Daily Republican., 1885-06-24

BY MRS. CHARLOTTE N. STANLEY
M'KENNA.

"And so you refuse me 4" said Robert
Gordon, speaking with o peculiar DELHI
GRAFTON, and looking down into Minnie
Wilton's appraised, frightened fascinated
blue eyes, with an unpleasant con =
seriousness Of power in bis own. Wealth
and station have no charms for you
You prefer, with an almost imperceptible
sneer, I" the usual girlish dream of love
In cottage. You renOunce all the glo-
rious possibilities that could
bring into your life, and choose rather 10
marry young Fred Elmer, a poverty
stricken clerk, and settle down meekly
to the role of a household drudge. Poor,
romantic child A wretched fate, indeed,
for one SO young and beautiful You
will feel but one regret for your decision,
Minnie but that regret, when it does
come, will surely last your lifetime"
A fiush came over her rosebud OF O
face, aud she threw back her bright head
proudly.
You appear to forget that l was born
10 a cottage, Mr.. Gordon" she said with
some dignity 81 have never possessed
riches. such wealth-such a position
as you could give your wife seems like q
dream to me. know nothing of its du-
ties. / am not fit"
"Never was woman better fitted by
nature to grace the highest and the
proudest place than you are, Minnie, dar
ling. Oh, be more merciful to yourself
don't doom yourself to life of poverty
and toll, when so bright destiny Ia
offered you Minnie, his dark, mag
netic eyes burned on her face with an in
tensity that frightened her he caught
and held her little, fluttering handx-
" sweet little girl, whose life / would
make so bright, oh, hear me . Not twice
in q lifetime will such chance come,
dear child. am not merely rich, am q
millionaire, Minnie. Do you realize half
of what that means for my wifel / can
give you everything that your widest
fancy may desire. l can deck your beauty
in costly silks and jswelL-surround
you with every luxury-make you the
envied of all. You shall be the mis-
tress of q mansion in town
servants. carriages, diamonds, shall BIZ
yours-see %
And suddenly, before her startled,
dszzled eyes, he flashed splendid
solitaire diamond ring.
"Oh, dear |" she cried, how beau
tiful ! How beauttnl -
1t was beautiful, aud valuable, too.
Many city belle who bad owned dia.
monds wonld have coveted this perfect
g en-; what was its effect, then, upon
or inexperienced little country girl
She gazed like one fascinated ~ II
spark led and flashed in many colored
radiance in Mr.. Gordon's hand, and
seemed unable to remove her eyes from
it.
1t ia but Oue," murmured hi deer
love tones in her ear. Let me put Il
on your fiuger, Minnie, in token tina,
you will wear tie rest-my bride shall
shine like a star. Give me this little
hand no toll shall ever soil it In MI
keeping, sweet. Ha I" He slipped
the glittering circlet on her finger
csc how the jewel graces the fail
hand. 1t 10 yours Minnie, if you viii
take 1T from me nd you are mine 90
Almost before she knew it she was II
his arms, and felt his kisses burn OF
her bent head and shining hair. =
was all like dream. indeed. She stooG
and asked herself, ten minutes later
"What have done Oh, Heaven
what haveI done I! Fred, dear, poo
Fred, who loved and trusted me so
what would he say if he knew
What would he say 7" She wrung he
hands in very anguish of heart, and q
CHE did SO the diamond caught her eye
glittering like spark of fire.
1t seemed to fascinate her. She sanl
into u CHAIR great, soft, easy luunS
ing-chair-ard lay back among it
cushions to watch the sparkle of thi
gem, and to think.
} This was what came Of the think
ling. A grand wedding, at which tt
BRIDES Ia eness was never noticed, be
cause Of the CLEAN and glitter Of he
! splendid jewels, sparkling like STARE o
, b er white arms and bosom, aid In he
little, shell-like ears. Aud every On
said how fair she was" how fortunai
and fair - and every on
Congratulated and envied hel
No one aver saw that she wa
sad no one ever dreamed that he
heart was almost broken no one sus
pected that the diamonds lay lik
heavy letters OF iron upon her hear
and bound her for life to misery, I,
morse and incurable despair
| |" Fred Poor, deceived, hear
broken Fred !" Was that his face sh
saw as she passed down the aisl,
LEANING on her new made bridegroom
arm No, no, it was never Fred
r This face was as pale as death. 1t wa
. worn and changed as If by cruei sicl
= uess-aven the sickness of ii
soul"-There we're great dark circl,
round the eyes, and in them, oh, IL
look of anguish and reproach
1t would haunt her to her dyir
day ;it would riss like a hideoas ak el
ton At her wedding-feast, to poison a
the chser no other eyes, save his, hs
the right, the reason, to look upon b,
10 +! She chung to her husbands arr
for very faiatness. and then shuddere
, iaway In horror from his caress--It WI
Fred oh, too surely it was Fred
That sad face haunted her for year
. In the first excitemento of her marriag
, of foreign travel. of Robert Gordon
/ first hateful devotion, while his 5eapt
| fnl TOW WAS still new nothinu rnuI