Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-12-02

By ALICE DALE.

al am too old for romance and SEN
timent," Walls Loyle said soberly;
"but have liking for home COM
forts and home quietude, and / can ap-
preciate good wife as well as any|
other man. Imay not be an exceed
ingly fond husband, Charlotte, but /
/ shall try earnestly to make you
happy. And l dare say that you, too,
have outlived all sentimental non
sense"
Mi . Charlotte Eldr &c could afford
TO tolerate that mild allusion to her
five.and thirty years; for he who made
1t had also, at last, offered her the one
place in his regard which she
had hoped and schemed to secure for
longer than he could possibly sur
mise.
II have never believed in nonsense
Of any kind" she answered with a
honeyed smile. " But neither of us is
SO very old after all-it is not SO long
ago, Wallis" she added. in those care.
full, velvety accents, that you consid-
cred yourself young enough for a silly
girl scarcely out Of her teens
He WINGED perceptibly at the impo-
lite reminder-at the slight, playful,
seeming stroke: of the velvet.sheath
ed claws.
Poor Pattie was my one folly" he
said, not apologetically, as o jealous
lover might to disturbed sweetheart;
but his voice and manner were regret
full, compassionate, almost solemn.
Charlotte frowned behind her silken
fan. She was a large-limbed, Junoesque
beauty, with thin crimson lips and bril-
liant hazel eyes-a shrewd, clever, fasci-
mating woman. who, If she SO will
ed, could be as memorable as fate and
as cruel as the grave.
~ wonder that you have the smallest
emotion of pity for that unfeeling girl, "
she remarked, as if in righteous dis
pleasure. "She wronged you by her
laithlessncss and fickleness, and dis.
graced us all by her singular fight.
certainly cannot condone her ingrati-
tude to mccullough it is the usual re.
compense, ! believe, Of one who gives
a home to an impecunious relation
"But loved her, as you know; and
we always pardon the errors of the
dead" the gentleman answered rather
reproachfully. ~ should prefer, my
dear Lolita, that you would not remint
me of your cousin"
Again the handsome, hard face dark
ened behind the silken fan. In hel
own cold, egotistic, ambitious way
Lolita had always loved Wallis Loyle
1t enraged her to feel that he retained
one kindly sentiment for the young
cousin, of whom she had been bitterly
jealous-for the girl who would have
been his wife, had not her own subtle
stratagems triumphed.
And Miss Eldrldge had indeed tri
umphed, as it seemed. The grea
heart, grieved by the unrefuted falsit,
of the one sweet thing he loved, had
turned.to her for woman's graciou
sympathy; and at last he had asked he
to share the wealth she coveted, to b'
mistress OF the charming home she hat
so much desired.
Isl may not be an excessively font
husband" he said frankly, 'but
shall try earnestly to make you happy
And should prefer, Lolita, that yol
would not remind me of your cousin,
| just then a servant appeared at tn
open parlor door.
II you please, miss, young wo
man wants you, immediate and per
tikelar, in the dining.room, " was tn
unmusical announcement.
| With graceful apology the lad,
crosse aud quilted the room.
MIR. Loyle listened absently to tn
tap of her dainty slipper on the stairs
to the noise of the opening and closin
door of the dining, room that wa
directly beneath him, to the sound G
| & hurried and indistinct ejaculation.
II hope she may not be detaine
long" he thought as he bent over
large portfolio of engravings, that sh
had politely Enclosed for him on
prettily carved stand placed just betor
the fimsy, ornamental screen OF tn
empty fireplace.
As he bent over the engravings
Lolita s slow and precise tones, as dis
tinct as though telephone, came u
to him through the treacherous flue.
"You ought not have come bac
here at all, she was saying aHgril,
Nothing could have been nicer tina
the position / obtained for you it
SO easy and pleasant to be governess
one little child. Your salary was every
thing you could expect, and beside
YOU have had the advantage of a yef
| in Europe with in excellent ismily.
wonder you have not married ; yo
have had your chances, no doubt, an
YOU could have done nothing more az
visable."
The response was inaudible to NJ
Loyle, who moved uncasily in his SCI
unwilling to listen longer.
Ii is some ungratetul young pc
son for whom Lotta had secured en-
ployment, he decided.
The next utterance startled him.
What folly " Lolita exclaime
haughtily. Wallis never cared fl
YOU ut all. He loved me always, lor
before he ever knew OF your existenc
You misunderstood his simple courtes
toward you. His allegiance to me hi
never swervcd, although possibly |
fiattered you little. sent you ava
tina: you might overcome your halluc
nation, and after all my torbearance
do wonder that you have returned
annoy us. have allowed Wallis
believe you dead-it was best so-yo'
open iniatuation had mortified him e.
ceedingly. You cannot remain her
of course, Pattie, she added mo
persuasively. " You would not vii
to meet Wallis again, since he mu
despise you"
! But at that moment Wallis h
started from his seat, his gra'
| foaAurns nalin n and his malanchnlV e