Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-01-09
TRAGEDY OF EAGLE CLIFF.
BY HERO STRONG.


Stanhope was fend but | tell you
that at first she was not bad-hearted.
She had the misfortune to be born
Of wealthy parents. and that is a
positive misfortune TO a person OF her
peculiar temperament.
They did wrong with her all the way
along.
They INDUCED her in everything
until BY and BY she thought the world
wa, at her disposal and ii she had
particularly desired the moon she
would have been angry withitifit had
declined to come at her bidding.
She grew up a beauty, and was adj
mired, Just as beauties have been ever
since the creation.
Her style was little peculiar, and
this popularity added charm to her
beauty She had blonde face, with
creamy white skin, and color like
a rose. Her eyes were blue, with
golden Iashes, but her hair was black.
She vas tall and 1.-THE with exquisite
feet and hands, and bust which Di-
ana might have envied.
This description IS 4 Very poor one,
and doubt ii you will ret from it any
idea Of her loveliness But somehow
these descriptions OF periectness al
ways tax my ingenuity severely, and
] am ready TO admit that lam unskill
ful n them.
At eighteen Bertha was betrothedto
Francis Tremaine
Ii was more the work OF the parents
on both sides than Of the young people
themselves, Tor Bertha was too much
taken up with her train ofadmirers to
think much of marriage, and Ire
maine himself was still at college, and
wholly occupied in Crock roots and
LATIN examinations.
He knew the understanding, and ac-
quieSced His father and Bertha's
had been close friends all their lives.
and this union of the families by the
marriage Of their children had always
been a cherished plan with them.
Indeed, it had been talked OF so
much in both homes that Bertha and
Francis both looked upon the decree
as unalterable, and never thought Of
dispnting il.
Size was fond OF wealth and style,
and as Frank Tremaine's wife she
would be fully gratiiicd in that respect.
And Frank admired beauty, and had
thought vaguely, as young men will,
that when he married he wanted
lovely woman. and 50 it seemed that
for once all parties We're suited.
Two years after the betrothal Frank
graduated, and began the study OF
law with Judge Brewster, AT Amsgate.
Amsgate was only two miles from
Bertha's home, so he rode over to see
his fair betrothed quite frequently.
And these visits brought about an
important result. They won for
Frank Tremaine Bertha whole heart.
1t was not noble or generous one,
but such as were her capacities for
loving they were all lavished on him.
lie came up exactly to her ideal
hero He was tall and dark, with
curling brown hair and beard, deep,
expressive eyes, and an air OF con
scioUs strength and integrity which
gave nobility to his bearing and
grace to his manner.
All Bertha's passionate though
selfish nature awoke and went out to
him. For her there was but one man
in all the world, and Frank Ire
maine was that one.
True, she laughed and hirted with
her other lovers, but her heart was
always turning after him.
Not in that way was he affected
toward her. As | said before, he adj
mred her beauty, and supposed he
should marry her, but he did not feel
for her any more real affection than
he felt for Susie Day, or Annie Deane,
or halt dozen other girls.
Sometimes this consciousness
troubled him, and he wondered II he
really had any heart to be touched,
but he comforted himself with the
assurance that it would be all right
when they were married OF course
lac must not expect to be so deeply III
love as the heroes of his favorite
novels. People in real life never
were.
year after Frank Tremaine's grad
uatlon he was admitted TO the bar,
and the following autumn he was to
be married to Bertha.
He was twenty-five now, and quite
capable Of having opinions OF his own.
And by and by the conviction began
to creep over him that he was able to
love better than he loved Bertha. lie
realized that she would never be to
HIM all that a wife should be.
lie was frequently tired in her pres
eucc; her talk bored him; he was on
guard constantly lest he should arouse
her fiery temper, and if he made the
simplest assertion she was prone to
argue the matter with him
And il there is anything on earth
particularly and abominably detcst
able il is a person who is always ar
guiug. Heaven defend me from that
individual, both IN this world and in
the world to come,
Bertha had a natural taste ior ar
gumeut She would contradict one in
the most trivial matter, and would
bring up more arguments than ever