Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-01-05
CHARLoTTE's SECRET.

When Charlotte Castlemayne was a
schoolgirl of sixteen, she made the
great mistake of her life: O mistake
which was to cause her unutterable
sorrow and remorse
BY nature Charlotte was intensely
attectionate. She had heen berett OF
both her parents while mere child,
and her guardian being a cold, rather
reserved man of business, the girl had
learned to keep back such demonstra-
tions as would have displeased him.
At fourteen she was sent away to
boardmg-school. AT sixteen she Eell in
love-or thought she did-with Cliff
Dallas, her music-teacher, a man of
thirty, who used all the art he was mas
ter of to win the affection of this pas
sionate-hearted girl, who he knew
would cone into possession of hand
some property in due time.
1t was an easy task to win her,
starved for love as she was. His low,
tender words and his caresses seemed
foretaste of heaven.
By skillful maneuvering, he per
suaded her into consenting toa secret
marriage Walking in the glamour of
love, sue doubted nothing, feared
nothing.
Cliff Dallas, with his dark eyes and
mysterious smile, was sort of god up
on earth to the foolish girl who could
ot look into the future.
At seventeen, with VOWS of eternal
constancy, and many hot tears, she
parted from her husband ami returned
home to her guardian.
Dallas returned to England shortly
after; but ii was understood between
them that when she should have at
tanned her majority, he would come to
claim his wife.
Charlotte felt quite exalted and hero
ic. She entered society with feeling
of superiority to all the giddy butter
flies abont her.
A pretty girl and an heiress could not
be long without suitors; and Charlotte
had her share; but one after another
was refused, until Mr.. Morlowe, her
guardian, began to think it rather sing
ular that not one cut of SO many eligi-
BILE young men had succeeded in win
ming the appreciation of his ward. In
truth, Mr.. Marlowe would not have OBJ
Jected to shifting the responsibility of
lovely yong lady and her property
from his shoulders TO those of q suita-
BILE husband.
Meanwhile, Charlotte had kept up
correspondence with Cliff Dallas. and
once, being in America for few months,
he had called on her frequently,
fact which excited no comment, as he
was known to have been her music
teacher while at Madame F-'s
seminary.
1t was soon after Dallas's second re-
turn to England that Charlotte met
Charlie st. Omar. Charlotte was then
about twenty, and st. Omar eight years
her senior.
Until now she had never faltered from
her old allegiance. Until now no man
had seemed to her for moment to be
compared TO Cliff Dallas. But as her
acquaintance with this young fellow
rpened, he grew into her heart un-
awares. There was something 80 true
and loyal and manly about him-some-
thing so unlike the conventional
society dandy-that she admired him in
spite Of himself.
And when rumor began to couple his
name with hers, she shrank snd trem-
bled and wept in the solitude Of her
chamber, remembering that she was the
welded wife of another man.
Then came the news of the loss of an
ocean steamer, with the name of Cliff
Dallas on her passenger-list.
Charlotte read the newspaper &C
counts of the disaster with terrible
eagerness. Undoubtedly Dallas had
been on his way to claim her. 1t want
ed but month or two of her twenty
first birthday. Now Providence had
freed her from thebond which she could
only think of with loathing.
Almost at the same time Charlie ST.
Omar nade her an offer of marriage,
and she begged for few days in which
to consider the matter.
Then a great temptation came to
Charlotte. She loved st. Omar, truly
fondly, and deeply--a feeling utterly
unlike the blind, senseless, schoolgirl
passion which she had entertained for
Cliff Dallas, Dallas was dead; their