Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-29

ried him to the home of the girl he
was going to marry-it was close by;
and she and her brother and / were
with him. But he didn't know us,
though he kept muttering Alice. Alice,
all the while 1 thought she would
die herself, poor girl. or else go mad
her grief was something terrible"
Helena's color had ebbed away and
her face was like the face of statue.
Her hand on the terrace railing was as
white and cold as the marble which it
clasped.
Trenholm looked up and saw the pal
lor of her averted face. Miss Gordon,
you are ill?"
She forced her lips to smile. 1T is
nothing; the air is sultry. Go on and
tell me-about the girl. Where is she
-now?'
We'll. 1 don't exactly know" he
said, with an odd laugh. You see,
her broken heart soon mended and she
married prosperous ranchman within
year! The last / heard, she was a
rich young widow and about TO marry
some inpecunious sprig of nobility for
his title. Next time l am in Paris
mean to hunt her up"
The girls are back from their drive
said Helena, rising abruptly. Let US
go in
The long, sweet dream was over, and
though she felt no shadow of resent
ment against the man who had SO I'M
consciously awakened her, yet Helena
was crushed by the bitter humiliation
OF having bestowed the treasure of her
heart, unsought- Her idol had been
made glorious by the light that never
was, on land or sea-" and now that
this was suddenly withdrawn, the fierce
glare of common daylight showed her
the hollow thing her idol was-and she
had thrust it from her.
But oh. the sense of desolation which
had followed, and the misery of her
self-abasement and contempt.
A listless day had followed a sleep
less night. and now evening had come.
and the brilliantly lighted villa was
gay with Il throng of friends, who had
driven out to them, from Naples.
In the midst of an impromptu
tarantella which the girls We're dane
ing, Helena had slipped unobserved
from the warm. light room. Her head
was throbbing wildly, and it seemed
impossible to stay there longer with a
calmly smiling face. She must be
alone and quiet for q time, and free
from all restraint. But the music and
sound of laughing voices seemed to
pursue her. and the light which
streamed through the open French
windows flooded the terrace where she
stood. y moment more and some one
might JOIN her there.
\ step from the terrace, and she
was hidden among the trees The
warm night air in the garden was
heavy with the sweetness of flowers 1t
was oppressive, sitting, and she could
not breathe.
A few steps more and she had
reached the waters edge. where little
boat was lying. 1t seemed so cool, so
quiet, out there in the darkness!
Without hesitation she stepped in and
pulled the boat silently out into the
friendly shadow. Even if they missed
her now, they would think she had
gone to her room, and would not seek
to disturb her.
The lights of the villa burned bright
in the distance before her. Around
her was the blue darkness of the bay
She dropped the oars at length, and
bowed her throbbing head upon her
hands
'Helena!'
The sound came family across the
water-or did The night wind softly
breathe her name?
She raised her head and looked about
i,er. The sapphire sky was brilliant
with myriads of stars. NeSuvlus, yon-
der, was illumined with faint inter-
mittent glow. But the villa, with all
its lights, had disappeared in the dark
ness.
She felt mech nically for the oars,
and they were gone. How long had
she been there, drifting through the
night-or was it all DIR cam?
Helena, Helena the voice called
out of the darkness, less faint, though
still far away. Strange, that of all she
had ever known, it should be q voice
| like Trenholms that called her!
But now there were other nearer
voices in the air-unintelligible, for
eign voices-and one broke suddenly
into an unfamiliar. song. Helena lis
tened with dull curiosity as they all
seemed blending with the peculiar
swish of boat NJ wing rapidly through
the water.
All at once sense of danger came
over her and reused her out of the
lethargy with which she had seemed
benum bed.
Something seem ed bearing down
upon her out of the darl<ness-a huge
bird with its wings outspread, or a
boat with flying sails. She screamed
| in sudden terror and rose unsteadily.
! The boat lurched under her uncertain
movement and she lost her foothold
| The unCulfng waters closed over her
| though She tried to beat them black
! this, then. was the end-the darkne IS
! of night-the suffocation-the horror
| oblivion.
| Strange. changing fancies merging
into one another ended at last in the
| ia miliar surroundings of her own quiet
| room. with Emily rising from the
shaded window and approaching the
| bedside.
Have you slept we ll?" she ques-
| toned, gently.
WAS it-a dream?' murmured Hell
| ena.
"Yes. dear, you have been i'll and
have had feverish fancies," was Emily's
reply. "But you are better. Rest now,
and by and by we will talk again"
| Several days pass ed, however, before
Helena felt any desire to talk. Then,
at her first question, Emily began in
| her vivacious fashion.
Il will tell you all about it, she
said. You had not been like yourself
all day-we remembered that after