Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-04-23
An ANONYMOUS LETrER.
ny ALICE DALE.

bf ALiCE DALE.
claire Poroival stood at the mirror. 4
her handsome apartment, putting he
hair into crimping pins. Before he
lay an open letter ; and rs her whit
hands moved deity amid the mass q
bronze brown hair, cut short over d,
forehead, her blue eyes rested upon th
written sheet With eager, devourinR In
terost.
" How good and noble he Is 20 an
murmured, softly, q bright crimson
flushing her rounded cheeks Idea
Richard And We shall soon be unite(
never to part any more -
She had finished the crimpinQ pro
cess by this time, and throw wing on /,
wrapper, she seated herself before In,
ire which burned brightly in the CRATE
and began TO read the precious MISSY v,
once more. She made q pretty picture
o. she sat there. in low sleepy. hollow
CHAIR. one rosy palm supporting bel
soft cheek, the other hand holding thu
open lei tor. The moments slipped by
Claire's head dropped lower and lower
the long, dark lashes rested upon he,
cheeks, and she had gone on a pilQrim.
age to the land of Nod.
A stealthy hand pushed open the
door, and wOman's faca peeped cauti.
ously into the room. A dark, bean ifnl
race, with lustrous brown eyes, ana n
crown OF midnight hair-a perfectly
beautiful woman. Irene Bentley wa
Ciaire's orphan cousin, and q depen
den t upon her bounty. Claire befiev.
ed In her cousin, loved her, and trusted
her; but Irene was like snake in the
grass, and hated hsr bsnefactress secret.
~, hut with deadly enmity. It seemed
hardly possible that one could be ao
ungrateful. Claire WAS an orphan and
very wealthy; and the two cousins
lived In the stately Percival mansion.
with a motherly old lady-Mrs. Fenton
for chaperon,
The moments passed, and still Irene
stood watching the sleeping girl, her
dark eyes glittering with subtle
light. Somehow. As she stood there.
she bore strange resemblance to q
painted serpent, preparing to
spring upon Its unconscious victim,
Slowly and stealthily she slipped into
the room, and her dark eyes, full of
burning hatred. rested upon the fair
face OF the unconscious sleeper, as she
stopped and drew the letter from her
cousins hand. With burning eyes she
read the contents-a manly. honest
declaration Of love. and, the letter was
signed Richard Brent. lrene's face
went white as death, as she hastily read
he letter and then carefully returned 1t
% its place.
Pretty DOLL" she Missed, malir.
lantly. :" She has all-wealth, posi-.
'ion-and now the man l love has given
1fs heart to her, and asks her to be his
wife! Oh aeaven!" And wrinsing
,er small hands convulsively, she turn.
ID and fled from the room as noise.
essly as she had entered, her soft slip
'ers making no sound upon the velvet |
covered floor. Once In her own apart.
nent she closed the door behind her, |
md sinking into q seat, burst into q |
torn Of bitter tears aud sobs.
All alone In the wide world v'I
he moaned in her anguish, "an
'rphan, and dependent upon the charity
II the woman whom I hate ! Yes, III
late my cousin Claire-for she has
that / crave, and am de- |
rived Of Z! Yet, do not ask for any
'oon but Richard Brent's love 1 am
Wiling TO be poor and obscure all my
lie II l can only be his wife And he |
would have loved mel am sure of it,
lad he never met Claire Percival. For
le was my friend before ever Claire and
10 had met ; and was so certain that
10 loved mel True, he never uttered |
VOID OF tenderness, but he was al. |
Ways at my side. and so devoted and
he look In his eyes whenever they |
hanced to meet mine assured me |
X his affection Oh, must have been |
mad and blind 1 deceived myself Il
md now-now l reap the consequences |
= my own mad folly. Richard Brent
no firt no trifier or dissem bler i'll
e has told Claire that he loves her,
hen Indeed 1 am lost, for he would |
ever take such a step unless he is In |
arrest He will make her his wife, |
nd they VIII be 30 happy-and Lob God /
shall see their happiness, and my
cart viii break. The thought Is more
liter 10 me than DEATH"
suddenly Irene Bentley arose to her
BET, and pushing back the mass of
iVen hair That had fallen over her
racetul shoulders, she bathed her
'verish brow. Her eyes glittered wild
:, and she set her small, white teeth
ITO her red lip 80 vindictively, that
10 blood started.
1
nj she started as the echo of her OWL
dice broke the silence of the room-so
nike itself did 1t sound. Eyes," she
e Mt en- slowly, and the bitterness did
OF leave her tone, &C. will risk 1t IL
1all not give him up without one of.
'rt and II fail to win his love. atI
'ast shall separate him and Claire
She opened her writing desk, which
God by the window IL was a dainty
flair, o gift from Claire.
Drawing forth a sheot OF plain note-
aper, she seated herself and began toI
rite. The time went by on winged feet.
he pretty ormolu clock ticking avail
pom the marble mantel had struck the
'idnight hour before she laid her pen
,ide, and arose with a little sigh OIL
lief.
1t is done !" she exclaimed, halfI
oud. ut has taken me lopg enough
he sure but was determined to
lsguise my writing beyond the posi-.
llity or recognition. Let me see onceI
ore. All, yes l believe my dearest
lend, II had o friend" (and her voiceI
ing out inexpreesibly bitter), "wouldI
II to identify my handiwork In thisI
+ ,irI 70
She took the letter which che had lust
ritten from the desk, and read It'll
Igerly, dsvouripgly. II
1t was written In plain, round hand, L
ID this Is what II contained: /:
MISS CLAIRE PERCIvAL-I write
ou anonymously-to warn you before
Is too late, to save you from great
istake. which involves all your future.
r. h1cnard Brent can never marry
~: He has q wife and family livinxI
New York City,"
And 80, the wicked deed was done.
ut the woman who had done this
reng had made a mistake, She be-