Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-07-18

she considered a slight to her own dubl-
Gus attractions.
And Elena Champney. cold, shrewd,
egotistic-had never yet distinguished
herself for magnanimity OF thought or
action. 1T the moment, the expression
of her counteuance was singularly I'M
amiable; behind the polished smile was
a suggestion of envy, of cunning, Of hate
| full triumph. She exulted perhaps that
| the more beautiful and more beloved
! Hilma had SO uuthinkingly armed her
| hostile hand. For that bit of folly about
the wager could be made very effective
indeed. Alaric Maury was fastidious in
his own way, and he surely would have
an aversion for the girl who had made
the conquest of his affections the subject
of frivolous boast!
"Surely Elena would not repeat it to
him, " the girl meditated uneasily. "And
how utterly contemplate l should seem
to him if he might know"
Days went by-happy days for Hilma,
who all UncOnsciously, had entered the
enchanting realms of love. All uncon
sciousIy she had given her heart to Alaric
| Maury; and he realized In her his ideal
of perfect womanhood, and loved her as
one of his loyal nature ever does
love the creature deemed all tr-,e and
veet.
"She is so shy and yet so frank" he
once observed to Miss Champney. Hill
ma is agreeably unlike many young
| ladies."
"Do you think SO ?" Elena queried
significantly.
She was sitting before the piano in
Hilma's pretty parlor, and Mr.. Maury
was standing beside her. At last her
opportunity for treachery had come.
He glanced at her rather blankly as
she uttered the meaning interrogatory.
She evidently desired him TO under
stand something that might not be quite
pleasant.
81 am Hilma's guest, and you are
both my friends, the lady pursued apol-
ogetically, and affecting a pretty unseli-
ish solicitude for him that might have
lattered one less sagacious or more sus-
ceptlble than her companion, land I
have no special taste for the role of in
termeddler. But perhaps it is better for
you to know that our dear and charm
irg Hilma is not quite what she seems.
She has q craving tor tender sort of
homage that may be quite natural ana
pardonable III young beauty who has
been INDUCED and hattered all her life.
I do not suppose that her coquetry is
absolutely deliberate" Elena continued,
still assuming the charitable and pallia-
tive; "but often
| Evil s wrought for want of thought
AS well as want of heart
"And you are not so fond of her vet
that you will be disconsolate by know
ing the truth. HIlma had fancy that
you were an 0bdurate woman Halter, and
when she learned that you were coming,
she wagered-some t1ife, doubtless
that you would be her conquest before
the summer won be over"
"A pair of gloves staked on mans
heart-a bauble to be won by the losing
Of mans faith-was that 1t, Elena ?"
he enumerated, III strangely mirthless
and bitter voice.
But Miss Champney had slipped from
her place and disappeared. There was a
look upon her face that had frightened
| her; for the traitor is ever the coward,
and beside, for an instant, she had been
assailed by confusing sense of shame
for the despicable thing that she had
done.
"But he will care for Hilma no longer"
she thought, III ignoble triumph. "He
will be grateful for my interest and SYM
pathy, and he will learn to love me-"
For a moment Alaric Maury stood
quite still, staring straight into nothing
ness. He was a sensitive man, and one
who trusted infinitely or not at all; he
had believed the fair, endearing Hllma
to be worthy of such trust, and what had
been divulged to him was painful and
bewildering.
81 cannot believe her so silly, so IN
refined" he murmured.
| And just then he turned and beheld
Hilma standing by an open door.
She was gazing at him timidly and in
sweetest depreciation. There was no
need for her to explain that she had
unaYoidably heard something of that
cruel detraction of herseIf-that her
presence had been unnoted so long only
because her modification had held her
dumb.
He moved toward her irresolutely,
but as he perceived her distress, the
pathetic humility of her aspect, all his
heart went out to her in tenderest COM
passion.
It is not gu: te true ?" he questioned,
gently regarding her with more yearn-
ing than disapprobation.
81 did make the wager" she con-
fessed, and uncomfortable tears began
TO glisten on her dropping lashes. "But
I was not serious in the least From
Miss Champney's description, I mag
med that you were opiniorated and un
feeling, and were prejudlced against all
women. And when you came, and were
SO different, I was sorry and ashamed
and miserable. I was afraid that you
might learn about it, and misjudge me
III every way" she concluded, with ex-
qu1site naivette.
He bent toward her, his eyes eager,
his face afame
'Do you care to know that you have
won your wager 2" he demanded, pas
sionately. 81 love you, and I shall
love you always. In these two soft weak
hands, Hilma, you hold my happiness.
Your conquest is as complete as you can
DESIRE he added, with a dint of wag-
! cToTu IN his v0ico