The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-07-25
THE MISSING BRIDE.

Ntnton. quite alone save TOT hef SER
wants. The village lay below her. like
a toy town out of a chip box from Hol-
land-little white houses all alike.
little white church with pointed stee-
Pile, aud rows OF poplar trees. Stilf and
black along the streets.
The stone house, with It's painted
glass windows aud Gothic doorway.
looked quite like n miniature castle
from below. But II had not taken the
fancy OF the residents OF Poplartown.
IL seemed to them queer and lonely.
and since Its builder and owner died.
the executors had found no one to buy
or lease 1t. until Young Madame Vim
ton, In her vclYet dress drove up to the
gate one mortiang. and interviewed the
care-taker.
IL was hers very soon after that. and
she lived. ms we have said. alone with
her servants.
For guardians. she had two great
Siberian blood-hounds. fierce as dogs
could be TO all but her. IL was well
known that. at n word from her, they
would tear any man to pieces; and they
lay across the outer door III night. She
needed no other protection.
Young. beautiful, aud widow. charm
ing In her manners, no wonder that the
gentlemen admired her. But the ladies
fought shy of her. They made no
calls. They looked solemnly away as
they passed her in the street. When
she came 10 church, and sat Ia the pew
she had hired, no one took any heed of
her presence. The clergyman called.
as Ia duty bound. aud took his wife
with him. Unhappily, they found the
pretty Frenchwoman smoking cigar
ette. That scaled her doom. She
was sent 10 Coventry by all the respect-
able society of Poplariown-the ladies'
society. But. somehow. through her
landlord. cosmopolitan bachelor,
gentlemen were introduced. IL was
not her fault that these only came. aud
that they sang her praises aud defend
ed her against the hints of their female
relatives. She did nothing but adhere
10 the habits of her country. Poplar
town had been uncOurteOus 10 her, not
she TO IT, Her maid sat IN the window
sewing when she had gentlemen cali
ers. She never received them alone.
"A cruel thing of YOU women" said
Squire Gilbert 10 his mother-''a cruel
thing 10 be so haIri on Madame Vim
ton. What does she do but dare 10 be
beautiful | suppose God made her so,
as he made the live Misses Chesney.
who hate her SO bitterly. ugly az
witches. What do You know against
aer, motherP"
II know nothing. child said Mrs.
Silbert-"nothing but that no ladies go
o see her"
'why don't they. thenP" said the
squire.
There must be some reason" said
the old lady; Mrs. Praygood saw
sigar on the table near her. Ladies'
ion't smoke"
English ladies do not" replied the
squire. But perhaps she does not
<aow that Why don't you call and
tell her2n
'.My dear. I never call anywhere"
replied the old lady. .rhe Young peo-
pie come to see me. don't say any
thing against Madame Vinton. l hope
'he's all right; indeed do
But she resisted the entreaties of her
son to drive with him, 10 call on
Madame Vinton, nevertheless; and so
one day vhe squire went alone.
He was handsome. active, elegant
man. but he was no longer a young
one. At twenty he had been in love.
but his weetheart died. He had ever
since remained true to her memory.
At forty-eight he lived with his mother
still. her only son. He had. perhaps
for this reason. something of the frank
and careless manners of a boy. He
had not hardened, as most men do be-
fore his age.
The squire called on Madame VIM
ton from spirit of chivalry-so he
thought, at least; but he left the door
with flushed cheeks and sparklingeyes.
and he called again because he could
not keep away. Soon. to his mothers
consteInatioan, rumors reached her
that he went to Madame Vinton's house
every day; and at last she, as we'll as
all Poplartown, knew the truth. Her
SON was engaged to be married to the
French lady, with whom he was desper-
ateIy in love.
The five Misses Chesney shrieked in
chorus when they heard it. All the
other marriageable single ladies were
equally shocked; but old Mrs. Gilbert
bore herself bravely.
my son." she said. II give you
credit for being a man of sense. l
know you wouldn't marry person
who would diss race our good name
I'll go with you to see her once, and I'll
welcome her kindly. Nothing must
come between us. my dear--nothing."
And Mrs. Gilbert saw no cigarettes
near Madame Vinton's elbow, when
she called, and could find no fault with
her manner. She returned home great
ly comforted, and set herself to put
down the talk in Poplartown, to the
great disgust of her neighbours. who
had hoped to be entertained with the
items of a family quarrel.
1t was September when the news
first reached Mrs. Gilbert's ears. Be-
fore Christmas day her son would be
married. She tried to feel happy over
it. but in reality her heart was very
heavy. An undefinable presentiment
of impending trouble filled her with
sadness. 1t could not be the coming
of this handsome wife, with her sweet,
courteous, loving manner, she thought.
She was old. A daughter would be an
addition to her home. Yet she tossed
wearily on her pillow at night-she
who had always slept so well; and
could not read or sew as she had done.
Somehow she felt all was not well. and
never could be again in this world for
her.
In spite of this, she took her pearls
from the worn case of blue velvet, in
which they had been hidden for years,
and sent them in shimmering nest of
white satin, to my Daughter soon to
be-" VINO answered with loving thanks.
The wedding-day was fixed. The
wedding guests. old friends of Mrs.