Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1885-04-08
THAT DAY In HIS BOAT.

lUAI DAY LIN HlN BUAI.
It was wild night. The wind blew,
the rain drove, the waves reared in the
near distance. g.-... >.-.s-. s.zt.
Tt had been fateful day to me.
Grandfather Delmar, with whom I had
lived ever since 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
heifess. To me also had descended the
Delmar diamonds, which had blazed on
the persons of the Delmar ladies. I say
descended, but j am hardly correct, for
these broad lands and these priceless
jewels were mine only under the will of
my grandfather, and that will contained
proviso which / had just learned for
the first time. I was to marry Randolph
Heath, the ward and adopted son of my
grandfather, or else the entire property
was to go to this sell. 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-"C Char
lotte, my dear, you must invite our
friends for the night. You are mistress
now"
ST shall never be mistress of Delmar
Hall, Aunt Mordaunt," said, firmly.
She clutched my arm, her eyes wide
with wonder.
"And why not, pray ?"
because of the proviso. I will
meyer wed Randolph Heath"
Her face whitened to the hue of
death. She was a lone widow, and I
was her idol and she coveted all those
jewels and rich acres for my heritage.
For moment we stood breathless.
"But Randolph Heath's in Australia, "
suggested friend, "and you are mis-
tress at least until he returns" 81
Poor aunty caught at this last hope
with gasp of relief.
$50 you are, my DEAR" she put in;
"we'lEleave 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 I
fed away to my own chamber. ~
The afternoon, as have said, had
turned into rain and the waves Numbered
on the shores of the bay close by with
hoarse cry, like human heart in
pain. I paced my room restlessly. ]
could not marry this Randolph Heath,
whose face 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 80 dear to me in the few
brief months of our summer acquaint
ance that to give him up were worse
than death. Yet was a Delmar, ant
it was a sore trial to lose my heritage
to lose the Delmar jewels. All the Del
mar women before me had worn thes
matchless old diamonds; and must ]
alone Of them, be disinherited ant
dowerless -...
assYes, cheerfulIy," said; "since t
keep them I must give up the choice @
my heart. Dear, dear summer days !
For it had been during visit "a
school friend, who lived in one Of tn
loveliest counties of Pennsylvania, tina
I had met, the preceding June, Herber
Stanley. For the first time in my life
.had,found lin him perfectly congenis
soul. We liked the same poetry, pre-
ferred the same music, admired tn
same scenery. All what delicious day
those we're. We rode, we walked, W
sailed. we read together. Our acqusint
ance soon passed into intimacy, an
from that rIpened into love.
Never could I forget the day, th
blissfnl day, when my hopes becam
"a certainty. Herbert had asked me th
evening before il I would go with him j
his boat. No knight of old could hay
handed me into the little vessel MOI
reVefentially than he did. How mdnl
he looked How strong and self-col
tanned My heart. beat fast, for som,
thing in his manner told me what W,
coming, but I WIS inexpressibly happs
nevertheless. He rowed for about hs
an hour; then stopping, he lay upt
his oars, and looking me in the face Iii
a. brave heart as. he was, told his tai
though with many sa hesitating wo
and many . look of anxiety.
Should Ivgive such one mp? Neve
Yet the temper of my thoughts was sue
that / could not stay indoors | lie
the house and ran down TO the shore