The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-07-03

Then Grace came, asking Mrs Vernay
to write in her birthday book. And the
beauty inscribed 'sLilly Vernay" in clear,
beautiful writing, matchless as herself.
Kenneth read it over Grace's shoulder.
ssYour name is Lilith,' he said to Mrs.
Vernay.
"Who told you that?" she asked, and
he replied
"I know it." without offering any ex-
PLANTATION.
"Lilith horrid r murmured Grace, as
with Frank, Mrs. Vernay moved toward
the piano.
II think it pretty; why horrid p Marie
asked.
ssDo you know about Lilith?' her friend
replied. "She was Adams first wife, and
for transgression was turned out of Para
disc. She is the enemy of all little child
ren, and when Jewish babies are born the
nurses write 'Lilith, avaunt ! against the
wall, lest she should come and kill the
child And tradition says that she still
haunts the world as beautiful woman,
who entices men to marry her, and strangles
them in her golden hair"
"a tradition" said l, something like
the legends of the Greek Lamia."
sHow do you know that there is'not
truth in traditions and folly in rejecting
them ?" Kenneth asked.
Meanwhile Mrs. Yernay was singing
song after song and with every note steal
ing away bit of Franks heart And her
music won Kenneth to her side, for he took
his brothers place at the piano, and stood
there turning over her pages-l believe In
all the wrong places, for he looked more In
her face than at the music.
| confess that in those days was vexed
with Kenneth, for he seemed to have
sudden and inexplicable plunge into the
society which few months previously he
had abjured for ever There seemed only
one explanation-his ideal life had proved
dull and irksome. Everywhere Imet him,
chiefly with Mrs. Vernay, often Frank
was with them, woe-begone, undesired
third party. And the girls declared that
it was shame Kenneth, who rallied against
marriage should come and steal her away
from his brother.
A few women there were who disliked
Mrs. Vernay. My wife was one of them
and well enough we all knew the reason.
For when, with maternal pride, she one
day showed off the children to the pretty
widow Mrs Vernay turned from them with
a cold look of disgust, saying 81 detest
children" An insult no mother could
forgive. "That unnatural woman" my
wife from hencefoth called her
How lovely she looked at the Christmas
ball when, radiant with delight, she crossed
the room to say to me, "Look at the pro-
gress of my conversion. Here is hermit
Kenneth in this frivolous scene"
~ wish I was at the chapel" Kenneth
himself remarked; and certainly no man
looked so unsuited to ballroom. He had
grown pale and thin during his solitary
life, and wore thoughtful air l never be-
fore had noticed in him.
"Why on earth don't you go back p
said 1. 'Nothing has surprised me more
than your appearance here"
"I knew it would be so,s' he answered.
II had to come"
Then in that incongruous place he be-
gan telling me his experiences in that wild
solitude.
"I began to think my life there useless,
a mere indulgence of my own tastes.
read and thought, but the mysteries Of life
seemed as unfathomable as ever. One
evening felt myself no longer alone.
saw nothing, [ heard nothing, yet l ab-
sorbed this command in my being: go
into the world, for there is life you must
save, demon you must vsnquish, and the
life you have led has given you the power
to fight and conquer. The world will mock,
and your friends misunderstood you, but
heed them not. By this token know both
destroyer and destroyed. Then across the
floor of my room glided glittering snake,
unlike anything wesee upon English moors.
And I, obeying the command, came here
to find the destroyer :"
At that moment he trembled, touched
my arm, and bid me look across the room.
There stood Frank and Mrs. Vernay
with the, ,jeweled snake twisted in her hair,
he with another, bracelet of hers, clasped |
around his wrists; some joke had passed
between them, and she had slipped it on.
"My dear Kenneth, these are fancies,
nothing but fancies,' said, for his man
ner alarmed me. "You can't think that
anything more dangerous than boyish
love affair can result from Franks friend
ship with Mrs Vernay."
'sLilith p was all he said.
'sTell me, how did you guess her name?"
'It came to me as that command came
when l saw her write" he replied. Then
crossing the room, he asked the beauty to
dance, taking her away from Frank.
I believe bets passed between the men |
at the Torremouth clubs as to which of the
brothers would marry beautiful Mrs. Yer
nay. [ confess | wondered myself wheth-
er Kenneth would relinquish his noble
schemes and marry like any other ordinary
mortal. l rarely saw him without Mrs.
Vernay. He rode with her, drove with
her, spent long hours in her pretty draw
ing-room, and walked with her on tae es-
planade / asked him what was coming
from all this, and had for reply, "If
don't marry her, Frank william answer
which at the time struck me as strange.
And one day Frank came to my wife to
pour into sympathetic ears Wild fierce ra-
wings against his brother. Why had Ken
meth talked all that nonsense about celibacy
and seclusion when he came and took away
the only woman Frank ever would, ever
could, love?
And thus we heard of Kenneth's en-
gagement to the beautiful Mrs. Vernay.
All the men in the place envied him,
but never in my life have I seen SO grave
and so gloomy lover, Yet, like all other
men who met her, he seemed to adore her.
I never heard any one question his deYo-
ton. Perhaps their eyes were blinded.
know we all pitied Frank. And the time
passed merrily to the wedding day, Mrs.
Vernay growing daily more beautiful.
Once she passed me as I walked with
friend on the esplanade.
"Good heavens r he exclaimed. aWhat
a likeness p
s'To whom?" | asked.
eTo peasant girl in the Black Forest
who few years ago created a great stir in