The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-21
Original STORY,
GOALS OF FIRE.
A Story of the Affections.
Written for the Democratic Adcocote
BY A LADY OF WESTMINSTER.

her apron of dead leaves, the tribute Of the
stately trees, SO lately beautiful with the
garnish of spring. the summer zephyrs had
ceased, and there was voice more solemn
which spoke TO the soul amid the tittul
siehs of Novembers blasts The sun was
slowly descending, and as the last rays
faded behind the hills girl appeared at
the door of a stately house in the city OF
w. Her hair fell in waving masses around
her matchless forehead; her eyes, that could
look sad or sparkle with mischief, now
cleaned with delight.
ooh, if [ could only see him again !
Why don't he turn around as he used to
do?'' She leaned forward "Oh, heavens
he has stopped to talk with Ida James
Can it be possible that he has forgotten
me ?"
She turned with downcast eyes and en-
tered the house, stood in the hall for mo-
ment, then rushing up stairs she fell upon
the bed. and there in silence wept the sad
dest tears of her life. At last she arose,
and going to trunk she took out square
green box, and opening it, she drew forth
handsome Easter card. She gazed upon
that little memento for fully ten minutes,
then, turning, she murmured:
"Ahl he loved me then, but it Is gone
now. Ida James, with her fascinating
manners, has won him from me. Oh !!
Harry, how could you treat me thus? you
knew | loved you so much, and Alice
Heating (for such was her name) sobbed
aloud.
Before proceeding further we must give
the circumstances of this story:
When Alice Heating, a pretty girl OF
sixteen, used to visit a store in the city OF
W. she saw, in that store, a clerk on whom
her affections rested; his name was Harry
Melvin, fne-looking fellow, about two
years her senior. He liked Alice and
paid her quite marked attention for awhile,
and when Easter day came around he sent
her beautiful Easter card, which she al
ways kept as her choicest treasure, and it
was no other than that which she looked
upon on that calm autumn evening He
was in the habit of coming up town every
morning and evening ON business for the
| firm. Alice knew the hour and was al
ways waiting to receive the profound bow
which she never failed to get. Her life
was happy until one Sunday evening she
started to church with her supposed friend,
Miss Ida James, an acknowledged belle of
w. Harry passed them, and Ida, turning
to Alice, told her that if she was her that
she would not associate with Harry Mel
vim for awhile, at least, for the downtown
gentlemen talked about it, and in closing
her remarks she said: alice, / have been
in society longer than you have here, and
know the art; promise me that you will
not associate with Harry Melvin until [
say YOU SHALL" Alice, innocent, trusting
girl that she was, promised. Ida James,
false friend that she was, gloried in her
victory, and hoped now to bring Harry
Melvin into her net All Alice Heating
that promise was almost fatal to you. Alice
kindly told Harry that she could not asso-
ciate with him any more for the present;
and he, taking it kindly from the adored
one, vowed that he would wait patiently
until she would be at liberty to disregard
her promise to Ida James They parted
as friends. Alice would send him sweet
smile whenever she met him, which was
lovingly returned. After Alice had stopped
her association with him Miss James began
to exert some of her influences over him,
and so completely entrapped him that it
looked as though he had forgotten plain
Alice Keating; but, reader, he had not; he
had striven to hate her, but could not
On that evening, as Alice stood in the
doorway and saw him stop for chat with
Miss James, all her brightest hopes OF
youth seemed to be dashed to pieces against
the rocks by the pretended friendship of a
fair-faced friend, who was bent on wreck
ing her life. Yes, as many other trusting
girls have had their lives wrecked, by
double-faced society queens. Alice spent
a restless night, striving to tear the image
of Harry Melvin from her heart, which
was an impossibility; but she then deter
mined that he should never know how she
had suffered, for though she was gentle
confding girl, she had high spirit, which
she had inherited from long race of PROUD
Keatings. Months passed; Harry Melvin
and Alice Heating met each other with g
civil bow, while he became constant Wis
itor at the James mansion. Ida visited
Alice, and was received in the same sweet
manner that she had always been by the
lovely Alice.
i. X y
Three years have rolled away. Harry
and Alice are completely estranged. A
raging contagious fever visited W., ant
Ida James was one of the first to take it
Where now was her boasted society friends
They all Stunned her, and even the house
keeper left with fright
Alice Keating was standing by the win
dow in her room when the news came tha