Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-10

in the cool, dim jasmine-scented draw
ing-room. pale aud quiet and cold.
A perfect glory Of moonlight flood
ed the long yeranda which gave grace
to the plain, roomy cottage where a
widowed mother had reared her two
lovely daughters daughters whom to-
morrow she was 10 lose, as mothers
lose girls whom they give to men IN
marriage. Perhaps Mrs. Davenport
felt that she did not so much lose her
daughters as gain two sons; for she
seemed well content rs she iluttered
about from room to room, tired yet
smiling, putting the finishing touches
TO preparations which had kept the
quiet old home busy for many "a day.
There were a dozen merry young
people promenadung the garden, in
The white glory of the night brides
maids and best men, as we'll as the two
pairs of lovers-Dollv clingi1g lightly
10 the strong arm Of Rupert Leslie, and
Diana pacing side by side with the
man she had promised to marry-a
suitor who had fallen in love with
Dolly first, but, on being refused by
her, had turned to the elder sister, APP
pareutly as we'll satisfied widower
fifty years of age, Of courtly manners
ard refined habits.
He was not bad match for Diana,
her friends said; she was SO quiet; the
great difference ia their age would not
be so observable; and really, after the
way Rupert Leslie Tilted her for her
sister. it must be quiet a triumph fer
her to make such match before bis
eyes.
Oh, yes IT must be a great triumph
Doubtless Diana felt it so, as she
walked proudly and calmly by Mr..
Burleigh's side, her fair face fairerstill
in the brooding whiteness of the
moon, her beautiful eyes lifted to the
shining heaven with a strange look in
them.
To many she seemed loyeler than
her more blooming sister-a lily purer
and more gracious than any rose. As
they passed and repassed each other in
the moonlight, Rupert's eyes were al
ways lifted from the piquant face OF
his own partner and fixed with troubled
scrutiny on that other quieter face, out
his anxious look was never returned.
81 declare, Rupert" pouted his
bride-elect, ''yuu seem 10 be walking
in your sleep. If you are going to be
silent and stupid, I'll steal Diana's
companion and let her have YOU! Come,
Mr.. Burleigh, let us run away and
hide.
Dropping Rupert's arm she ran up to
the other couple. with that pretty,
sparkling, half-detiant way of hers.
Dolly could say all sorts of things
with safety; people only smiled at her
folly as at that of pretty child; but
Rupert's face flushed dark as she
dragged the elderly faace away from
his betrothed.
"Turn about is fair play" he said,
soberly. Diana, will you take my
armp"
She would not refuse it, though he
observed her hesitate. In n minute
they were walking along the graveled
drive, on into the frost-kissed garden,
along the winding paths shiningin the
moonlight. Finally in that very
arbor where he had met and kissed
Dolly, Rupert suddenly stopped and
threw at his companion look that
turned her pale cheeks even paler. A
cry of anguish, long stitled, uneon-
troable, burst from him in a few
desperate words:
DIANA, why have you treated me
so? | came back to you, after five
years toll for us both, faithful, loving,
ardent, eager-and you froze me with
a look. In one cruel moment you al
lowed me to see that your love for me
was dead. It's late to speak to you
now, but must ask you why you treat
ed me SO crIellyP'
1T is late, as YOU say; and you seem
to have easily comforted yourself"
"Ah, now YOU are bitter! Would
YOU like it better if YOU had crushed all
life and hope out of me? You tried
hard enough! Little Dolly liked me
and was sorry for me. was grateful
to her-l shall try to make her happy;
but there will only be ono love for me
in this world, Diana
"Rupertw
The passionate ring of pain in her
voice thrilled him with wonder
"Diana!n
lit is wicked -deceitful-terrible
for you to say this to me now! Rupert,
| was within heariugo of your every word
when YOU came back that day, met my
sister on this very spot, mistook her for
me, kissed her for me-and then
loved her for herself!n
las heaven is over US. Diana, YOU do
me strange injustice. | did mistake
Dolly for you and | admired her be-
cause she was like YOU. La my heart
! laughed at her girlish vanity and
her seltishness; in five min
utes | saw that her soul was not like
her body, the image of yours; when |
found you, at last, my very heart
melted in SPECIFICS love at the sight
Of the grave, noble, beautiful girl whom
thought my own; you know how YOU
received me. Diana--how you shrank
from mel 1t seems SO strange to me
that You, of all women, should be cold
aud wordly-for it is his money alone
for which you must be marrying this
other man.
Heetood and looked at her as if try
ing to understand and read the beauti-
ful woman who had baflled him.
lie looked haggard in the moonlight
--unutterbly sad and hopeless.
Her dark blue eyes searched his for
a u,pmeut then her white face was