The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-06-24

ful life they might lead, until Violet
thought of the past-her frivolous, use
less life. The old wound reopened, and
she wildly wished she could bring back
to life the one son Of that widowed
mother, who eight years before had blot
ted out his life for her sake.
She had solo in the closing anthem.
and many turned to look at her as her
mellow voice foated upward. 1t seemed
to have new tone, that touched the
heart like prayer for forgiveness.
Ralph Armstrong, as he sat in the pull
pit, looked across the little church into
that face of an angel
There were several matters to sneak
about to the orGanist after church. and it
was some little time before Violet de-
scended the stairs, where, to her surprise
she found her aunt with the minister's
hand in hers, while she seemed almost in
Mysteries. fastening to her side, she
heard her say:
To think that you are the son Of nv
old friend, John Armstrong! Such a
surprise and pleasure. Violet, do tell
him to come home and take dinner with
us"
"Pray introduce me, aunt, and I GER
talnly will, said her niece, laughing, for
Aunt Martha certainly looked very funny,
halt embracing the yonng man, while a
score of people looked on in wondermcnt.
\iolcts reprntant mood had gone. 1t
vanished rs she saw glance of admra-
tion in the dark eyes OF the young man
turned upon her. During the homrwar,
drive and the dinner following, Aunt
Martha would have liked to label her
dangerous She certainly had never
seemed more attractive, and the young
man would need to pray for strength if
he wished to resist.
Niolct,'' said her aunt stcrnly, as she
looked into her room To say good night,
" that young man is the son oi the dear
est friend of my youth. will have no
tritling with his heart"
In the year following, think Violet
Sturtcvant received all the punishment
she deserved 1t was at once the hapni-
est and most wrctchrd year of her life
llappicst because she had ut last learned
I" love, and hung with rapture on every
word uttered 10y the one who had won her
heart. The most wretchcl, because al
though >h" tried every fascination in her
power, he seemed perfectly Indifferent to
hc,. vt times her heart would cxult over
som" ht'lr attention, only t" grow cold,
aS, perhaps the same day, she would see
the sam" attention offered some one else
She could not accuse him of being a tlirt-
He often came To see Aunt Martha, as his
fathers friend, anil Violet conll not com
plain of lack of opportunity to win his
regard. Feeling him hard to please only
made her the more anxious to succeed.
She would see him sometimes Inoking at
her as one might at a beautiful picture,
with pleasure and admiration; but through
it all a subtle cOldncss that chilled her
heart lie was not engaged she learned
in a thousand ways that he was generous
and warm-heartcd; but the year went by,
and he was still cool and Indifferent, pay
ing more attention to the village mailcns
than to herself; and, az she felt that her
case was hopeless, she suffered more than
even Aunt Martha, who watched her
closely, imagined.
Once she thought, che thinks me TOO
CAV" and forthwith donned simpler at
tire, and sang softer airs, only to see him
studying her with IN amused curiosity
that ncttlcd her. A dozen times she
vowed to overcome this foolish infatua-
tion, and avoided his presence but it all
ended the same way. After declining to
come down and help Aunt Martha enter
tain him, she would knccl at her window
in the darkness Just to hear his footsteps
rs he left the house, murnurng " Italph :"
ID II l. I 1. 4 I
only have heard the passion and despair
in that faint cry!
At last she felt that she could bear it
no longer. She would go away until she
could conquer herself, when something
happened that seemed to reveal the cause
of his Indifference.
At party, one evening, some one was
speaking of an event which happened in
the village twenty years before, when Mr.
Armstrong remarked:
{" | remember it we'll was visiting
my aunt, Mrs. Kent, at the time"
Violet heard no more; she thought
they spoke of Sydney and his unhappy
fate, and imagined she saw look of
scorn on the face of the man she loved.
How he must dcspise her, for his aunt had
undoubtedly told him all about her be-
fore he came He had been forcwarned,
and, alas forearmcd.
She found her aunt, and cntrcatcd her
10 leave, As she was i'll (; and very i'll she
looked as she lay back in the carriage
saying over and over to herself: His
cousin and | killed him." Her youthful
folly seemed fated to mar her whole
life.
"You do look sick | hope you are not
coming down with fever" said Aunt
Martha, anxiously. "We must go away
at once. They say there are a dozen
cases in town, and they fear All epidemic
like the one here four years ago. We
must leave tomorrow, if possible"
Violet was passive that night, and let
he aunt plan ont their summer without
opposition, but IS she lay and thought
during that long, terrible night, she plan
ned her life anew.
In the morning she said: {" You can go
Aunt Martha, but shall certainly stay.
We can be in no danger here. Our spring
water is so pure-not like that which
supplies the vilIage-and they will need
all the help they can get to take care for
| the sick. So many who are able will
leave the poor and sick to their fate. l
shall invite number of those who are
unable to leave TO. come out here and stay
until the danger is over. There are
many could name now whom it would
| lonoEf oynu ic fhov uar0 not fhraafnuaI