The Portland daily press., 1884-12-24
1HE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY, MORNING. DEC. "a.
Why Did He Wed Her?

piosion within sight Of her landing.
Among the lost was Ceve's mother, and
bis father was so fatally injured that he
died soon after his removal to the Planters
Hotel, having first made a will leaving all his
property to Cleve, and appointing his old
college chnm, Judge Barn, of New York,
executor Of bis Will.
When the funeral was over, the judge re-
turned TO New York, taking Cieve with him.
The Judges wife received the youth very
kindly, and tried to make him happy. Bat
for loug time nothing could rouse him
from the deep sorrow OF his terrible bereave-
ment.
One thing, however, interested him,
through sympathy.
There was about the premises little dark
eyed, dark-haiIed child, of about five years
old, who seemed to belong to nobody, aud
went about the house "like tame kitten"
She seemed TO have OWNED the cause of
Cleve Stuarts gloom. She would staud be-
fore him with her small hands folded de-
mureiy on his bosom, and her dark eyes
fixed solemnly ON her face, so often, that at
last one afternoon Cleve called out:
"Come here, baby"
She came promptly.
He took hes up his knees, and inquired: :
"What is your namer
''Palma," she replied.
"Who is your motherW
''My mozer is an ainzel in Heaven
"Oh! Poor little girl! Where is your
father?'
"Wiz mozer, him too, replied the child,
without removing her grave, dark eyes from
the face of the youth.
"Why do you look at me so, Palma?'
''TGatSe Ize so sorry for co."
"Ohi You know, then, that l, too, have
lost both my dear parentsr' began the youth !;
but his voice failed, and his eyes filed with
tears, as he pressed the little one close to his
breast.
"Don't cwy. love oo,' she said, taking
a tiny handkerchief out of timer pocket
and beginning to wipe his eyes.
IF you love me, baby, you are the only
one in the world that does,'' he said, and
bent his head and kissed the little, dark, up
turned face.
Then suddenly, with boys scorn of 'sen-
timentality," he put the child off his knees,
and went out of the house. AS soon as ne
got chance, Cleve asked Mrs. Barn who
Palma was. The Old lady replied:
s'Hers is a sad story. she is the child of a
runaway match. Her father was the young
est son of North OF England Squire, and an
officer in the Hussars. He fell in love with
beautiful housemaid, and married her, was
cast off by bis family, aud ostraeised by the
officers of his regiment. He was obliged to
sell out and come with his wife to this coun-
kNL
mission as long as the money lasted, and
then went down, down. till finally they all
fell sick of the typhoid fever.
ssThe father died first; then the mother,
The child recovered, as you see. The poor
woman had told me her story. After she
had passed away, wrote to Squire Hay, OF
Havmore, England, and announced the
death of his son and daughteriu-law, and
described the destitute condition OF his
grandchild. In the meantime brought the
girl home here TO await events. [ also
brought away the papers relating to the mar
riage of the parents, and the birth and bap-
tism of the CHILD In about month got
letter from Squire Hay, in which he de-
clared, in so MANY words, that he wonld
have nothing to do with the housemsid's
brat
$50 here she has remained ever since.
do not know what we shall do with her; but
there is time enough to think about THAI, for
she is only baby concluded Mrs. BarrD.
From hs.day the youth took compass
sionate interest in the child. And as for her,
she was in the language of the household
''devoted to that boy"
Three wears passed. Cleve Stuart was
prepared to enter college, and Palma was a
pupil ia the nearest primary school.
It was proposed that Cleye should enter
Harvard as soon as the vacation was over,
but the young man changed his mind and
decided 10 90 to Germany and eater the Uni
versty of Bonn.
When he sailed for Europe, the child Pal
ma grieved herself into fit Of illness, from
which she only recovered in time to re-enter
the primary school at its re-opening.
Cleve Stuart had intended to stay but four
years abroad, but he stayed seven, and
would have stayed longer, but that expected
remittances did not arrive. At length, when
his funds were growing alarmingly low, he
made up his mind to return home.
On his hOmeward voyage he met his fate
in the form of Lamia Leegh, the most beau
tiful woman he had ever seen, and the first
one whom he had ever loved.
With the air, manner, and costume of a
wealthy woman of fashion, she was simply
an accomplished and we'll remunerated gov
erness who was travelling with rich family,
in charge of their girls. She was, besides,
several years older than her lover, but he
did not care for all that. To him she was
princess, goddess, and he lifted adoring
and worshipping eyes TO her beauty and d.
vinity.
By the time the steamer had half crossed
the Atlantic, Cleve Stuart and Lamia LEIGH
were engaged to be married and much of
their lives planned out. They were to be
united as soon as convenient after reaching
New York, and in the beginning of the new
wear 90 to the South and settle down on his
Mississippi.
When the steamer reached New York,
Lamia LEIGH went with her employers to
their splendid mansion on Fifth Aveuue,
and Cleve Stuart went to hotel.
Within short time, he learned the
changes wrought by the war. The emanci-
patton and the exodus had left his acres Un-
cultivated for years, so that no rev.
enue had come from them. The remit
tances that had been sent out to him during
that time had been spared from his late guar
dams own income, and had only ceased when
the old Judge Suddenly left this word to join
his wife, who had gone just before him to the
better land.
He could get no news from Palma Hay,
who, he remembered, would if she should
live, be now about sixteen years of age.
1t was great shock suddenly to find him
/ self reduced to poverty. He had scarcely
NSourage to go aud tell his betrothed of their
misfortune.
He went, however, in a few days, and
found her in her employers house, as hand
somely dressed and as luxurionsly lodged as
if she had been the priAcess she looked.
He told her all, and then added:
81 am not quite penniless. have few
hundred dollars; and mean to seek employ
meut. Also, shall study law. I think
should do well as barrister. And you, my
queen, would be my greatest inspiration to
effort. Lamia, 1 love you SO entirely Have
you the courage to marry poor mau?' he
asked, or rather prayed, with all his soul in
his eyes and tone.
She hesitated long before she answered,
though he kept his eyes fixed upon her in ST.
lent beseeching. Then at length she said,
in a cool tone, with studied words:
"No, Cleye. have not the courage to do
the man | love so great a wrong. Neither
YOU nor could bear poverty for a day. We
both have have rekned aud fastidous tastes.
We love ease, splendor and luxury. We
must wait for fortune to bestow wealth
before we can think of marriage"
H looked at her in pain and surprise.
Her words ard manner shocked and wound
ed him. He doubted her love and suspected
her motives, And yet he loved her so much
that he could not yield bis point. He plead
ed, argued, persevered, Tor long time, but
to no purpose. She was as firm as rock in
her decision and suddenly changed the sub
iect by saying:
'sYou remember the little girl, Palma,
's~.Those story you told me that night on the
1eck of the sieamer?"
"Yes; of course! What of her?" inquired