Daily Republican., 1884-02-02

Jealous care. The admiration she re-
ceiyed never changed her whit; she
liked 1t and was pleased, We could
easily tell that but she never lost hel
childish grace and sweetness, for which
we all 90 loved her.
"Of course she had many suitors, but
we were all greatly surprised when one
day we heard she was engaged. To be-
sure we had ali expected that some.
time she would marry, but her accepted
sutton, Mr.. Haworth, was the very last
person In the world we would have ex.
pected our Miss Ray AZ We called
her, TO have chosen. He was of very
good birth, and immensely wealthy,
but he was many years older than Miss
Ray, plain and grave. After all, | do
not think she had much choice in the
matter, or that she ever cared for him
other than in friendly way. The
arrangement was one Of the ColoDel's,
who would az soon have seen his
daughter dead as married to man
beneath her in position, and Mr..
Haworth was all the most ambitious
father could desire for his child.
Gail went well until Mr.. Haworth
took 1t into his head to have Miss Ray d
portrait painted, and sent TO the city
for an artist acquaintance to come down
10 Erin for that purpose. l do not think
| ever saw o handsomer man than Guy
Leestrom that was the artists name
and he was az proud in his way as the
Colonel himself.
Miss Ray took great interest in
her picture, and for a while talked of
nothing but it and the artist. Then
suddenly she grew Indifferent and sci
dom mentioned either, and when her
portrait was completed overheard
her tell the Colonel she was glad that
she was tired of posing it was "stu-
pid business.
"Mr. Leestrom did not quit the neigh
borhood when his services at Erin
were ended, but stayed on for the pur-
pose of making sketches OF parts of the
country. Then Miss Ray became very
fond of taking long solitary rides aud
walks. Sometimes would accompany
her, and always we would come upon
Mr.. Leestrom sketching, and always
Miss Ray would stop for u few minutes
aud chat in her pleasant fashion. Once
| saw her drop bit Of paper at the ar
lists feet, and when ! would have pick.
ed it up, she babe me in a careless tone
TO never mind, that it was of mo
i'm portance' to her.
"Well, time passed on the artist left
the place Miss Ray, took fewer rides,
and her wedding day was close at hand.
Preparations of the srsDdest kind were
going on the Olonel was in his best
spirits HawGrth was more attentive
than ever to Miss Ray, who had never
seemed 80 strange. But all her odd
ways were attributed to her excited
thoughts of her approaching mar.
riage.
"About for night before the we'd
ding Miss Ray decided she must go
up to town and she desired to go alone.
drove her TO the station myself in her
pretty little pony CARRIAGE, and she
was v,ry quiet and hardly saw people
when they passed US and spoke to her.
She looked so pale and troubled that l
could not help asking her If she were
ill., But she only shook her head with
q wan kind of smile aud said No,
Peter, | am a little tired | suppose.
Weddings are rather fatiguing affairs
to persons not used to them,' and then
she laughed.
"When we arrived at the station she
handed me a sealed note. Give this
to the Colonel an hour after You return
bome,' she said. Then she looked at
me in wistful sort of a way, and
think there were tears in her eyes.
Good bye, Peter she said, and held
out her hand. thought it strange she
should wish me good bye so when she
was only going on n short journey but
just then the train came Numbering up,
aud had to turn my attention to the
ponies, that were always restless when
iu sight of the locomotive.
"W hen | returned home and an hour
had passed handed Miss Rays note to
the Colonel. He read it, and saw his
face grow ashen white and the hand
that held the note tremble. For a
moment | thought he would faint.
Then he rallied and in his sternest tones
ordered The carriage to be in readiness
to take him to the station in time to
catch the next train up to town.
"Jhe Colonel stayed three days in the
city, and when he returned he was a
changed lnaH. There were white threads
where there had been black ones, and
his face was drawn, and baggard, ana
old. Miss Ray never came back, and TO
all questions on the subject the Colonel
always answered IN II terrible tone,
Ray Erin is dead to me. | do not
ever wish to hear her name again =
and none ever cared to meution it again
in his presence.
"The affair created a terrible scandal
and all kinds OF rumOrs were rife. The
Colonel was proud as Luciter, and the
disgrace was gall and woImwooG to
his naughty spirit
Most of the servants were dismissed;
guests seldom ever crossed the thresh-
old OF Erlip--the Colonel spent most of
his time away from home; the house
took on lonely, deserted air and no
new light was thrown on the affair.
The days heightened into weeks, the
weeks into months, the months sped
by. and a year had passed away and
still no tidings OF Miss Ray.
" 1t was November, cold and damp;
the Colonel was away from home the
day had settled down into starless
night, with "a chilling wind and dull,
vapory clouds, of leaden hue, betoken-
ing rain, piled high along the western
horizon. The housekeeper and the
few remaining servants at Erin were
Just sitting down to supper, when the
big, brass kuocker sounded ia ntly as
though raised by an uncertain hand.
The houSekeeper went to the hall door
and followed her with light.
When he door was opened woman
wrapped in thick shawl staggered In.
The light from the candle fell upon her
face, white and terribly worn, but we
knew it in an instant.
"Heaven bless US, cried the house
keeper, it is Miss Ray!
:" Miss Ray | echoed, bnt could say
no more, for just then she tottertd, and
fell in a dead faint. W. carried her
up to her room, but half the night she
lay un, onscious and at intervals moan
nj and wrung her hands as if in pain;