Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-10-19
BERTHA DALTON'S TRIUMPH,
THE HISTORY OF AN OPAL RING.
GContinued.1

Lord Alphington and st. Lawrence
received occasional communications
from Mr.. Riggs. the former through his
solicitor, Mr.. Thompson, but nothing
had yet been heard of the opal ring. st.
as regarded it, the detective still kept
urging him to remain quiet and be ST.
lent.
II believe we shall be able to unravel
your affair, but the greatest caution
must be used, or we may fail, wrote
this functionary in the last missive st.
Lawrence received from him. st. Law
renee felt he could do nothing but wait
and trust, though there were certain
circumstances that made this waiting
very terrible to him, and at times
caused him to fear that he would be
obliged for conscience sake to break
through the trammels Mr.. Riggs i'm
posed upon him, even at the risk Of
running his own prospects.
Douglass accession to wealth greatly
changed Mrs. Dalton's views. She had
always made up her mind that Lena
was to make her fortune" by mar
riage; and then, with some help from
her, Mrs. Dalton told herself, she would
be able to get on comfortably with her
little income. But, in that case, what
was to be done with Berthap Of course,
if Lena married a man of rank, as
seemed now almost certain, her sister
should not continue to teach music
such an occupation for an Earl's sister,
in-law would be quite out of character.
Now the problem was solved. Doug
lass falling in love with Bertha was
something quite providential, Mrs.
Dalton observed to Lena. Such match
for her elder daughter would not have
been entertained for moment; but, for
Bertha, moderate income with man
of unexceptionable appearance and
manners, man who would be quite
presentable amongst his future aristo-
cratic connections, was all that could
be reasonably looked for.
Thus Mrs. Dalton settled the pros
poets of her two daughters quite to her
satisfaction, and plumed herself upon
the happy turn of events. as if it had
been all her own doing. The only one
quite ignorant of Douglass intention
was Bertha herself. She had always
liked him, and, now that they had be-
come intimate, was thoroughly friendly
with him and at her ease-too much SO,
Douglas sometimes feared. He would
fain have detected some change of color
when they met, some shade of embar-
rassment or shyness in her manner.
He was far from despairing, however;
Bertha at any rate took pleasure in his
society, and Mrs. Dalton gave him en-
couragement by many little signs that
he understood, though not actually by
words. He persuaded himself she
would not have done this had there
been no hope for him, so he determined
to take heart of grace and press his
suit. n,oe
Since Douglas had been in position
to come forward, st. Lawrence's visits
to Ivy Cottage had become much more
rare. He still made one in,the sketch
ing parties, but on such occasions he
now attached himself to Mrs. Dalton
and Lena, leaving Douglas free to de-
vote himself to Bertha. This change
was not unnoticed by Lena, who did
not doubt but that at last her charms
had touched his unimpressionable
heart; and her own throbbed only too
wildly as she whispered to herself that
the only love she could have returned
While st. Lawrence appeared indif-
ferent to Lena, and while her love for
him seemed, even to her. to be in vain,
q fierce conflict had been going on; she
sometimes thought she was capable Of
casting aside ambition, If only she
could hear him say he loved her. But,
now that he was again at her side, now
that, blinded by vanity, she believed
that she had to give only the slightest
token Of favor to bring him to her
feet, she recoiled from Surrendering
the aim of her life. The prospect. Of
wealth and rank again allured her, and
she longed to be able to hold both Fam
court and st. Lawrence captive, so
that, while she mounted to the height
of her desires by the aid of one, she
could keep the other in her train, and
ut least prevent the bestowal of his af-
fections elsewhere.
1t never entered st. Lawrence's head
that Lena Dalton cared for him; he
gave her no real reason to suppose that
he regarded her with any warmer feel
ing than that Of friendship; he would
have been shocked and distressed could
he have looked into her heart. Asit
was, quite Ignorant that he was lead
ing her into any misunderstanding, he
corrected her sketches and strolled by
her side, and waited upon her wishes,
though his thoughts were otherwise
occupied; and his frequent fits Of alb
sence of mind would have revealed to
any one less self-occupied, than Lena
that his heart was elsewhere.
Douglas had noticed that for many
weeks past st. Lawrence had appeared
fanressed and unlike himself. and occa-