The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-11-06

VI lltI lttllUHS.
''She is splendid icicle," said the
sutors who, unmindful that frost can
SINCE as well as fire, had bovered about
the dazzling light of her charms.
But she looked neither proud nor cold
just now, her eyes shining with a new,
sweet Joy, her cheeks glowing with
happy bushes, her lips yet warm with
her lovers kisses.
But that underlined premonition of
evil somehow haunted her; she seemed
to feel the chill and the shadow encom-
passing her about, she seemed to teel
the withering touch of some shapeless
serpant already invading her paradise.
"How chilish l am" she again muir
INJURED with an impatient gesture, as
if the presentiment were some tangible
thing to be brushed away by the sweep
of white hand across her beautiful
brow. "Or, when one loves much, does
one fear much, l wonder? certainly
have no cause for misgiving, my be-
loved is tender and true, and there can
be no peril from the voyage, 1 suppose"
She arose from her chair, sighed only
half consciously, and only half con-
sciously sung:
81 was weeping when he left me,
But my tears were half OF Joy;
For knew though fate bereIt me,
lie was still my sailor boy"
And al that moment the door-bell
changed imperiously, then impetuous
footsteps pattered down the hall, and in
another instant somewhat startling
visitor was ushered into her presence.
The visitor was an exceedingly pretty
girl of fairy stature and of meekly in
fantile contour of feature. She wore
too the prettiest of pretty dresses, the
daintiest of dainty bonnets, and looked
as charming as is possible for one who
seems just ready to dissolve in hysteri-
cal tears.
"Dear Marion" she began between a
pout and whimper, Il have come to
you because l am so unhappy, and be-
cause am sure YOU do not intend to be
cruel"
Marion bowed in silent.polite wonder,
| To such a surprising prelude. silence
seemed the only acknowledgment prac-
ticable.
do help me how to tell vou," the
other continued besecchingly. 81 feel
so misarably timid when you look at me
like that. But then you are cold and
proud always! You would never glieve
yourself i'll and distracted if the man
you adored were allured from you by
another! You would never go to that
other and on your bended knees beg
her 10 give you back his love"
"No, l don't think should" Marion
aid candidly.
'But so humble myself to you, sc
do l implore you to give me back the
heart you have taken from me-" sale
tue girl, weeping conyulsively. "Yor
can never love Keith Lansing as do!
shall die if he does not return to me
and, oh, MarioE,you can send him bach
to me if you will"
/ Marion looked annoyed and incredul
% Gus, although her beautiful face hat
whitened somewhat.
TRY to compose yourself and explain
what you mean," she said quietly, a
she attempted TO raise the daintily bon
neted head which had bowed itself pa
thetically upon her chair. HAS ther
ever been any engagement between yol
and Mr.. Lansing?"
"There would have been had you no
come between u.s." was the emphati
answer. "He was devoted to me, ther
was nothing he would not have don
for me, everybody considered us en-
gagged"
i For several moments Marion stood a
motionless as the marble Daphne in til
niche behind her.
What was warning in her soul, wha
was struggling in her heart, only hersel
would ever know.
'If Mr.. Lansing were here l shoul
advise him to return to you," she pre-.
emily said, in a steady and passionles
voice. "But he and may never NEE
e again"
u "Oh. l was sure you would not kee
him from me! You can be just, Marion
even il you are too cold to love and SUI
u fer as | should" the other said with a
t effuSively grateful carress from whic
: Marion shrunk with something like
u shudder.
= The next moment she was alone
e alone with the chill and the shadow
alone with the wreckage OF the lov
which had been SO eXquisitelY sweet.
g II will write to him; and then | wi
go away, and We TWO shall meet agai
: nevermore on earth" she decided.
And so she sent a brief message
u which she believed would intercept hin
on his way; and then, with feveris
!, haste. She began to arrange for prC
l.! tracted journey.
i But in the midst Of it all, tlding
e came of storm and disaster on the coast
d and Of good yacht astray and founder
ed in the tempest,
r The stanch Coast Queen had unfurle
= her white wings for the homewar
6ight, but the hurricane and tn
n treacherous Ieefs had oyermastered hel
S and Of all on board only one hall
e drowned seaman survived to tell tn
i story.