Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-04-26
CHATTER XXXYIL


CHAPTER XXXVIL
People in London made the same re-
marks about Lady Charnleigh as her
neighbors in the country had made,
Gayety and pleasure were delightful;
but it was possible to have too much OF
both, and the young countess went
quite to the extreme. Did she ever
rest? Did she ever sleep? Her days
and nights seemed to be one long round
OF gayety; she danced, sang, acted most
gloriously in private theatricals and
characteristic did everything except
reflect.
The season was half over when the
Duchess of Warminster insisted upon
Lady Charnleigh's paying her prom
ised visit.
81 saw you at the opera last night"
said her grace, and although you
talked and laughed so gayly, thought
you looked very tired, and not at all well.
They tell me you lead the gayest of
lives in London-a week at the villa
will do you good. Life is not so hur-
rled there"
1t is not quiet, / hope" returned
Leonie, quickly; there is nothing |
dislike so much.
"My dear Lady Charnleigh, forgive
me-remember am old enough to be
your mOther-but | would not counsel
you to speak often in that fashion; you
mean no harm, but such words do not
sound we'll. No, we are not quiet
that is, there is large party always
staying with us, and each one amuses
him or herself according to taste or
fancy. | have never yet seen any one
looking dull,
Lady Charnleigh went, leaving Lady
Fanshawe and Miss Dacle, who had
declined u like invitation, in the Lon
don mansion alone. Leonie found lite
at the Duchess villa gay enough and
pleasant enough; no one ever inter-
tered with visitors there-each one did
Just as he or she liked; and one Sun
day morning, when Leonie awoke, the
world around looked 30 fair and bright
that she decided upon ramble through
the woods. AS rule, she hatel and
dreaded solitude, but to-day heart and
soul desired it. She said to herself
that she would 60 out away from the
world of men and women to where
the green boughs waved in the wind,
and the birds sang of peace and of
love.
She wandered through the woods
how far she did not know; she walked
fast, memory and fancy both busy with
that terrible past which she could
never undo. She wandered over the
rich clover meadows past the hedges
all covered with hawthorn, past pretty
limpid brooks that sang Ct Heaven
great love for men in making earth so
fair. She came to narrow q cen lane,
where wild flowers grew in rich pro-
fusion; there was rude stile at the
end, and when Leonie reached that she
stood for some moments lost in adm!ra-
tion.
There was u broad path that ran
through the clover meadows, and the
path was bordered by tall, stately EN-
trees, it led to the most pictu esque
village that she had ever seen; and
there, at the foot of the hill, stood an
old gray church, the tapering spire
and the arched windows of which were
covered with ivy. There was quaint,
old-fashioned gate standing open, as
though inviting all to enter; within
were green graYes where the dead
slept in that beautiful summer calm.
AS she stood watching the tranquil
loveliness, the bells began to chime.
Never while life lasted did she forget
the solemn beauty of that hour. The
birds we're singing around her, the
bees lowered over the rich clover, the
bright-w.nged butterflies sought the
wild roses, the sweet western wind
came laden with the rich odor of haw-
thorn, and above all was heard the
sweet Ginning of the Sabbath bells. 1t
was all so fair so calm, so sweet, so
like a glimpse of the far.ott heaven,
that the girl stood still and felt the
solemn, beautiful calm stealing over
her.
How long was it since she had knelt
at her mothers knee and learnt her
simple prayers? Exalted in rank, how
long was it since she had risen in the
morning aud said one word of prayer
since she had offered one word of
thanks to Heaven ere she had retired
to rest? How long was it since she had
ceased to read the grand old Bible
stories? She had done nothing right,
nothing good, since she had bartered
her soul for riches and her love for
luxury!
They were going into church now,
gray-hairsd men and little children;
the sweet, simple faith of her childhood
seemed to come back to her as she
watched them the time required
when she had believed with child's
faith that if she was good she would
go to heaven.
Was there any heaven for her, her
hands laden with theft, her soul
stained with dishonor, with fraud, with
untruth?