The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-05-03

| would continue his gay and pleasant
friendships with whoever among our
acquaintance wa prertitst AMI Wttlt>t.
/ He never guessed the real root O! my
misery, for some instinct tUtt IHr that
unless | did indeed wish 20 cud every
! thing between us, he must never know
! how often | believed that he had woocd
me for my fortune, and not my love.
Soon after Christmas there arrived in
Paris 4 Mrs. Wharton. about whom
every one was raving as the most beau
| tiful woman who had dazZtcd oar
American colony for many a day. She
was a widow. young and wealthy. and
it was of her Max had told me. months
before, that in his college days she he'd
been his first love-a hopeless love, he
had said, laughing. for she was even
then engaged to Mr.. Wharton. But
that Max could love any woman with
out hope seemed impossible TO me,and
| tortured myself with 4 dozen stories
of romantic troubles by which ! mag
ined they might have been separated,
only to meet now with the cmbers of a
dead love still in their hearts ready TO
be rekindled; and from the evening
! saw Mrs. Wharton's radiant smile at
MaNs greeting | never knew an hours
peace of mind The balls and dinners
grew almost uncomfortable when saw
those Two so much together, and |
would go home to . sleepicSS night
which would leave me pale and bag
gard to lament to myself al the morn
ing that what little beauty | possessed
was leaving me now, just when | most
needed it and when Max came, as he
always did in the afternoon. between
! headache and heartache | was either
SO dull or SO irritably reproachtul that
we seldom parted pleasantly. Of course
there were times when everything went
well, and | would tell myself that |
could never be miserable again but As
soon as he had left me the doubts
would return like legion of devils.
| Oddly enough, |. who had hitherto
been only too frank about my smaller
jealousies. could not bring myself
to utter Mrs. Wharton's name to
him for | dreaded with a dread worse
than any suspense to read the truth Of
my suspicious in his eyes.
Such a state of mind. however. could
not endure long with girl Of my dis
position without 4 crisis, and one day
in February my self-control came to an
end. Man had. for the first time.
missed coming the afternoon before,
and my aunt being i'll, bad been OBJ
liged to remain at home in the evening
50 | had not seen him for two days. 1t
was brilliant afternoon. and | can sec
when shut nv eyes Just how the sun
shone through the muslin curtains on
the hvacinths which filled the lardin-
ieres in our windows. and | never hear
the shrill. sweet singing of a canary
that | do not remember how the voice
of Aunt Rates bird rang in my ears
all through these miserable hours. |
was walking up and down :he little
salon, for sitting still would have been
impossible in my suspense. when |
heard his CHEEKY voice in the hall
speaking to the servant who took his
overCoat.
had always thought AIa>'s voice
one of his greatest charms. and had
often told him that the sound of it IN
the veriest commonplace w1s like a
breath of bright fresh air to drive away
all the gloomy mists of my fancy had
conjured up, but to-day ! emily ted
myself that it WAS another proof how
little he cared for me that he could be
so cheerful when he must know how he
had grieved me by not coming yester-
day. He entered, drawing off his
gloves. and looking-oh, SO handsome
and SO good Surely. surely, il he
were false. no traitor had ever looked
so true since I.ucifer was an angel
are YOU not glad to see me? |
feel as if had been away 4 week ~
he said. gayly. Then, as made DO
answer, but stood with my back to him,
looking at the fire, he came close to
me and drew me to him.
is my foolish child angry with me
again." he said. softly bending his
head to look in my averted face.
| loved him so dearly that at the ca
ress of his touch. the tender tone in
his voice, felt my anger going, my
suspicious fading, just as they had SC
many times before.
"Why didn't you come yesterday?
have been so miserable :" murmurcd
but my head rested on his shoulder
and the happy tears rushing to ny
ewes with blessed sense of peace anl
safety.
"Did you not get my note? Poor
little thing, that was too bad. | cant
think why you did not get it. The fac
is, Mrs. Wharton was obliged to ask
me to help her about some bushes:
matters meant to have seen yoJ
for few minutes before dinner, bu
she kept me until it was too late, anc
; | expected YOU ii the baroness'S las
night;
"Aunt Kate was i'll, answered, me
chemically but had withdrawn from
his arm, and was looking at the fire
again.
Neuralgia was it Mrs. Wharton