1, don't do it. You win SOW
the wind and reap the whirlwind. i
can't allow it; the idea of your marry
ing himl 1t is too preposterous, too
mercenary. Why, he was once lover
Of my own" pursued Miss Eulalie, for
getting herself.
"Why didn't you marry him and
save me the trouble?" said Isabel.
" But perhaps he was poor then ?"
at was not that"
"What thenS You loved some
body else?'
az don't mind telling you now, Isa-
bel, ] had another loyer-Anson An
drews. I've never gotten over it.
There have been weeks and months
when I've tried with all my soulto for
get him-to unlove him. He and
Captain Valentine sailed together in
the Water Witch, and when Captain
Valentine returned he brought me all
the trinkets and letters I had sent An
son Andrews, but never a word more" !"
"You dear old faithful thingi you
shall dress in satin de Lyon and thread
lace; we shall live in the lap of lux
ury, and I'll send word to Anson An
drews if he is at farthest Thule. How
oddly things turn outl Fancy my
marrying your cast-off loverv'
"Isabel, beg you not to"
"Not marry Captain Valentine be-
cause I'm not in love? Perhaps I
never shall be in love. You would
have me give up so much for a mere
sentiment. You mustn't expect every
body to have as intense feelings as
yourself. I couldn't remember a man
fifteen years if he were the Great Mo
gul 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
clergyman had pocketed his fee, and
the bride was trying on her travelling
hat, Miss Eulalie stepped into the gar
den to draw a long breath. What
were the workingmen doing there at
that hour?
$50 into the house, Miss Eulalie," !"
said Captain Valentine. "I 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 win
ter sea- Miss Eulalie, when you
thwart Valentine you do it at your
peril. Do you think / married Isabel
for love? Revenge is sweeter than
love. When you refused to marry me
I swore I 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
Isabel, some months later, awed and
ashamed at finding herself in possession
of the coveted wealth without the
burdensome conditions. eve been
looking over his papers with Mr.. Bill
ings, the executor, and we ferreted
out this letter. It's from Anson An
drews. / thought it explained some
thing; at any rate you might like to
see it. It's dated Australia, year
ago"
"DEAR VAL" miss Eulalie read
an" Here I am, leagues from home, but
possessed with an unquenchable long
ing to hear from the old place, and
homesickness which no money can re-
lieve. Sometimes when Pm smoking
in my bungalow, alone, l fancy am
home again under the old elm tree
with Eulalie, still young, with hope in
my soul, and presently I awake 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-dealing, cannot think
of her and all I've lost without
weight at my neart. L was nappy
wight when we shipped in the Water
Witch. I'm free to confess I've never
seen a happy day since you confded to
me that you were going to marry Eu-
lalie. I 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 jilt How have you wealth
cred it, messmate? And what has
happened to her? Has she befooled
any more true-lovers2 After all I be-
ieve that
"sMy heart would hear her and beat
Had it lain for a century dead
"Write me about her, and If the old