Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-11-05
REGARDLESS pt the World,
by NJ. EILEEN HoLAHAN.

BY M. EILEEN HOLAHAN.
Miss Greyton glances up from her
letter with little gasp of surprise.
Here have I just heard the choicest
society scandal" she exclaims, in her
vivacious way, witnessed the dire |
discontinue OF my dearest friend, and |
now an announcement of the engage
ment of Grace Danforth and Eiwood |
Wallace. 1t is quite too much happi- |
ness for one dayP'
Explanations of surprise, mingled |
with laughter, jests and witticisms, go
around the brilliant dinner table; and,
in the general excitement of the gay |
guests, no one sees or notices the awful |
palior which suddenly covers the |
beautiful, dark face of Msdge Carruth.
ers, until
"Madge-Madgel" cries Cecil. in
alarm. For Heavens sake, catch |
her, Jack, she is going to fallp'
Only too quickly does Jack Lester
obey the command which allows him
to even touch the hem OF her white
garment.
In a moment gay excitement Is
changed for wild confusion, while the
general favorite staggers blindly TO her
feet, away from Jacks protecting arm,
never again to be so white and CHASTITY
until the coffln-lid closes above her
darkly brilliant face foreveri
And 30 standing-like some superb
statue with sightless eyes-she is rigid
for a moment, then falls at their feet
with gasping cry before any one can
save her.
| Tenderly she is borne away to the
lquiet of her room, while the def,
kindly hands of Cecil and the house
. their labor is rewarded.
, ''The heat oppressed me-" she says,
with nervous laugh. "How weak l
was to faintl But / must get up and
dress. have promised myself a trip
to the eastern bridge-and alone-to-
might Such a night, with the moon
playing 'bo-peep' with the earth.
Cecil, please hand me my amber satin,
and Yes, 1 will wear yellow or
!. crimson roses"
4 "When woman will, she will, !"
t quotes Cecil, laughingly, then "Madge,
= do you know-have you ever met Ell
3 wood Wallace?"
e Her heart alone knows the wild
y throb il gives at the unexpected ques-
: ton; then slowly and coolly she turns
y her beautiful eyes on her companion
magnificent unconcern In every move
q ment.
. "Where would 1t be possible for me
!, to have met Elwood WallaceP" she
: asks mildly, in the tone of one utterly
indifferent. "He is one of New York's
most naughty aristocrats, is he not?-a
, millionaire, / believe, in prospect. A
: wandering artist, like your humble
:, servant, is not likely to meet such
, lpeople--or meeting, remember them.
The only happy people, you know, are
those who, like myself, possess neither
= heart nor memory Is Miss Dsnforth
lalso one OF the 'earth's sublime?'"
g. miss Danforth is lovely wax
t DOLL" exclaims Miss Greyton, some
q what impatieutly. but you will
! have a chance to see her and judg,
! for yourself, as she is coming here mex
" week to spend couple of weeks
e / Wood Wallace is coming, also, and hi
uncle, Colonel Grahame, whose wealth
he Is to inherit"
q Indeedr' says Madge, with civi
lie indifference; and, in her scorntul, bril-
Is liant way, so full of humor and enter
: tainment, begins TO talk of other peopl
and things, until she is entirely dressed
= when they run lightly down the broad
>. stairs together, and separate in TIN
b corridor-the one to return TO he
J guests, the other to stroll slowly ant
thoughtfully to the eastern bridge
= where the moonlight lies in patches OF
8 the rivers breast, and the wind sob
s. family through the silver birches be-
20 yond.
10 Tomorrow, from the memory of he
= heart, she will transfer it to canvas
SO exquisitely fair the scene is! He
b. beautiful art must be everything to he
now, she tells herself, with a vague
X pathetic pain in her heart, heav,
ID mist OF unshed tears in her dark eyes
What she has been hoping for, waiting
II for with ecstatic emotions, she ncve
whispers to her own heart. Only sh
knows that suddenly-like burnt-ou
1 tapr-the hope has gone down il
darkness foreverl
= She has said that II was not likel,
y she had even met Wood Wallace; We
y as she leaned on the railing of tn
: rustic bridge there rises wildly bcfor
N her the memory of one SUMNER
~ summer that passed like poets dream
b when her artistic soul had led her t.
beautiful spot on the rocky coast o
Maine, where the gay yacht of Elwoo'
5, Wallace lay in mornings or els
Skinned across the cleaning waters.
Then, as though she had been moth
a ling to him--as If his eloquent eyes hal
Ne NOT looked love into the beautiful
w dusky ones of the artist --he had sailet
ne laway---out of her life --even out of he
1a hearing, until to-day, when:
M With sob of passionate despair sh
s, falls on her knees with clasped hands
i. lifting her glorious eyes and beautiful
"a. dusky face to the moonlit dome wher
| the moon sailed serenely through it
azure space.
N 81 am so youngp' she cries, in pas
" sionate despair and rebellion. "Wha
have / ever done that l should know
Al this curse---a blighted life? Let ne
a. die. let me go mad--anything, oIty
az thisp'
.at A moment her sobbing break on
ae, the noises of the night; then theg is
,,ssr[ hurried step, low exclamation IN
Nv man deep voice, and:
'ss "Youi" exclaims Madge, Suddenly
&C. springing to her feet with Feat, di.
nd lated eyes ''You-Elwood SallaceF,
"Madge Carruthers-m artist