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

hair. comrI Icke1 my toi|et -
~ wers nsbl II khs h6 hostass
e Belmont Manor, ard Wsrm was cur
recsptibh. Ay nothaT aeher hAd
been membeF of Pa, ent uisl
tho old JndRe. and he snemhersd
nv father head bent i 1rief when
his young aud fair wife laid away
far bevond the aeA, afseE wing been
: wife of but few year 4 Vas her
only daughter, and he / carried
/ the eif of lite Mhrthe notfefl
and brought the sunsh with me
whsnevef carAe up = old Nam
e just lie she uaed TO
There we're groups end ots 0f peo-
plo here and there talkin Nm in u Co.
sult0ry fashion, al kapp 81 glad to
meet the son and heir ! Judge Bel
mont. ere atns Il king to-
gethsr, The Judge and Mfs. Belmont
and their son, when Q burst Of mnsic
came from one Of the parlors. The
voice was Carma Willard'G ] knew
it in an instant. Oh that voice. II
rose and fell like some far of echo. some
soul-stirring strain that had foated
out of Paradise. She was singing one Of
Beethoven's sad songs. and the keys Of
the instrument yielded up a gracious
response to the touch Of her magnetic
fingers. Lester bowed and said: "I
leave you, Grace. to the care of my
mother, and walked down in the direc-
ton of the music. The grand Brad
bury piano stood in the centre Of the
room, and behind it stood Lester Bel
mont, leaning on q massive chair, ,leom-
placently Surveying Carma Wizards
face and drinking in the music. She
played on and on, first some sad old
strain that woke up memories long
since buried in the hearts Of her lis
teners, then some dashing instrumen-
tai piece that required the most eff
cient skill te execute. Finally she
played the old song, "LOrena. whose
every. word touched some responsive
chord in the bosoms Of her audience.
All else seemed forgotten then but
Carma Willard and her song.
= "Who is she? Who is that beauti-
fnl woman?" went from lip to lip.
Carma Willard rose like star in that
brilliant throng. Uncle Horace seemed
never so proud of Carma as then. He
led her to Judge Belmont guests and
introduced her with the most fatherly
fondness, and in my inmost soul /
wished she were a better woman.
Lester Belmont came back TO the
alcove in which he left his mother and
I, but she had gone to the dining
saloon and / sat alone on one of the
crimson cushions twisting the heavy
tassels through my fnge
"Who was that beautiful woman at
the piano, Grace p
do you think her so beautiful ?"
"Yes, with q sort Of foreign beauty.
She looks like an Italian. She is a
woman would not trust. Tue index
of her charactec is stamped in her fair
face; but you have not told me her
name"
"Her name is Carma Willard, my
Uncle Horace Willard's daughter" /
said.
II beg your pardon for expressing
80 amply my opinion Of your cousin.
Had | known it was she, would not
have been SO elaborate in my express
sions"
He sat still looking at me with a
look | could not fathom. There was
a shade of pain in the dark eyes and
determined look on his face that half
made me uncomfortable.
"Grace T. He gathered up my hands
in an impetuous fashion and held them
IN one Of his. do you remember a
conversation we once had up in the
village of Kinston ?"
''Yes, / did remember, remembered
well. What of it ?"
Il told you. you were more to me
than ell else beside; that in my heart
burned an eternal love, unquenchable
by time or absence; yes, by death or
the grave. / repeat here tonight
what then told you. ] love you as
never man loved woman before, and
whatever may come, Grace, my darl-
ing, viii you always trust me |?
Always. even to the end of my
life, and the words found echo in my
heart as the angels recorded them in
the Great Book Of Gods own reckon
ing. 1t was my heart that made the
answer more than my lips.
Even to the end of my life." He
said this over slowly, as if sounding
the depth of each word. "Grace VIII
lard, if ] had no other joy, no other
boon from Gods hand, you are
enough, enough 70 fill my heart with
praise and thanksgiving all the days
of my life." He held my fingers with
. sort Of greedy clasp, as if he could
not bear to loose them. 'Do you not
know that away at school your sweet
pure face has risen before me and
blurred the pages Of my books; that
at night, when careless Of my reli-
gious duties, Grace Willardis voice
would be heard far down in my heart
saying, Remember your Creator.
You have been my beacon. my one
star that has led me on to higher. mo-
bier purposes and actions Oh my
darling, you do not know what you
are to me"
Just then the rustic Of garments
caused Us TO look up and Carma VIII
lard stood close 70 us. She he-
ont her fan for me to disengage the
tassel. that had caught in her brace
let. ] presented her 10 Lester, and
made an apology for my absence and
left them.