Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-01-27
HER LOST BIRTHRIGHT.

brilliantly lighted draWing-room, watch
mo The gay scene being therein enacted,
sat Gertrude Meyer. For the moment,
ahe was al9ne-with her, indeed, rare
occurrence, since she was both belle
and beauty; but slight sprain to her
ankle i few days previous had prevent
IA her Joining III the dance, ana the
little throng of men who all the even
inc had gathered about her had for the
instant disappeared, many OF them at
her express command.
The last had fingered, reluctant stlll
u, ~. when am tired, she said.
9 | want TO be alone.
He bent. then, from his splendid
height, and, with q glance from his
dark eyes few women could have re-
sisted, whispered few words IN her
ear: but neither glance nor whisper
brought even monetary lash 70 the
lovely cheek Or brow. She met both
with i Ianguid Indifference amounting
almost To haughtiness, and slight
shrug Of tile beautiful bare shoulder.
" Elsa il without partner" she re-
Joined. ~ like TO see you dance to-
yethcr Ask her for this waltz"
An angry light kindled in Frederic
Haughton's eyes, and he turned alb
ruptly away. The next moment, Elsa:
with pleased flush, yielded herself 70
his guidance iii the dance; and, with q
half-sigh, though she knew not where
fore. Miss Meyer sank back III her
cushioned corner a breath from Elsa's
pcrfumed ribbons being waited to her
as the daAcers floatedlby.
Was she always to receive love, new
er 10 return it +? Gertrude asked herself.
True, Frederic Houghton had never,
III words, declared his passion; but
every glance, every accent, had been
replcted with its intensity. She felt
That he loved her.
How poor and meagre WIS the cold
friendship she might offered i'll return
But, If she determined to smile ut least
more kindly, he gave her no opportuni-
IL. Othcr men hocked back to her side.
She had sent him to Elsa; BY Elsa he
remained.
cine dance followed another, but he
would resign her ID no other partner;
and only i'll amused CLEAN crept into
Gertrude's eyes ny she watched him,
and h.ncicd she read the pique which
part reflected upon herself, as the mex /
day and tile next passed, until the
week had gone, and still she neither
saW nor heard from him. At the end
of that period she again shrugged her
shoulders and told herself that she had
forgotten HIM.
II was from Elsa, Il fortnight later
that she learned his regiment had been
ordered into active service, and was to
depart in three days for the seat of
war.
What should she say to him when he
came To bid her farewell. She need
net have questioned. She waited, but
he came not lie left with his good-hy
to her unspoken. IL caused her no
real grief, no heat-pang, but sort of
restless surprise, which started some
depths whose existence hitherto had
been unknown.
Three or four days later Elsa came
other with sly blush She had al
ways been the ehild's friend and conf
dante Though iii reality but twelve
months her senior, she felt herself the
elder by long years.
II have favor to ask you, Gertrude"
Hhc began Frederic asked me TO
write him This morning | received
his first letter am ashamed to send
him my poor little scribbling, and Mt
school remembered how beautiful al
ways were your compositions, and /
Atid to myself, Il will 90 to Gertrude
she will tell me what to say" | love
him 50 much 50 very much, Gertrudel
! think that he, too, loves me. | want
10 breathe into my words just enough
II my hearts perfume that he may
know where To seek 10 lind the flower
itself.
Gertrude looked mp, amazed.
lis this love which makes you SO
pnetical, Elsa r. she asked. II never
heard you talk ike this before"
1T IL one If your own thoughts |
borrowed Elsa answered. .and whose
utterance II seems you had forgotten.
But tell me, will YOU do for me what |
ask p
Ven think il win bc honorable III
Yes, yes Whynot2 You can tell
him nothing 10 not feel only you
will paint the picture SO that he may
love 10 look NJ IT, !"
little longer Gertrude demurred.
and then, drawing To her pen, ink, and
paper. She testified to her consent.
Al she wrote. her reluctance vanish
ed She fancied herself in Elsa's place
She imagined how some rosebud, wooed
hy the sun, would one by one open its
shrinking petals, quivering 'twixt &c
stasy and pain, 10 meet the passionate
kiss IF the Day God and SO her imagi-
nntian found ypnt III words
She covered the sheet with closely
filled lines. and Ms She read them Elsa
pressed them 70 her lips
'.hh they will make him love me, y
she cried, as she ram with them To her
own nome, Y copy them III her own
handwriting.
By the next mail came his answer
Elsa had been right.
The latter had strangely stirred his
heart. Pulses he had thought dormant,
lie wrote, had lcaped into mad, exult-
ant life. He had slept, he teld her,
with the paper next his heart.
Again Gertrude wrote, and yet again,
until she looked for his replies almost
rs Elsa She who had never loved in
her life found strange and satisfying
delight iii pouring upon the sheet the
cry of hungry soul while her own
soul knew no hunger, the passion she
had never felt, the ecstasy of q love at
which she scofied.
so might | feel she whispered TO
herself when, ike the sleeping prin-
cess. in fairy.lore. the magic prince
would bend and kiss my lips"
And SO to this unknown king she
wrote. The replies became more fire.
quent, moro ardent, until at last there
camea letter when Frederic Houghton
asked Elsa to become his wife
With tears Of joy in her bright blue
eyes, she brought this letter, like the
others, 10 Gertrude,
Answer him. she said, and tel
him yes, yes! yesp'
Slowly Miss Meyer read the Letter
through. From whence came thi:
duh pain At her heart A mist swan
before her eyes. The written charac
tiers were blurred from her sight. BY :
powerful effort she controlled herself
and spoke with some degree of calm
ness.
Not this, Elsie, she said. This 70,
must answer yourself"
.'0h no, no! cannot! Make It We
more, beautiful than the others, Ger