Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-01-20

again | took q malicious pleasure IN
comparing her with Edith.
Edith, so fair and SO lovely, with
hair like spun gold and 81 wild-rose
bloom on her cheeks, and with a
graceful, willowy figure. And Ste-to
call her by the curious abbreviatlon
she wished-so small and dusky, with
a colorless skin, and nothing to recon-
mend her but two immense black
ewes, which certainly were as lustrous
as twin stars and as soft as velvet.
Ltster in the evening, when dinner
was over, and Edith had drawn her
away to look at Gerald's drawings he
came up and sat down by me.
"Eilen you must not form an opin-
ion Of Ste's attractions now" he
whispered earnestly, ':she is not her
self; naturally she is bright and happy
as a bird, and altogether charming.
You must hel p me to chase away her
trouble and bring back her smiles.
And then, you don't know how pretty
my little one is when she SMILES" he
went on, enthusiastically.
And wondering how she could ever
be pretty, I forgot to answer. So,
after momentary pause, he said:
edith is more beautiful than ever,
I see."
"Ah," thought, che could not help
comparing these two-the girl he had
needlessly thrown aside and the girl
he had linked himself to for life"
It was not long before Ste "was more
like herself" as Gerald said. Her sor-
row had been so wild and passionate
that naturally it soon wore itself out.
The color soon came back to her dark
cheeks, an additional lustre TO her
eyes, and | could often hear her carol
ing snatches of songs.
They were mostly French ones
some with wonderful pathos ringing
through them; and her pronunciation
of her maternal tongue was the pretti-
est thing imaginable. Yes, she was
growing merry enough.
Gerald's love was so perfect, and he
filled the place of father, brother and
husband SO entirely, as he had said,
that he had left her nothing to wish
for.
My sister was growing very fond Of
her and declared her to be remarkably
pretty, but I could see no beauty in
her, neither could l love her; my devo
ton to Edith utterly precluded it.
Ste grew to be popular with Gerald's
men friends too. They thought her
charming, and his especial friend, a
young fellow, who was a doctor rapid
ly rising in his profession, and who had
been an admirer of Edith's, came more
frequent than the rest.
Raforo Goro Ia Sc rr1 ooo Dr Do,oi
val had made small progress In his
more fa,vorably inclined toward him.
He was passionately fond of singing,
and had a superb voice. Edith could
not sing a note, but Ste's and Mark
Percival's voices blended splendidly
together. Thus hours were spent
every hour, | thought, that he could
spare from his practice-in these duets.
And Gerald, who was also passion
ately fond of music, never seemed to
tire of listening to the two.
I was very wicked, know. [ really
believed Ste to be artful and designing;
her childlike, blithe manner / fancied
was assumed; [ saw how happy she
was in the hours spent in Mark Perci-
val's society, and it made dislike her
ten times more for finding pleasure
anywhere but with her husband.
[ consoled myself with believing that
she was trying to beWitch Edith's low
er as she had bewitched my brother,
and listening indignantly when she
said, In her pretty childish fashion:
81 wish Edith and DR.. Percival would
come; it's getting quite late and they
are not here yet. And | miss thems go.
Isn't DR.. Percival handsome and &C.
complished, Gerald?'
| don't think doubt of her ever en-
tered into his mind until | put it there
| began with a look, or a little word
OPPORTUNITY dropped.
Then / rushed into the thing sudden
", and shall never forget the express
sion of pain on his face when [ said:
'SMark Percival admires Ste very
much, Gerald How well their voices
suit [ think if he had CHANGED to
meet her before her marriage you would
have had a very formidable rival"
He did not answer; he grew deathly
white, and, biting his lips, turned
away.
But l had not done.
AhO4C Woo CACuSC lOI u1Cs III L
loved my brother with all my heart,
and | was Jealous of him.
Hasn't Ste a wonderfully powerful
voice for such g. little creature?"
'"That is a lovely thing she is singing
now. 1t is Beethoven's Adelaide
isn't it {" he answered quietly.
eyes; her favorite song, or rather
Mark Percival's, which is about the
samel"
He looked at me sternly for the first
time in his life, and then said:
'tYou have never really loved any
one, Ellen. But be careful that you
don't plant thorns that may prick you
more than any one else"
His words were prophetic. How
deeply | repented my wickedness no
one knows Yet at this time hated
Ste for being the cause of the first re-
Duke that Gerald had given me, and in
Edith's ear put a word now and then
that soon built up q wall of ice between
her and my brothers wife,
Gerald grew silent and even a little
morose.
AID Go foIt II onI mo q I,ur4 +bo+ ho