St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-07
ADELES BRIDAL VEIL.
ssI Care Not For Rank or wealth.
Unless She Shares Them"


leisure time" she said. $50 when Walter
comes to marry me l shall be gay
bride"
But she never finished the veil. waiter
came too soon. She married her Engllsh
lover-as poor as her-and went with him
to London, and the half-finished bridal veil
went along, carefully folded away at the
bottom of trunk, and, for the time being,
quite forgotten.
1t NAV have been forgotten in earnest,
during twelve years, for aught l KNOW
certainly it lay that long unnotlced. a
lovely 1O-year-old girl was the fairy that
broke its long sleep at last. She had dark
ewes. like the little peasant Of twelve years
ago. but Walters golden hair.
''Oh! the charming lace?" she cred,
clapping her hands and dancing delight
edly. as Elise shook it out OF the folds'
Dear mamma, what is it? and who MADE
ito and why is it but half done? Can
have it for dress for my doll, mammal?
The pretty, dark-haired matron laughed
and shook her pretty head, and half sighed,
and she pressed the delicate fabric to her
to her lips. Then she told her child the
history of its making.
mamma. teach me to work it" she said
one day. ''AIy fingers are much finer and
thinner than yours"
After that she would bring her little
work-basket to her mothers side and work
at veil for her doll. The facility With
which she learned the graceful art was as
tonishing. AT the age of Is so expert was
she that Elise did not fear to let her take
part in the creation Of the bridal veil her
self. but they worked at it now and then
as fancy seized them.
X X X
Louis Riviere was from France, like
Adele's mother-that had been bond be-
tween them from the first-for Adele loved
her mothers country for her mothers sake,
though she herself was proud OF being called
English: and she also loved the young
Frenchman.
The happy weeks and months grew into
years. Adele was now II; it was agreed
and promised that when spring-tlme came
she would be Reviere's bride.
1--WE must finish the bridal veil, F" cried
Elise, eagerly. Il tell you Monsieur Louis,
no lady of your proud house ever wore
lace more exquisite and rich. All! shall |
not be proud when 1 look at my beautiful
.hild in her marriage robes, and think OF
.he poor little peasant girl of long ago, who
LOiled at the lace to earn coarse bread, SO
far away over the sea?'
Louis turned quickly at these words,
took of displeaSed surprise in his dark
IyeS.
''What peasant girl, MADAME" he ques-
honed uneaSily.
Myself" she answered, happily, not
marking the look or the tone. 'What was
l but poor little lace-maker when my
generous young lover married me, the father
Of Adele?"
He answered nothing, and Elise went
on chatting merrily, but Adele noticed his
suddenly downcast air and glOomed eyes,
though she was far from suspecting the
cause of either.
His naughty family pride had received a
blow. He conceived an absolute but vio-
lent dislike to the bridal veil.
Il detest the sight of itr' he cried, one
evening in moment of self-forgetfulnesS,
and when he and Adele were alone. eff,
indeed, you love me, never work at it in
my presence, Adele; and if l dared ask
one special favor of you it should be"
He paused suddenly. She was listening
in great surprise.
well, she said. sit should be"
''Wear any other veil in the world but
that one to be married mr'
She folded her work and let her fair
hands fall on it in her lap; one could see
those little hands were trembling.
you ask singular favor" she said,
with forced quietnesS. Are you aware
that my dear mother worked this veil?"
The hot, impulsive temper answered in
stantly, without a thought:
sit is for that very reason hate it!'
'You did not know when first you sought
me for bride that mamma was a lace
worker in France; if you had, perhaps you
would not have loved me. Since you have
learned this fact you have regretted oul
engagement. You need not speak; L have
seen change i'll you'll feel that it is so!
but there is no harm done" she went on,
with simple dignity, ''since | have learned
the truth before it is too late; and So" she
held out to him a little trembling hand,
which he took MISUNDERSTANDING so ]
will grant you the favor you covet, my
friend. Your bride shall not wear my
darling mothers bridal veil''-here he kissed
the hand, and she drew it quickly away
''but that is because L shall not be your
bride"
No need to dwell upon what followed.
His prayers, his rOteStatiOns-humble al
first, then angry-hiS tears that had nc
power in them to sap the strength of heI
resolution.
Her parents questioned her in vain. She
had quarreled with Louis; that was all they
could learn. And before a chance for re.
Cancellation came Elise was smitten with
mortal illness and died in three days, and
Adele, overwhelmed by the awful calamity
was Frustrated with brain fever.
AT this Juncture a summons came Il
Louis from France, demanding his imme
date presence there. Strange changes had
taken place. Two of the three lives tina
had stood between him and the titles anC
estates of the Marquis de la Riviere haC
been suddenly swept away, and the third,
frail, delicate child, lay dying. The pres
ent marquis, himself feeble old man, wa
also at the point of death, so they sent il
haste for Louis, as the heir of the dyin!
nobleman.
The news bewildered him. His hear
swelled with eXultation and delight, but
sank again. Adele! Had he lost Adele
81 care not for rank or wealth, unles
she shares themw cried his heart 81 vii
go and implore her pardon"
A few weeks later he wrote informin
her fully of his strangely altered fortune
and imploring her to pardon and accep
once more as her true-love the love of til
Marquis de 10 Riviere.
And the letter never reached her. TIL
house to which it came was empty and d.
serted, the late happy home was broken VI
and the little English girl, for whom hu.
band and title and fortune were waiting j
sunny France, was earning a soTrowful Ii,
ing as lace-makerl Such are some of IL
strange realities ofreal life, more wonderfl
than any fiction.
Many gay belle and brilliant beauty ha
spread her nets to secure the splendid prii
of titled husband. Foremost among Il
many, Rosalind Hale; she was the faire
and the wealthiest of them all; and h,
golden hair was not unlike Adele's. 81