Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-01-14


heSlth, and strength, and renewed beau
t!, to those two others. Yet she held |
Ter peace, though at times her heart |
seemed uying within her.
Autumn was coming autumn was |
nearly here! And in the first week of |
October that beautiful, faithlear temp
tress would go to her home in the south !
and trouble Lucy's peace no more. The
first day of October came-at last:
Through the bright. breezy day, Lucy
came and Went, directing servants, over
seeing the maids as they packed Miss
Fernand's lovely dresses, carefully pre-
pairing with her own hands a dainty
luncheon basket for the morrow.
At dusk she went to her own room
and dressed for dinner She wore blue
evening dress, with gold ornaments, her
soft brown hair falling in child-ike curls
over her pretty white neck and should
ers, in its usual way.
81 have lost nearly all my color, and
I've dimmed my eyes by all this crying"
| she thought, smiling at her own image
in the glass, for the first time in months
But she is going to morrow, and / shall
win him back in time. know shall?
feel it in my heartn'
| She went down stairs.
| The evenings closed in an early now,
and a chill lurked in the air after sunset
that made the bright flames, leaping up
behind the siyer bars of the fender, a
pleasant sight to see.
The hall was we'll warmed and the
sw'nging-lamp had been light nearly
an hour. In the front and back draw
ing rooms the shutters were closed, the
crimson velvet curtains fell to the floor,
and the great chandeliers, with their re-
volving wax-lights, poured down flood
Of radiance upon the velvet pile carpet,
the exquisite furniture, the pictures,
magnifcntly framed, and painted by
Philips own hand.
From a tall silver vase that stood be-
ween two windows, Lucy took one deep,
crimson rose, and passed on to find her
husband.
Both drawing rooms were empty. She
passed on to the third, much smaller
room.
Here Philips choicest art treasures
were enshrined. The walls glowed with
color; the malachite tables were Uttered
with countless lovely trihes, any one of
which would cost them years income
in the olden time.
Drawing the velvet curtains aside
from the arch Lucy looked in. J
The chandelier was unIit; the clear
anthracite, glowing like melted rubies,
threw the warm light over the marble
goddesses, upholding the fire place on
either side.
And there, in the velvet easy-chair,
sat Ernesta Fernand, with her black
hair falling in wavy masses over its rose
l colored cushions; ner checks flushed
l her red lips apart, with the pearl tee:l
glittering as she smiled that marvellous
smile, with her eyes flashing fire, as she
suddenly sprang to her feet. and claspet
her white hands over Philips arm
There and thus. the poor, pale httl,
:, wife looked on her-saw the bewlluer
e ing witchery of her grace, the charm o
!. manner, and knew that she could neve
. hope again-knew that the heart of he
Il husband once lost to such q woman, wa
r lost to his unhappy wife forever
: philip, thought you guessed tn
secret; thought you knew. On th
I very day before your marriage-oh
how l longed to tell you theD?" said Er
nesta.
;, Il wish you had spoken. What
- difference it would have made, Ernestal
, was Philip sreply.
;, Poor Lucy laid her hand on her hear
and drew laca llto the shade of the cul
tain.
=, Don't blame me-" said the wonder
full trained voice, SO low and SO sweet, q
have Suffered
a DO You think YOU have suffere
in alone. Erlesta:' said Philip. ooh, VIII
did you never speak before, SO man
n years that might have been-lost,
Il can scarcely forgive you, And sine
"a you have been here, no. one word ,
love from. yon, I'll now
ct ''Bu. have fei, it, said Er1esta. :.
Lr- could not have gone without opening IL
y heart TO you. Your wife loves yo,
.,e Philip. III her innocent, childish va
ce But my heart IS like the volcano, silcr
I'd pent-up for years, breaking forth,
d, last, IL a torrent ,ha. sweeps all ot.sta
les from its path. And to think ,h
IS We are parted she added, q no,ne
after, her voice lowered ani subau.
he "Oh. Philip. how can bear it, y
TO heart will break
.rd III You had coutidel Ill NE I'VE ve,