The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-11-27
EVELYN'S SECRET
a Villainous Mans Deception and
a Happy Ending

q Happy Ending.
All around her the golden glory OF
summertime, in the distance green
hills lifting their verdure crowned
heads to Heaven, and at her feet the
ripping waves.
girl, dreaming a girls day dream
dreaming Of her lover and his love for
her.
And he did love her. What greater
bliss could earth hold for her than
that? sd
True he had never told her SO in
words, but every action showed the
passionate tenderness of his heart where
Evelyn Clayton was concerned.
Gerard Carrisbroke, the master OF the
stately mansion whose granite towers
she could see from the windows of her
cottage home, loved her, and earth was
fairer, the flowers brighter, the sky
bluer since the glad truth had broken
over her soul
Her life had been bright enough be-
fore at the cottage home of her idolized
sister, dark-eyed Iona. the petted bride
Of year-bright enough before, but it
was glOrlned now.
Her womanhood was crowned with
glory since Gerard Carrisbroke first
rocked into her lovely, earnest eyes.
She was very beautiful, this Evelyn
Clayton, with rare, fair loneliness,
with eyes of turquoise and hair of
Titan gold. with level brows and sweep
ing lashes;- low white forehead, and
crimson mouth.
Standing there, with the glow Of the
sunset falling around her, she was fair
as a poets dream, her robe of pale blue
Indian muslin clinging gracefully to
the slender, girlish form, the faint sea
breeze tossing the red gold tendrils of
hair into closer rings on her brow, and
deepening the rose flush on her delicate
cheeks.
And then there was step on the sand
"a slight, firm step-and it was almost
at her side before she turned her danny
head and raised her lovely eyes 20 the
face of Gerard Carrisbroke.
II have been to the cottage just now,''
he said, ''and they told me you were
here, and"-with happy laugh-"here
am ! as we'll and-sweetheart! sweet
Notwithstanding off with passion of
love in his voice that made the girl
tremble-'sweethear tell me am well
GOMEZ"
e"Welcomel"-the sweet voice low, the
lovely eyes dropping beneath his glance
lyon know you are welcome
Evelyn, do you know how. would
be welcomed by you as lover. my dar-
ling? As the Irish maiden welcomed
her lover:
Come in the evening or come in the morning,
Come when you're looked for or come without
warning,
And the oftener you come, love, the more III
adore you. -
Evelyn laughed lightly.
"Bashfulness could hardly be classed
among your failings," she said.
Gerard's eyes were resting on her
face, all his passionate love cleaning in
/ their depths.
s"Evelyns4 your heart must have told
you how love you," he said. "Sweet-
heart, can you give me your heart in re-
turn for mine-your love for the pas
sionate, deathless love offcr you?'
There was moments silence; the
girls face grew pale, her slender form
trembled.
Darling, have 1 frightened you?
Evelyn, speak to me-"
Enlightened me? Well, hardly that
the color coming back to her face;
but oh, Gerard! Gerard, l am not wor-
thy OF such passionate lovep
worthy? My love! my queenm
1t was we'll they we're alone, though
after all it would have made little diff.
ference. for the next moment she was
folded close in his arms, his passionate
love-kisses falling like rain on her lips
and brow and red-gold hair.
"Oh, for an hour where the sun first found us,
Out on the beach with his red cloak round us
oh, for an. hour, and you, love, near me,
None but the waves andyou to hear mel
Cali day the words of that sweetest
of love-songs have rung in my ears,
Evelyn" he said.
ooh, for an hour, and you, love, near me,
None but the waves and you 20 hear me."
And twas all love, sweet love, that
the waves listened to, and no word spoke
he then of the failing of all the Carris-
brokes; no. word left his lips of the ter4
rible jealousy that was Carrisbroke
inheritance, q curse that had wrecked the
happiness,of many bright lives Of his
name.
So the bright sweet summer passed,
and Evelyn Clayton grew fairer, if pos
sible, In the happy bliss of her sweet
2 love-dream-the love-dream so soon to
know bitter awakening.
And then, when all was fair and
bright and life like cloudless summer
sky, the shadow fell, the shadow that
darkened life for Evelyn Clayto dark
ened the fair love-dream that had bean
SO madly, so perilously sweet
TN love, II love be love and love be ours,
Faith and unfaith can ne'er be equal powers,
Unfaith in aught is want OF faith in all :
That was Evelyn Clayton's belief
until the day Gerard Carrisbroke's mad
jealousy laid her life barren and bare
before her.
And yet, was he SO much to blame?ss
God only knows! Perhaps few lovers
would have taken it less lightly.
1t was when hope was highest and
love brigb test that the cleaning came.
Even after many days, the memory
came back to her with all the old pain
and agony Of the moment