Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-29
A ROMANCE OF NAPLES.
Inc Story Of a Light That Never
Was.

resting place at last. Or rather. John
and Emily, with the younger girls and
deiena, had done SO, and were now en-
1oylng the delights of a picturesque
villa just beyond Naples, on the bay,
while the ''indefatiga bles'' had gone
on to explore Alexandria and the Nile
Helena's decision had surprised them
all; but the attractions of the villa had
been visibly increased by her bright
prese nee, and the wanderers wrote back
disconsolately that they missed her
more each day. She had given no reason
Tor her choice except that she was
tired" Her erect and graceful figure.
however, and her lustrous eyes had
showed no outward signs of WEAKNESS.
1t was impossible to look at Helena
Gordon without feeling the charm of
her beauty. Her fresh face and bril-
liant coloring belied her three and thir-
ty years, while the masses of soft, white
hair which crowned her shapely head
seemed only to decrease her age, and
to distinguish her from all other wom-
EN- who were merely pretty. She was
lovely, and gracious-and unmarried.
John had often declared il was his
wife's one grief that Helena did not
marry. But circumstances and clever
scheming had alike been of no avail.
And it's SO strange" Emily would
mourn in her husbands ear. fer
there's really nothing OF the old maid
about Helena-except her years"
She was on the terrace now, alone.
1t was her favorite place at this hour.
when the golden glory of the late after
noon and the stiffness of the sea and
sky seemed to rest upon it.
With her eyes apparently bent upon
fair, distant Capri, she sat there, with
Crawford's latest novel unopened III
her lap. But Capri and the beautiful
bay were alike unseen, and in her day
dream she was again the gay. light
hearted girl, in the quaint New Eng
land town she had visited long ago.
Every incident of that unforgotten
time passed slowly before her j~''er
vision, until she seemed to be sta. ng
again in the moonlight, with her hands
imprisoned in a mans firm clasp. and
her heart vibrating to his words-'Do
not forget me. Helena-l shall come
back-some day.
How few the words had been, but oh.
the meaning in them, and how she had
treasured dll bucSe u1lttA '
He had gone away. and she had re-
turned to her home, wrapt in her
young dream of love. A few months
passed in happy expectation, and then
came the news of his sudden death.
She never knew how she had lived
through that awful time, for no one
shared her secret and she had forced
he smiles and laughter, as of old, be-
fore the world. Her loyalty had never
swerved, and the passionate belief of
the girl in the faith of her lover who
awaited her coming beyond the grave
whose memory was the shrine upon
which she consecrated her life-was the
woman's belief to-day.
She had kept up bravely for awhile.
Then after a season of mad gayety she
had broken down with fever of the
brain, which took her to the very gates
of death And when at last she was
restored to health, Helena had hardly
recognized the face which looked back
wonderingly at her from her mirror;
face which was crowned with soft
white locks-the pretty bright chest
nut curls forever gone.
In the years which lay between that
time and now, there had been many
admirers of her unusual grace and
beauty. but not one had ever passed
the invisible barrier behind which she
seemed to be intrenched. Her friendli-
ness was frank and without restraint
for no man was ever to her possible
lover, and each had understood, and
after little had silently gone his way.
Her present revery was suddenly
ended by the appearance of Roger
Trenholm upon the terrace She looked
UP at him with a quiet smile, and.
though the interruption was unwel-
come, there was nothing in her perfect
manner to betray her feeling.
Trenholm was an old acquaintance of
her brothers. They had run across him
many times in the course of their jour
neyings during the past year, and since
his temperance in Naples the family
had admitted him into close and init
mate friendship.
He had taken a chair near her own,
and sat leaning slightly forward. In
that position he was nearer to her; but
though the scarf which she had care
lessly thrown aside as she moved to
Trenholm knew that Helena herself
was further from him than Capri yon-
der. living cloud-like on the bosom of
the bay.
They talked of many things in the
golden afternoon, and touched at last
upon people they both had known and
places which they had visited at home.
Helena had seen Trenholm almost
daily now for weeks land Johns
amusement had been intense upon
oxerhearing Enily's secret instruc-
tious to her daughters: Girls, when
ever Mr.. Trenholm comes l want you
tn give him a chance to see Aunt
Helena alone-for part of the time at
least. But manage it naturally, SO she
won't suspect" Oddly enough, how
ever. to-day for the first time he hap
nened to speak of the quaint old town
among the New England hills, where
Helena in her revery had been but now.
She turned her eyes upon him with
an interest which had not been in them
before. DO you know the place well?''
she asked.
..Not very WELL" he told her; Il have
not been there for years But 1t was
the home of my old chum Dick Aver
i'm. and 1 spent my vacation with him
there
The book she was holding dropped
from her hs nd, and as Trenholm re-
stored it to her he saw a more brilliant
light in her eyes, and richer glow on
her cheeks, but he did not know that
the name he had carelessly spoken had
set every nerve of hers thrilling, as
they had thrilled in her girlhood long