Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-12

| Did you ask him to release you?'
| inquired mother. looking at me searchingly
with her soft. serious eyes
could not tell her deliberate falsehood.
but could prevericate, which dare say is just
| as bad
There was no necessity for me to ask him, -
| L SAID "he understood nv feelngs-we under
stood each other. perfectly. Don't ask any
more questions, mother, darling" pleaded,
'at least not about poor Cyril He will be
Leaving us very soon. l fear. Indeed. indie ed,
mere Is no need for you to grieve." l urged.
| as il is
is 1t. Daisy" she exclaimed sadly. Il cam
not quite think that The change seems light
TO you, but 1t is sad breaking up of home and
family ties. The nest has been made ready for
the BIRDS. and now they are to part and scatter
far and wide. This will be a blow 10 your
step-father., He was so proud of your engage
ment to Cyril so happy IN the thought OF your
| future union. The disappointment will be
oltter for him. And he is ont OF health. and
hardly III a condition TO bear great sorrow"
Il am very sorry on his account" faltered,
but though | am not to be his daughter-in-
law, shall be always his loving and obedient
friend and pupil. / can never forget all that
he has been to me from my childhood until
now"
Il am glad of that. Daisy" answered the dear
mother. her eyes filling with tears. Il should
De very sorry If either you | could be I'M
thoughtful of the best friend widow and daugh-
ter ever had in the world. the most unselfsh,
the most forbearing. You know that my mar
rage with Ambrose Arden was not love
match. No woman can love c second husband
as loved your father. 1t a marriage of
friendship, of grateful affection, of unqualified
and admiring regard. / wanted to make the
latter part Of my friends life as happy a
woman's tenderness could make it, Ny only
disappointment III this second marriage, my
only regret since my wedding day has been the
fear that in spite of all my care Your step
father has not been happy. There is a little
rift in the lute. Daisy. and God knows how it
came there. 1t is none of my making.
dearest mother. no wife on earth could do
more to make a husbands life full of sunshine
than yOu have DONE | told her. If there is
some touch of shadow mingled with the light
you must not take 1t to heart. Uncle Ambrose
is scholar and n recluse. a man of peculiar
character and temperament, and you must not
he surprised If he has intervals of melancholy
brooding. man who reads the modern meta
physicians can only be happy when he has no
no time for thought Uncle Ambrose thinks
too much, mother. That ls the only evil"
She kissed me fondlv at this; and felt some
how that our mutual condolences had drawn lis
nearer to each other than We had been since
her marriage.
Yes Daisy, no doubt that is the evil Am
brose has lived the scholars life too long to be
able to enjoy commonplace pleasures like
other men. He is too old to begin a new life.
He is like Eugene Aram."
Eugene AramI'
what am L thinking of. Daisy. to compare
my husband 10 a murderer
'Ah. but yOu meant it as a compliment" |
told her. laughing, Eugene Aram was such
delightful murderer The crime that darkens
has past only deepens the interest in his char
acter and by the time the mystery stands re-
veaIed the reader Is devoted to the criminal.
That is only the glamor of the novelist.
Daisy. Depend upon it the real Aram was
smooth-faced cantng hypocrite, with murder
lurking IN his dOwTcast eyes. / cannot believe
that any man capable of such crime could
ever win undetermined woman like Madeline
She would have recoiled from him instinc-
lively
We read Bulwer's romance together not long
ago and the color of the story is still vivid i'll
both our minds.
NV mother looked at the clock on the chin
ney-piece.
"A quarter to eight. Daisy, and we must
dress for dinner. and after dinner l must teal
your step-father what has happened He has
no idea of it, l suppose"
Il think not"
Poor Ambrose, l am sorry for him. No,
love, don't blame you or Cyril she added
hastily as she saw my look Of self-reproach.
1t Is not your fault either of you, if YOU do
not love each other well enough to take life
long vows 1t Is better to have found out the
truth In time; but the disappointment will
not be less bitter to Cyril's father. 1t pleased
him to believe that his affection for me woul
be III manner carried on into the coming
years by his sons union with my daughter"
Il shall always be fond of Cyril l said. las
brother. That has been my only mistake
fancied sisterly affection meant more than it
really did"
Before you left Paris" said nv mother.
looking at me searchingly until l felt myself
turning scorchingly red under that earnest
look OF hers 'RuE away and dress Daisy
hear Ambrose going upstairs to his dressing
room. We shall all he late for dinner"
ran to my room. three steps at time. /
felt happier than had been at any time since
we left Venice, in spite of all that had been
done to make me happy. / was sorry for
Cyril. honestly and sincerely sorry, but bur-
den was lifted off my heart, and I could not
wonder that it beat less heavily.
(TO be cont,nuet)