The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-08
HERBERT AND LEDA.

for some time"
Herbert Payne looked ruefully at his tabl,
of papers, his large bookcase, his pictures
busts and gimcracks, that made his hand
some library the one room in the house
that truly seemed like home to him.
every well, he said, s'only be sure you
put it up this time SO there will be no fur
Their annoyance"
Then Herbert Payne fed from the con-
fusion to come, and took trip for two
weeks, absolutely without end or aim, ex.
cept to escape from his disordered library.
Mrs. Beech, his housekeeper, took care
that none of his treasures were injured, and
when he returned there was no trace of the
invaders, save that the falling mantle-piece
was carefully and firmly reset.
But upon his table lay sealed envelope
yellow with age, and directed in a pretty,
lady-hke hand to s'Mr. Herbert Payne"
Every vestige of color left the middle
aged bachelors face as he saw this epistle.
The hand stretched out to grasp it trembled
so violently that he drew it back.
Mrs. Beach was within call, and he con-
trolled his emotion to ask:
elbow came this letter here?"
s'The men found it behind the MANTLE
piece, sir. 1t must have slipped down the
big crack"
He shut the door and bolted it. No care
less, curious eyes should watch him while
he read that letter-the letter which had
been hidden for thirteen years behind the
mantlepiece.
Before he touched it he unlocked writ
ing desk, evidently seldom used, and took
from it miniature picture of a lovely girl
of eighteen or nineteen, with large brown
eyes and waving golden hair.
A face full of sweetness looked out from
the cold ivory, and the eyes of the strong
man grew full of tears as he gazed upon it.
For he had loved her. Not with the wild,
unstable love of youth, but when he was a
man past thirty, who had faced trouble and
temptation and had conquered both.
He had met her when she was the COM
fort of an invalid father, and he had been
first won to love her by watching her sweet
patience with the irritable old man, who
kept her constantly busy in his service.
Later, when they were friends, Herbert
learned that Mr.. Morrison, the fretful suf-
ferer, was very wealthy man and Leda
was his only child Being himself man
of fortune, Herbert Payne needed but little
the fact that Leda was an heiress, but he
found his whole heart going out to her as
they grew better friends.
Every day he loved her better, till he was
assured of her love in return, when he
sought her fathers consent to his taking
her to his heart and home, his loved and
honored wife. And Mr.. Morrisons plea
was this:
81 can not spare her yet. When I tell
you her story you may not care to marry
her, but if you still love her spare her to
me few months longer. I may not-can
not live over another spring, even in this
soft climate, but when / die Leda will in
herit all my fortune, though she is not my
child. told you she had history. When
we had been married but two years our
first child was born.
! tLeda-my wife, Leda-was delirious,
constantly calling for her babe, and the
doctor said it was life and death with her
to have child. So we took the babe, who
has grown to be the comfort of my life from
an asylum. have no idea who she is or
what was her pareDtage. but from the hour
she lay in my wife's arms and the pressure
of her tiny fingers claimed the wild excite
ment of the brain, she was to us our child.
We were never blessed with babe of our
own again, and all the love that was in our
hearts for children was lavished upon Leda.
She was ten years old when her adopted
mother died, but she knew nothing then
and knows nothing now of the secretof her
birth. Only two other persons beside my
self know of it, my brother and my nephew,
who will be my heirs if leave no will. But
promise you to make will before / die,
and leave Leda independent You-you
do not look as if this story had shaken your
love"
ssNor has it, Leda will ever be to me the
one woman love, and care nothing for
her obscure origin, nothing for her fortune.
Rich or poor she will ever be the same to
me-"
ssBut you will not urge her to leave me
yet-not until spring? 1t is but few
months, but it is all my life.
81 will not ask her to leave you, Herbert
said, deeply moved by the pathos of those
last words, "but let me speak to her-win
her consent to be my wife if / can, and have
the right to return here and comfort her at
any time you fear you must leave her in
sorrow and loneliness"
Yes, yes; but must you go9
ST must. I am here only on business,
and must return to my home at once.
But if you wish it I will return in March. "
ST do wish it."
Little doubling his Succession, while
Leda had never been unmaidenly, she had
never quite concealed her shy, pure love
Herbert wooed and won the maid he sought
for his wife.
They were to correspond regularly, and
in March Herbert was to return and remain
with the Morrisons.
January was over when the letters ceas-
cd. He waited reasonable time, then
wrote. No answer. Fastening to the
ouse Herbert found it closed and desert
The agent whose name was on the plac-
ard announcing the place 'To Let" could
give no information except that he received
the orders to let the house from Mr. Morri-
son, the brother of the former owner. He
was not at the funeral himself, and knew
nothing about Miss Leda. He could give
the address of the late Mr.. Morrison's law
yer, and knew that the surviving brother
and his son were travelling.
At the lawyers the news was crushing.
Mr.. Morrison had died without will, and
the entire property had passed to the heirs
at law.
ssHe was superstitious, /" the old lawyer
said, ssfancying it would hasten his death
to make q will. Foolp Well, yes. but NOT
uncommon. Miss Leda remained week
and / do not know what became of hel
then. The brother was very unkind-you
might say brutal, for he had been jealous
of her for years, and understood perfectly
well that it was through his brothers neg.
lect only that she was left penniless instead
of inheriting the most of the estate. If
ever hear Of her again will certainly lei
you know Of the fact
But thirteen long, weary years passed by
and no word of Leda had reached the faith
ri heart waiting and hoping to receive the
looked for tidings. No other fair fact
\ svef took the place in Herbert's heart tina