Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-04-20
A AWILL-V-THE-W WISP.
Br MIHr PArrOz HuDsos. .

set by no sorded cares TO mar the en-
joyment of his tastes, that were de-
cidedly artistic and luxurious. He
had never felt the actual need of
money, but now he was tenfold richer
even; he found by the executors
statement, than he had ever expected
to be. Ties there were none, the sud.
den death Of his father, retired bro
ker, having left him practically alone
in the world.
His mirror reflected face that
was definitely handsome, and a figure
with that distinguished air that makes
itself felt in society's charmed circle.
He had vague sort of fancy that
the life of q literature would justly
satisfy his ambition, deciding that he
would travel Systematically and
chronicle his bizarre experiences.
In this be had been encouraged oy
his cousin Judith Vaughan-she who,
possibly, had the strongest Of all
claims on his past and present. Chief.
ly by her own contriving, always his
ready counsellor and confidante, to
whose judgment he invarbly &C.
qulesed, the impression was subtly
furnished by that capable lady that
her opinions were but echoes Of his
own resolves.
She was selfish in all things, save
her affection for this Sybartic wlll-o'-
the.wisp with whose future she had
willed to connect her own, when his
idle beregrinations were at an end.
One year-two, ,three-passed away,
and still the world of letters had not
trumpeted his name and crowned it
with immortelles.
Going to and fro in the world he
finally found himself disgusted with
his aimless wanderings. At this juno
ture. one day, weary of his own CON-
panionship, he made, through the kind
offices of the captain of little slea ner
on which he had taken passages for a
days idle travel the acquaintance of
Colonel Olmstead-of course his title
by general rights was Colonel, being
Virginia born, had attained middle
life. and whose pride of birth was
only equaled by his impecuniosity.
Colonel Olmstead was accompanied by
parrician- faced girl, his daughter,
blonde and magic-eyed, whose South
ern tones were as enchanting as those
of the moc6bird of her own soft
cline.
The good -natured Virginia Colonel
took genuine fancy to his well-man.
nered and loquacious fellow traveller,
and hence it follower that Sidney
Vaugan was righteously encouraged
to prove himself agreeable to father
and daughter during the brief jour-
ney down the picturesque St. John
River, the tender voice and piquant
address of the latter fully conquering
his unoccupied heart, he was frank
enough to admit to himself before
that short, delicious day was done.
At pretty village were they loitered
for while, Colonel Olmstead In pur-
suit of the health that he enormously
supposed TO be lost. Sidney Vaughan
told his story of love, and was re.
wa-ded by Miss Olmstead's acknowl,
edgment of its reciprocation.
1t is true that our hero, being a
man of parts and equipped with
knowledge of this worlds require
ments, had made known to 'the gen.
tleman from Virginia his antecedents
of which he had no small reason to
be proud-furnlshing references of
excellent sort in the cardinal points
of the universe, and yet, when the
couple appeared before that potentate
and asked his blessing and, what was
better, his consent to their immediate
marriage, he had shown no small
amount or surprise and certain de-
gree OF anger, expressing his disap.
proval of the advantage taken of
man confidence
He declared his refusal to sanction
tho engagement, and for the matter
of a couple of years they were not to
meet, neither to exchange letters, save
through his hands. His ''daughtah, =
he said "a meah child adding po-
tentially; Your money, sab, is not
considahed in the balance; birth, with
those of owah social prestige, going
flthah than meah vulgah properly
accumulation on"-this in reply to Mr..
Vaughan's rather hesitating assurance
that he was amply prepared to main
tain Miss Olmstead in the manner be-
fitting her station.
With the two year probati on, there
fore, the lovers we're obliged to be
contented, and with a thousand low
ing assurances on his part and a few
tears on hers, they parted; he for a
year in foreign travel, the remainder
OF the eternlty--the stony-hearted
one had called it "two years" in
America, the hardest to pass--''so
near and yet SO far" Two and
twenty months later Sidney Vaughan
stood IN the pretty drawing room of
his cousin, Judith Vaughan, that
stately. dark.eyed girl whose crisp,
common sense had brought him safe
ly, times not few, into pleasant port
in days agone. A sensuous scent of
roses and lemon-wood stole into his
veins from the luxurious conservatory
beyond. A gray-clad figure with tiImy
laces at wrist and on the bosom swell,
cody watched him from beneath her
long lashes, perturbed indeed, but
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