News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-30

THAT DAY In HIS BOAT.
1t was wild night. The wind blew,
the rain drove, the waves roared in the
near distance.
1t had been fateful day to me.
Grandfather Delmar, with whom I had
lived ever since I could remember, had
been carried to his final home that after
noon, and now was the last representa-
tive of our name. The wide acres of the
Delmar plantation, originally one of the
largest estates on the eastern shore of
Maryland, had come down to me as sole
heiress. To me also had descended the
Delmar diamonds, which had blazed Oh
the persons of the Delmar ladies'. say
descended, but am hardly correct, for
these broad lands and these priceless
jewels were mine only under the will of
my grandfather, and that will contained
a proviso which had just learned for
the first time. l was to marry Randolph
Heath, the ward and adopted son of my
grandfather, or else the entire property
was to go to this self-same Randolph.
The will had just been read. The fu, ,
neral guests, or at least, the most i'm
portant of them, had listened to it in
the great drawing-room below, the
walls of which were hung with portraits
of my Delmar ancestors, handsome men
and lovely, golden-haired women.
"Charlotte," said my aunt, when the
reading of the will was ended-'Char-
lotte, my dear, you must invite our
friends for the night. You are mistress
now."
"T shall never be mistress of Delmar
Hal, Aunt Mordaunt," said, firmly.
She clutched my arm, her eyes wide
w1ep wonder.
Sand why not, pray ?"
because of the proviso. I will
never wed Randolph Heath"
Her face whitened to the hue of
death. She was lone widow, and l
was her idol ; and she coveted all those
Jewels and rich acres for my heritage.
For a moment we stood breathless.
"But Randolph Heath's in Australia, I"
suggested a friend, "and you are mis-
tress at least until he returns"
Poor aunty caught at this last hope
with a gasp Of relief.
$50 you are, my DEAR" she put in;
"we'n leave all these disagreeable things
to be settled in the future. Tonight,
friends, we will shut the doors against
the storms and be comfortable.
She swept off toward the glowing
! parlor, followed by her guests, while l
| fled away to my own chamber.
The afternoon, as l have said, had
turned into rain and the waves thundered
on the shores of the bay close by with
hoarse cry, like a human heart in
pain. paced my room restlessly.
| could not marry this Randolph Heath,
whose face 1 had not looked upon since
the days of my early childhood. Icould
not do it, for another face arose before
me. in the face of the man loved.
poor man, landless and unknown, ye
who had grown SO dear to me in the feV
brief months of our summer acquaint
ance that to give him up were wors'
than death. Yet was Delmar, ant
it was sore trial to lose my heritage
to lose the Delmar jewels. ALI the Del
mar women before me had worn thes
matchless old diamonds; and must /
| IL 1e la eir harikaI
dowerless?
"Yes, cheerfulIy," said; 'since t
keep them must give up the choice c
my heart. Dear, dear summer days
For it had been during visit to
school friend, who lived in one of tn
loveliest counties of Pennsylvania, tha
L had met, the preceding June, He1bel
Stanley. For the first time in my life
had found in him a perfectly congenif
soul. We liked the same poetry, pre-
ferred the same music, admired th
same scenery. All what delicious day
those were. We rode, we walked, W
sailed, we read together. Our acquain
ance soon passed into intimacy, an
} from that ripened into love.
Never could l forget the day, th
blissful day, when my hopes becam
a certainty. Herbert had asked me th
evening before if 1 would go with him i
} his boat. No knight of old could hay
handed me into the little vessel MOI
reverentially than he did. How mani
he looked How strong and self-coI
tanned My heart beat fast, for some
thing in his manner told me what We
coming, but was inexpressibly happy
nevertheless. He rowed for about ha
an hour; then stopping, he lay upo
his oars, and looking me in the face lik
brave heart as he was, told his tall
though with many a hesitating wor
and many look of anxiety.
Should I give such one upP Nevel
Yet the temper of my thoughts was sue
\ that 1 could not stay indoors l lie
! the house and ran down to the shore
the bay, having first thrown a shay
. over my head. The storm and darknes
was terrific, and the tide was coming
with hoarse, sullen cry. The 50
mist drenched my hair, the winds tol
and shrieked around me, and overhea
hung the pitch-black sky.
Suddenly I heard step and, lookir
up, saw Herbert himself. Istarted Wi
surprise.
81 have been lowering about all day
he said. 81 had given up hope of Sc
ing you. But still could not tear m
self away"