The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-08-11


$50 charming little Airline loyes mep'
he mused, half smiling, as he watched the
fair, dropping, tell-tale face. "She would
die of shame, the pretty child, if she knew
that had guessed her secret. Well-well,
she must never know it. And she blames
Marian in her passionate, tender little
heart for seeming cold toward me. Ah,
she would not be so could she stand in
Marian's place"
All these were mere idle fancies floating
through his brain, almost unconsciously,
as he gazed down upon the blushing, child
like face, and listened in silence to Arline's
low, dreamy, thrilling music.
But when he crossed the room to Marian,
seeing her dsengaged at last, strangely
enough, those idle fancies went with him.
and rose up between him and the fair,
proud face of his affianced bride as she
turned, with her rare, sweet smile, to greet
him.
"Tou have been well entertained, Pm
sure" she remarked in her quiet, graceful
way. ''for you don't look the least bit
bored. Doesn't Airline sing delightfully?'
YES" he assented, wondering if it real
ly was because she could not love deeply
and truly herself, that she had not OWNED
that passion in Arline's heart toward him.
''But / shouldn't have listened to her
music so long if Il had seen chance to
claim your attention. You have been in
expressibly cruel TO me this evening,
Marian"
"Surey, Wilbur, you were not Jealous
of papap' she exclaimed, with low, rip
pling laugh of amusement. "And as to
the others, of course l could not neglect
them altogether, not even for you dear"
lowering her voice tenderly GA hostess
time and society are not always at her own
disposal"
But you scarcely sent me smile or a
glance even, to console me in my excile,"
he went one, half seriously, feeling Just in
the mood to resent that 'proud, passion
less calm" of which Airline had so pointed
ly reminded him.
"But you were in my thoughts every mo-
ment," she returned instantly, looking at
him with sort of proud, wondering sur.
prise Oh her beautiful face, 'Certainly,
you knew that, Wilbur"
He colored under that calm. searching
glance, as though he had been convicted of
the basest treachery.
II will try mott forget it again, Marian, :"
he murmured, with constrained little
laugh to hide the sudden and unwonted
confusion he felt in her tranquil presence
He could imagine Airline Ashton reproy-
ing lover for such doubts; but it would be
with dropping eyes and warm, sweet
blushes-or, more likely, a hot storm of
passionate tears.
But not so Marian Erskinc There were
bushes on her fair cheeks, nothing save
consciouspride and faith in her calm, Queen
ly bearing. She always reminded him Of
some regal flower, with her creamy, color
less skin, her deep, lustrous grey eyes, and
her coronal of gold-brown hair, with red
tints cleaning through it in the changing
lights.
A woman to be proud of, surely. Yet,
sitting by her side, listening to her sweet,
gentle voice, Wilbur Crevelirg found him
self thinking more of Airline than of her
thinking of the strange, impassioned love
she had so artlessly betrayed to him, and
pitying her most tenderly for all she must
haye secretly suffered for his sake.
"Poor child" he thought, watching
with half remorseful, but admiring eyes
the graceful, downcast head and fair, wlst-
full face over there at the piano; 81 wish ]
could atone to her in some way.i
That wish drew him to Arline's side Of
ten afterward; and once there, the pretty
little siren knew well how to hold him in
her chains. Even Marian's fair, proud
face began to betray a consciousness of the
danger that menaced her future happiness.
But whatever she suffered, it was in 81
ence The lynX-eyed world about her
could detect no change in her manner to-
ward her lover, nor TO Airline Ashton, her
pretty, fascinating guest.
81 wonder how it will end9" they whisp-
er sub rosa, among themselves. "Marian
J is so proud, you know; one can never tell
how she will act-whether she will discard
him off f-hand, or whether she will go on
with the marriage, pretending she has
= never seen anything amiss in his devotion
p to Airline"
, Fate answered the question for them, as
! perhaps, Marian could not have answered
il herself.
5 She went into the conservatory one even
ing, after dressing for the opera, to selec
S some flowers for her har. There, almos
concealed by a thicket of plants anC
foliage, stood her lover and Airline.
: Marian suddenlj drew back, her beauti
/ full face white as marble, her slender, queen
i like figure trembling in every nerve; for
/, few of their low-spolsen words had reache,
c her ear-words that could leave no doub
@ of their terrible meaning.
e Only for one instant Marian stood there
i stunned, bewiderel; then, taking a st e.
forward, she confronted them quietly, n,
- sign of the grief or scorn in her heart betray
ing itself, save in the intense, dazzling fir
d of her luminous gray eyes.
g 81 have no desire TO be am obstacle il
c the way of your happiness, Arlme," sh
). said quite calmly, answering the speake
: whom she had overheard. "And as TO
!, you, Misunderstanding slowly to him
l. "take thisl You are free from this me
II ment TO ask the girl you loye to be you
e wife" and dropping her betrothal ring a
his feet, she turned quietly to go.
IS "Marianp' stammered Wilbur CrevelinG
1t trying in guilty, confused way to detail
her.
o But with one gesture of her white han
sr she waved him back.
le "Words are useless now, 4" she said, wit
D. a slow, cold smile. 81 have heard IN