The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-01-10

OF Winters night, or soften in the
moonlight, when the foamy pillows of
clouds were tossed by the light breath
OF the wind, swept onward till the dim
valley was disclosed sleeping beneath
with the river winding through it like a
silver, unbounded ribbon.
Mr. Merton entertained very few
guests, but year ago into their seclu-
sion had appeared an old-time friend, q
friend of happier days.
Mrs. Ashloigh had come to pass tho
summer in the valley below, had taken
n quaint old manor house and was 60
ing to lead the most tranquil of lives q
woman Of society could.
She had met and known the Mertons,
when they were spending winter in
Rome, Immediately after their mar
riage. In the passing years she had
not lost all knowledge of, nor interest
in, the father and child
Soon after her arrival in the neigh
borhood, she called upon them, bring
ing with her her son. A handsome
man OF twenty-seven or eight, he came
into Pansy's life like a bright dream.
Dear heart, she had known so little of
young life and the intercourse it brings,
and Earle Ashleigh was attractive. The
stately figure, the clear-cut face, the
frank blue eyes, the rich voice that
could be very low and earnest, had each
its charm to please.
The first glimpse of Pansy, Earle
would never forget. She was stepping
out from one of the long windows on
the terrace and seemed framed in ivy.
Her soft, violet dress floated around her
like the mist of her own hills, her pure
face was like fair child; on one shout
der nestled pet bird seemingly caught
in her floating hair, and pecking at a
trailing spray of blossoms she held up
in one dainty hand.
Those summer days were very fair to
little Pansy. There dwelt in them such
subtle charm. 1t was not often she
could DO lured to spend many hours
away from home, but there were chance
meetings, when she would be driving
her ponies to and from the village,
where she was quite Lady Bountiful
among the poorer ones with her gifts of
fruit, flowers and bundles of needful
things She would often be overtaken
by a cavalier figure returning from q
day in the woods or tramping Off fresh
for days outing. Then there were
frequent stops at Pansywold to leave a
cluster of mountain blossoms, bright
birds wing, rare fern. and yet again
an evening call, to bring some new
song or only to see if the heat of the
valley had risen to their height.
Into Pansys cheek came rich
glow never seen before; some bright
flower, Earle said was made for such
pure pale faces, would be twisted with
the knot Of pansies now, Unconscious
ly, but surely, the untried, girish heart
was learning a sweet new lesson.
Earle hardly realized her deepening
interest, for he had been so accustomed
to girls, and seeing sweet, winsomo
faces and ways. In the late summer,
among his mothers few guests, there
came one to whom his heart owed
much allegiance, First at church Pansy
saw the exquisite face, and that glance
struck her as if perfume was blown
from some flower heavy with sweetness,
such rare beauty as this, and she had
almost thought her face was fair to
him. Mrs, Ashleigh, calling, spoke of
her tender interest in this beautiful
Geraldine, of her hope of calling her by
a near and dear name She did not see
the pallor of the child face, the look
of horeessness in the great starry
eyes.
Pansys failing health made the ex.
cuse for not receiving Earle, when he
came alone, or when he and his fair
beauty would stop after gay gallop
over the mountain for y word with Mr.
Merton aud sweet little Miss Pansy.
The autumn tints were deepening, the
summer birds were all fitting and
Earle's last memory of Pansy, was as
he saw her standing in the village
church one late afternoon. There was
a baptism OF one of Pansy's proteges.
and her father had brought her there.
How fraiI the little figure looked above
the dark velvet of her dress. Her pale
face seemed like snowdrop in purity.
As she stood by the fount, "a slantinp
ray of evening light stole through the
strained windows, and one long golden
CLEAN tonched tho bowed head aud
busted the dark curls with sifted
gold,
Two days later, after an autumn
storm had abated Earle went for
farewell call to Pansywold, and was in
formed by the gray-haired servant that
Miss Pansy and Mr.. Merton had left
for New York and were TO sail in week
for Europe.
Was her father taking her away 'to
brighter light and softer airs for pleas
ure or health?
He thought, as he drove slowly down
the mountain, of how people had spoken
of the girl as fading like flower. His
mother, too, had mentioned lately the
frail delcacy of Pansy's beauty. He
thought of the winsome face with
pang. 1t seemed to have gathered all
its glory in the large eyes, and how pa
thetic their glance had grown of
late.
Could it be--p but no, he had been,
in letter and in spirit, true to Gerald
inc.
Eight years had gone by. They had
mostly been spent i'm the far East by