The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-30
i WOMAN'S LOVE.
BY FLORENCE REVERE pENDAR,

- BY EiLOhfNCE ne VIA
81 can't imagine, Estelle, how o came
to be so decidedly plain; beauty is rather a
| Darcy glanced with a satisfied air at his
! handsome face reflected in an opposite mir
ror. while a slight flush arose to the dark,
| almost swarthy cheek OF the young girl
seated vis-a-vis to him, and the delicately-
| shaped hands tre,nbled slightly as they
! sought to continue the work they were oc-
cupied with.
81 believe you favor your 1ather:: con-
tinued the gentleman.
Eyes, l am like my father. He was not
handsome, but so noble, so good. l was so
proud OF him. | never thought about his
looks. | am sdHry, more Tor your sake
than mine, that l am not beautiful. Your
wife should be, but Marc with a quick,
impulsive movement the young girl knelt
down beside her betrothed and LAID her
| lips carressingly to his hand, adding:
You will not love me the less: You,
who are SO handsome, h could have
chosen from SO many, yet asked me to be
your wife. You are all the world to me.
| Marc. No one could love you more than IT,
With rather an uneasy laugh Mare Darcy,
placing his arm about his companion, re-
piled:
| over YOU. IL Juou HdPpCHCo v L IAS
that it was rather strange you were not us
beautiful as the rest OF the women in our
family; but then you have some redeeming
points. Pretty eyes and good teeth-no
small item toward good looks, | can assure
you, my DEAR" .
A pleased look crossed Estelle's face at
the last words OF her intended, and twining
both her arms about his neck, she said:
"And you don't mind it SO much ii am
-I,;,J N,, will .1yra ys 1nN-a fnap"
.Of course l SHALL came the reply as
Marc kissed her lightly on the forehead,
adding, half laughingly:
'Perhaps, Estelle, / shall put your love
to the test some day. Will it fail me l
wonder?"
Raising her head from it's resting place
upon Mares shoulder, Estelle's eyes sought
his.
There was a strange intensity in their
dark depths as she answered slowly, as II
weighing each word.
II do not think o uQuite understand me,
or my love for you, Mare. 1t is as the
breath OF my life: vet il ever l came to
believe that 1T was for your happiness for
me to give you up, / would do so at any
cost to myself ,
Before Marc could reply, Estelle had
passed quickly from the room.
With a shrug OF his shoulders, he selected
q iAoiA" "
case. thinking:
"What a strange girl Estelle is. She is
right. / don't believe | do understand her;
poor little thing, o earnest she Is. l
should not nave spoken about her plain
ness; out there it is; there is no denying it.
However, as she is to be my wife, l suppose
I shall have to make the best Of it.. I'll
buy her the handsomest bracelet | can find
for a peace-offering."
Marc Ia rev was an only son. Handsome
as an Adonis, with a fascinating manner,
which, when he chose to exercise it, few
could resist. Mrs. Darcy had been left a
widow with considerable property, but her
sons ~extravagant drains upon her purse
had greatly reduced her income.
Marc was not by any means Il bad fellow,
simply selfishly indulgent Toward himself.
Estelle Merton was the daughter OF cousin
OF Mrs. Darcy's. On the death OF herfather,
which occurred about eighteen months be-
fore my story opened, Estelle had taken up
her abode at Sunnyside, the home OF Mrs.
Darcy. Aunt Margaret, as Estelle always
called her, was her only relative, and had
made the orphan girl very welcome, being a
kind-hearted woman, although somewhat
narrow-minded, with but one engrossing
idea-her son.
Estelle had been an inmate ofMrs. Darcy's
home only a few weeks before the
| CuOuyuU CitIIle w CIlC "lloN " ilSS ~
would be if Mare and Estelle should fall in
love with each other. Mares debts were
pressing heavily upon her. Estelle could
so easily pay them off out OF her large for
tune for she was an heiress. AS Estelle's
husband Mares future would be provided
for, and when her time came she would die
feeling she had lone well by her boy.
Estelle was II passionate Au.,lIrcr OF
beauty, and, almost ere she was conscious
OF it, She loved Mare with her whole soul,
and Mare, at his mothers instigations. had
carelessly drifted into the situation OF Els
OF too noble a nature to see aught, but
the good in others, Estelle never dreamed
that it might be her money, and not her
self, that had induced Marc to choos her
for his wife. Some few weeks after the
opening of our story found Mrs. Darcy and
Estelle seated at breakfast, Marc had run
up to town for a day or two. AS Estelle
returned a letter she had Just been reading
to its envelope Mrs. Darcy remarked:
From your friend, is it not, dear? Does
she say when we may expect herr"
eyes, she writes We may look for her to-
morrow by the 2:4O train. Oh, Aunt
think how sad it is for her, left alone so
young; only II and obliged to earn her own
living. | am so glad you are willing should
ask her here for il few weeks. She is 50
DIISHC tll pISCIS. 1 tdtlhloU l!IItlSlIic lIlcZ
being s%orrowful. We will try and make it
very pleasant for her, won't we Aunt"
"Of course, my DEAR" answered Mrs.
Darcy. 81 always wish to make my guests
happy and comfortable" and thus the sub
iect was dismissed for then.
The following week Marc arrived one at
ternoon at home. In his careless manner
he had omitted to send word OF his return,
consequently Mrs. Darcy and Estelle were
out, returning calls.
Learning this from one OF the servants,
Marc mad his way to the west drawing
room, the cosiestroom in the house. Open
ing the door, he stood transfiXed upon it's
Threshold. A young girl was reclining, fast
asleep, IN the bear-skin rug before the glow
ing fire. One dimpled arm, bare to the
elbow, was thrown carelessly above her
head, while one tiny hand rested under the
baby chin. Soft, 1oss-like, hair curled in
golden rigns about the white forehead and
fair neck.
With an exclamation of surprise, Marc
turned to go: at which a pair OF bewildred
at him. Then hastily springing from her
| recumbent position, the young girl stood
blushing before him.
As Marc made his apologies, she inter-
rupted with:
"Oh! | know. You are the gentleman
Estelle is engaged to; then | don't mind.
It's not SO bad as ii you had been IL stran-
ger. How you scared me-" Here one little
dimple, then another, crept forth, till a
merry peal OF laughter rippled through the
room in which Marc Joined.
When Mrs. Darcy and Estelle returned,
they found Inez, for it was she, and Mare
chatting away like old friends.
In spite OF Inez' recent loss, which dated
only two months back, her childish, mirth-
loving nature could take no hold OF sorrow.
Her tears were like April showers, quickly
over. True, she had known but little OF
her father, having spent most OF her life at
buarding-school. Mr.. Cline had been a sell
fish, pleasure-loving man, who took but
little thought Of his motherless child and
lived close up to his income, leaving Inez
%penniless at his death.
The pretty morning dresses Inez wore she
owed to Estelle's generosity.
The weeks slipped by. and still 1nez re-
manned a guest at %Sunnyside. At first she
talked a good deal OF going out as govern
ess, but later on she ceased to do So.
Somehow Estelle and Marc were very
seldom alone these days. Inez, with her
..o+fu l,lrlaoo Ky . clpfrivad RI rpnnnr.