The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-05-09
FORGIVEN.

One morning my cousin Hllda came
to me and said:
I'VE are going to be married
Richard and l."
"Richard Gale? You are to marry
Richard CALEB" l asked.
I'VE love each other," she answered.
Now, l had introduced those two,
and Richard had called Hilda a statue,
and spoken of her as ''cold." | never
dreamt he would come to be her lover,
and l confess 1 was not glad to hear
it. / could not say / rejoiced, but |
kissed her and, as time went on,
l began to fancy that all would be well
and they happy.
was sewing on some white muslin
one day not long before that of the
wedding. when Richard came up the
steps of the verandah and sat down
hear me. lingering my work:
.'Do you think Hilda is really fond
of me, Georgette?" he said after space
of silence.
laughed.
women always laugh" said he.
"She is so calm; she has no passion in
her eyes. ! have tried TO make her
jealous, and l cannot do it,"
Il won't laumh this Time" said /;
''but I'll tell you one thing: you might
enjoy having a Jealous sweetheart, but
you will be very glad that your wife
has confidence in you"
Il have my doubts" said Richard.
''Oh, I'm an idiot, | know! Hilda is
perfection-only 1 like u spice of evil
in woman now and then. Do you
know Stella Rivers?"
Il have met Mrs. Rivers" said L
''an ugly woman with temper"
mo man ever called Stella ugly"
said he. "She makes more conquests
in day then other women make in a
year. She always puts me in mind of
humnling-bird-she fairly quivers.
And such chic dresses as she wearsr'
How French we arem said |.
Il cannot help it when I talk OF
Stella" said he. ''She is Parisienne at
heart; she lived there for years, you
Puritan about Stell."
''StellP' said |.
''Well, old Rivers calls her Stell," said
he.
''Her husband" asked /.
''You have sarcastic tone to your
voice tonight" said Richard, land it
does not improve yoa, Miss Georgetta.
Her husband. Yes-and her greatest
admirer.h
''Well, so long as he is pleased no
one need find any fault" said !.
"That stupid Mr.; Alsopp asked her
after her papa the other evening.
Stella didn't mind" said Richard: .'sha
thinks it a great joke"
Aud just then Hilda came down the
stairs, and we said no more of Mrs.
Rivers. She was women l detested.
She had married an old man whose
wife had not been a dead year on
their wedding-day, and people said she
was engaged to him before the old
lady died. He had settled most of his
money on her, and she t1irted terribly,
still her wealth kept her in society.
Oh, did not like her, nor this talk OF
Richards about her.
| liked it less when one evening. hay-
ing accepted an invitation to the theatre
saw Richard sitting with Mrs Rivers.
He had told Hilda that he was OBJ
liged to attend to some business that
evening.
This was business of curious sort.
truly! Still, next day, while l was
make mischief, received little note
i from HIM:
MISS GEoRGETTE,- Rivers asked me
to be her escort it said. Rivers had little
| touch of gout, and the tickets were bought
| and would have been wasted. 1t was quite
! impromptu. had not thought what | was
| doing, amt was on my way to Hilda. ] saw
| you were Mortified SO l explain
1t struck me that a woman whose
husband was i'll should have stayed
with him, and only half believed the
story. Still, l should ouly trouble
Hilda by mentioning what | had seen
We were making the wedding-dress
now. At so late an hour the best
thing was to keep my finger out of tht
pie.
Hilda looked very happy in thosE
days, but / saw a curious trouble
brooding in Richards face.
knew what it meant on the wed
ding-day, when, as we were pin nins
the brides veil, and fastening thu
orange blossoms in her hair, curious
trembling ring came at the door, ant
in Il moment someone staggered up th'
stairs, dashed open the door of tn
room in which we had gathered tt
array Hilda in her wedding-dress.
1t was old Mr.. Rivers, his face pale
his eyes bloodshot. We thought hin
intoxicated; but when he spoke w
knew this was not so.
81 disregarded ceremony, l know,
said he, ''but my excuse is strong
Miss Hilda. think you can hear tn
news best. You are young, and hop
is yours whatever happens. l am old
and this to me is the eud of everything
NV wife eloped with Richard Gale las
night. ! am going in search of them
and | shall kill him when find him!
remember how he stood before us
how Hilda dropped into my arms, tn
confusion and excitement OF 1T all, bu
vaguely, as we remember dreams. !
little later they came and told us NOR
terrible news. Old Mr.. Rivers ha
only gone as far as the gate, when h
dropped in a fit of apoplexy. In
/ week he was dead.
TWAS nobody's business to follow til
wicked pair, and no one took til
trouble to do so.
The old man had not altered his will
and Mrs. Rivers was very rich. III
fore long we heard that they wei
actually married.
Hilda never spoke of him, but 81
never seemed to like any one else.
e think size was paier aud thinner this
: she would have been, but she did n
}, NOPE.
n In house on the heights, pref
place with garden about 1t lived M
I and Mrs. Gale. They quarreled pc
# petually, and she had lost most OF h
fortune, She had taken to betting
the races; had lot of men who kne
about horses, and helped her to ri;
her money, always at the house. Mea
while, extravagant dressing and livil