The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-02-07
Mrs. Grove turned very pale.

choose TO be SO tooljshly headstrong,
l shall not try to control YOU. My
Lawyer shall make every arrange
ment lor your future comfort. Good
evening madam.
He let the room. Calm as he
seemed, she had touched and panied
him at the last. He had loved her
once-nay, did he now ?-now that
the parting between them was really
to come 10 pass? And she could
give him up like this, because she
felt little jealousy Of that fair crea-
ture who had SO sWeetly called him
her friend Good Heaven OF
what was The heart of a woman
made
Deeply ans y and also strangely
moved Mr.. Grove lett the house and
hurried TO Portman Square. He was
to attend Mrs. Norton 20 The opera
that evening and the engagement
was an imperative one, even in the
unusual and Unexpected state of his
domestic affairs.
Passing by the servant who adj
mltled him, he went up 10 the draw
ing room unannounced. His step
could not be heard, so soft and thick
were the Brussels carpets on corri-
dor and floor.
Thus it happened that, through
the open door of the conservatory,
beyond the drawing room, he saw a
tableau that struck him dumb.
The beautiful widow standing in
the light of silver shaded alab..ster
lamp, beside group of orange
trees and at her feet the young and
gallant and handsome Colonel
George Norton, the cousin of her
dead husband and one of the richest
and gayest of all her macy admir-
ers. Her hand VS. clasped in his;
her lovely face was sutfused with
bushes and as NJ ,. Grove fingered
there aghast, he heard her say, Mr..
Grove Der George, how could
you think 1t Love him, indeed |
Why he is old enough to be my
father, and married man to boot!
The old proverb in this case was
certainly true-Listeoers hear no
good Of themselves.
Rapidly and quietly Ellis Grove
walked down he Stairs, and let him.
self out into the street. And as he
turned towards home, his mind was
busy contrasting the woman he had
left-the woman who had only
amused herself with him through all
these bright bewilde! ;ng months
with the gentle, loving, faithful wife
still living, thank God! beneath the
shelter OF his roof
Had he been mad, or only W icked,
to forget her so? He vile! his b.ide!
the mother Of his only child She
who had wept SO bitterly upon his
breast when that child-his golden
haired Lilly-was taken from them
and hidden in the gravel What
could there be in his passing infatu
atioa for the dashing brilliant widow,
to sever this sacred, lifelong tie?
Me. awhile Miliceut Grove, stunp
nearly 20 mad 'ess by her husbands
careless and contemptuous answer
to her passiona appeal, was busy
in her dre5 ing room packing such
things as belongs ed strictly to her
sell, IN readiness for her departure
on the morrow. Where to go she
knew not-she cared not so that it
was away rom that now deserted
and dishorored home.
She shed no tear, she heaved no
sigh over her Strange task, but
worked at it buGilv and impa;ien.ly,
like one who lonoed to see it done.
She dispensed with the assistance of
her maid, because she wanted 10 be
alone. The last article of clothing
was folded at length. and the lid OF
the travelling trunk closed. Then she
stood up, with weary sigh. and
looked ound, to make sure she had
forgotten nothing.
Her husband had furnished that
pretty dressing room for her, in the
earlier days OF their marriage. Not
an article had been touched or
changed since that happy time And
faded and worn as the furniture now
was, that room was dearer TO her
than any other in her well-appointed
house. For his sake-onIy for his
sake! Again she sighed.
Her eyes fell upon a picture that
hung in an oval gilt frame above the
mantle-piece. The portrait of a
little girl, apparently some six or
seven years OF age; cherub face,
with large laughing blue eyes, and
rosy cheeks, and ever smiling lips,
fair shoulders, half hidden by a
shower of golden curls, and dim
pied feet and ankles, from which the |
snowy socl-s had been sna ched, and |
held up by the child in innocently |
mischievous glee.
Her only child! her little darling
Lilly, over whose early death she
had shed SO many and such bitter
tears! safe-safe in heaven now! And |
for the first time since the opening
of that little grave had cast so dark |
a shadow in her house, the almost
heart-broken mother fell upon her
knees before the picture, and thank
ed God that he had taken the child
from her encircling arms How in
hnilely more dreadful this terrible
separation must have been, had
Lillv's innocent blue eyes been there
to see! They were closed forever to