The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-12
THE IRISH STANDARD SATURDAY, MARCH II.
ewes were not opened sooner"

Il i 5S "a I =
eyes were not opened sooner.
..But they were opened at last?"
.sYes; Just when things had gone so
far that it was a sin to interfere. Claud
was passionately in love; and upon my
word | believe that the girl was as
good as gold. He had the banns pub
lished ina church that was never at
tended by anyone he knew, and every
thing was<arranged between the pair.
They We're to steal off early on Mon
day to be married: but Oh the preceding
Sunday the plot was discovered. .
Howe asked tue chaplain.
II can hardly tell. Twas tiie house
keeper who had set q watch, ::sluk.
Anyhow, Mrs. Vlliers burst upon them
in storm Of fury, and the companion
was sen. out of the house that very day.
Size thought, of course, poor girl. that
her lover would keep his word at all
costs, but she leaned upon a broken
reed. He did follow her, but it
was only to bewail his own weakness
and beg to be set free
The chaplain's contempt was too
strong to be put into words; and Sea-
ward went on:
''He got his release, it'scems, easily
enough The girl was as proud as an
empress, too proud even to load him
with reproaches. She let him go in ST.
lence, and then vanished out Of his life
forever. He does not even know
whether she is living or dead"
There was pause, a fame leaped up
brightly, shining on the chaplain's
thoughtful face, which looked sterner
now than Aylstone had ever seen it be-
fore. When Mr.. Sydney broke the
hush he spoke in tone of deep indig-
nation.
"And you will let Miss Vi]liers marry
her cousin without hearing a word OF
this story, Aylstone?"
''She came in one day quite gayly, and
told me that she was engaged to Claud, {"
Seaward replied. II went to him, and
urged him strongly to tell Adeline ev-
cry thing, But he had given grand
mother solemn promise to say moth
ing. And so the engagement has gone
dawdling on; the man always depressed
and conscicnce-striclSen, and the girl
puzzled and diSSatlShed!
But it ought not to go on. You know
that?"
Eyes; I have cen hoping against
hope; trying to bc,ieve that wrong
thing would come right. At first |
thought that Adeline, bright and at
tractive as she is, would help Claud tc
begin new life and neY love. But I
have never been happy about the mat
ter; and soc plainly that Claud cannot
forget
"You have all behaved cruelty to Miss
Villiers," said the chaplain uncompro-
misingly. IF this story is hushed up
before marriage it is sure to come out
afterwards. And if l judge Adeline
Villiers rightly she is a woman who
would suffer acutely under the blow OF
such disclosure. Besides this ill-used
girl may reappear?"
81 have thought of that" Seaward
answered sadly. "And yet l fancied
that she would not live long after
Claud's desertion. Hers was the kind
of beauty that one always associates
with early decay"
11CA DIG FFtt1o W. OSs'ucAAuA'
''Would you like to see her portrait?''
said Aylstone. made study of her
head
The chaplain assented, and Seaward
led the way upstairs to the studio
Then he turned up the lamps, and
went to a corner where two or three
unframed pictures were leaning against
the wall.
~ always meant to put her into a
group he said. Il had all idea in my
mind, but I never carried it out, and
then she Disappeared; and somehow |
have never cared to look often at this. -
He turned the canvas to the light, and
showed a pure delicate face, and a soft
mass of golden hair, in which was IA
spray OF jessamine. Only the head was
fnished some flmy drapery, gathered
loosely round the shoulders, was put in
with few careless touches. But it was
life-liIze countenance that looked back
on the gazers with beautiful melancholy
eyes and faint smile.
Il have not flattered her in the least, -
remarked Seaward, and then, without
further comment, he carried the picture
out of the light, and put it gently down
in the corner once more. Only this
time the face was not turned towards
the wall.
They went downstairs and parted
somewhat gravely in the hall.
ION Saturday afternoon the chap
lain said II will bring Miss Winfield"
He went out into the London night,
and Seward returned to the hreside
and meditated, until the warmth and
quietness drew him away into dream
land. In sleep he saw the fair face
lowering near another, whose richer,
darker beauty was always in his wax
ing thoughts. And it seemed to him
that the golden-haired woman looked
at him with mute entrcaty ais if pray
ing that the brown-eyed girl might have
happier fate than her own.
He woke up suddenly with two lines
of an old song ringing in his ears, and
and then he rernem bered that the man
who wrote that song was resting some
where under the green grass of the old
o1,,-uo1r-o~1 IL 49, ~ l:o