Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-12-14
Original story.
Written for the poRr TOBACCO TIMES. !
L \ l. Nj u IN :.
Is \ G. [ |. y \ RE.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CLOSING SCENES.

INt Years nave passed. away i've
years has Lorraine Stanley lain in his
SIX feet OF ground with the green earth
smiling above him, and yet the worh
stlIl moves on.
In Il handsome apartment of her
Baltimore home, ricrly attired in gilt
tcrlng robes Of white, stood Dora Viii
sou, almost the bride OF another. \
merry group had gathered around her
but she heeded not their gay laughter
aud frivolous speeches.
Beneath the uuptuul veil her face
Was pale and sad. Constantly before
her Was / form of the past and still
she heard the familiar voice.
Il wouli like to be alone for a few
minutes, sand she turning Ia the as
sembled party.
"Oh, no." they al cried in chorus
I'VE are all ready aud the others hase
been waiting some time"
No Dora" added her mother, who
had just walked in with stately mein
that became her august appearance,
this is time when your " whims can
not be Eumorcd, the hour appointed
lor tile ceremony has been put off too
long already for some foolish caprice
Of yours. ami now | insist upon your
going down and jaining the rest"
And |, answered Dora, in an an.
lhorItatlye voice, and with strange
expression settling over her white face
''lus'st upon being left alone for shor-
while
That stern command was not to b.
rebukcd even by Ler mother, " Whorare,
" suCcumUcd to any one, and So they
left the room.
Dora after assuring herself that she
vas perfectly i oEc, opened the doc
of small apartment built in the room
raised Ii h avy dark curtain, and stool
pale aud for 4 moment spe,chless, be
fore lie size portrait of Lorrain
Stanley.
There he Was IN the full glow OF
fresh and manly b. auty, the sparkle
the eye Was there, every wave Of H.
black hair. just as lie was in life, jus,
a. she bad oflrnTeen him. 4
"o} lorraluc' dear dead love" vi
the sno,htrtd cry of anguish. "long.'
oug gone but MT forgotten so near
Sou seem to me dear Lorraine, and vet
20 far, 80 sweet and So much like speak
ing tho.e lips look 10 me, still tLey are
80 cold and silent. Ny hand will
soon give TO another, dear Lorraine,
hut my heart still is yours On my
brow 's wreathtd the orange blossom
but be eyprtss entsines my heart -
Don't 'lIuk you are forgotten, dear
one. because must leave You. Fare
we'll, she Kissed the portrait, careful
!y replaced the curtain and left the
room.
Under the gorgeous brilliaucy OF
many gas jets that enhanced the spien-
dor OF u large and fashionable ass IN
bly,, Dora Wilson pledged herself 10 Il
noble mss whom she might have low
I'd, but Tor the dark, handsome idol of
her lifelong dreams, To h,r marriage
VAS a cruel farce, and h.r gay laugh.
ter. that rang cut with the rest, Was
mockcry.
High over the home lie so vainly loy.
I'd. CLEANED the marble shaft of Lor-
gaiLe Stanley, pure and white in the
larhenlng twilight. The myrtle and
grass had grown thickly over his grave,
often the flowers had bloomed and fad,
I'd, aud were now blooming again, scat
tering their sweetness over the lonely
dead.
At the foot Of the hill was the lowly
mound Of his wife, four years ago the
brok hearted mother was laid beside
her daughter to rest in peace. Moth
ing more was ever heard of the unfor-
iunate hunchback.
Long since The gloom had disappear
d from Palmoin, ,merriment rang thro'
he halls as of old.
From the many lights that flushed
from the house, and the gay groups
over the lawn, some festivity
SEEM near at hand.
In the denoament appear familiar
faces Of the happy past. Miss Eupho
MIA Smllax. w.o scarcely SET ms to have
grown day older, tlutters in Il gauzy
robe among her guests, she has evident
y enter, d upon IA new career in life,
or she introduces the portly Mr. Love.
all as my husband" Miss Jane en-
.ers apon tie scene as a blooming ma
iron, leading Il little bright-eyes min
ature Of herself. Uncle Hezekiah and
Aunt Dinah and Bo are seen back of
The gorgeous shifting forms,a few years
older but scarcely any changed.
Oh, but the sad vacuum that can
never be filled, the form that lies low
in the dark grave, the voice forever
still.
THE END.