Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-02-08

pOens 1 tkS4tMeu VIII a new ap~
pFeciati0n and reverence OF the
power and magnitude NJ genius.
sat very still, absorbed in the
mysteries and power Of the self
abnegation that sent this fair.
brave woman smiling and exul-
tant to an awful death.
Suddenly tie face Of Carma
Willard III al It's marvellous beau
ty rose before me. and was CON-
pairing the symmetry Of face and
form TO thai of my companion. /
had turned away from him and
sat pHlling nc the spires of grass
That grew az our feet. / never had
told him much about Carma. 1
was so happy did not want to
mar my 1oys with thoughts OF her.
L .sfer had turned his gaze fnll
upon me and had stopped reading
several minutes before Twas aware
of it.
"Ohl why did you stop read
ing :" asked.
because / had 40 audience" he
replied. 'The river and the banks
could not hear me-"
"0h, Lester Belmont p / cried.
Il did not mean to-
NO." he said, stopping short
the words. II know, but Grace
Willard-tell me just the thought
that was troubling you"
He had closed the book and laid
10 on the grass beside him. He
gathered up my hands in his own
lmpetu0us fashion and looked me
steadily IN the face.
"How do you know my thoughts
were troubled ~
because no woman's face could
wear the look of perplexed pain
that yours does and feel happy.
Don't you know it amounted al
most to look of anguish?"
he dropped my hands and sat toy
ing with his watch chain.
"Grace Willard T. the words leaped
out in quick torrent and lifted my
face to meet the gaze of two calln
eyes bent upon me. Have made a
mistake? Do | only fancy your love
is mine, or is it real ?-the iove that
every woman should give the man she
shall call, in the sight Of God, her
husband? am not conventional man.
The love | offer you is as rure and
Interchangeable as Gods own truth, and
| ask just such in return. None 9TH
er will do. Choose now, Oracle, for
ever and forever
"'Tis not the choice Of this mo-
ment am making" l replied. "I
choose when / accepted you, Lester,
and to 1--we without you would be 10
live without life.'
Tell me then why you have been
so quiet and listless these few DAYS
past, and why your face wears that
clOnded look p
Then told him about Carma, how
fascinating and radiant she was, and
how plain ] felt in comparison to her.
How much better her queenly, grace
full bearing matched his own superb
figure. ! was small and plain in all
external appearances and quite sensi-
tive about IL, too.
lis that all that troubles you, my
little girl ?"
That is all, said; "that is enough.
When YOU meet her. you will be quite
overwhelmed by her elegance and SEN
suOus beauty
Why, you jealous little child, I've
halfa notion to beangry with you, said
he, taking my chin in the hollow Of his
hand. Then u quiet fell between us.
Suddenly he turned to me. do you
not know, my darling. that you are
SO pure, so set apart from all other
women that have ever met, that |
institute comparison as soon as am
presented to one, and invariably Grace
Willard rises before me first and fair
est"
Il don't like you to Aatter me in
that fashion, | replied.
ut is not fattery, but truth, can
did truth, and your words this day L
shall carry back with me. You do
not realize what they are to me. To
live without me would be to live With
out life. That is a correct transla-
ton of my own sentiments. If you
should fail me, the SAVIOR Of life would
indeed be gone. BY your side am
nearer heaven. BY your side can
hold tirm grasp upon the principles
OF Christs doctrines, and each day feel
that ] am day march nearer home. I"
de said this more to himself than
to me, for he was looking off to the
far away solemn clouds that had piled
like grim sentinels along the noun
tain tops.
Lester Belmont went back TO Yale
and to my home in New York at
Uncle Horace Willard's. His letters
filled with favorable accounts of his
collegiate achievements, were source
OF deepest pleasure to me, and the
warm assurance of his memory Of me
filled my heart to overfowing. How
was it {? Did / merit the love of such
a man 2-talented. noble, generous
and true TO the hearts core?
A year had slipped quickly by and
the week preceding the party at Judge
Belmonts was q week Of fiutter and
expectation to Carma and /. She
talked incessantly Of the Judges SON
wondering what he was like and if
she would be presented to him? OF
course she would. for she was the GEN.
tre OF attraction at every gathering in
which she participated. She was
beautiful and her voice was such as
one seldom hears in a life time. She
could bold an audience till each head
turned IN silent homage to her won