Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-10-05

Flora was quiIe naPPy' c"' - A""u"AiJ en0
became less SO; for the first enthusiasm
and first illusions OF marriage could not
for long deceive spirit as quick AMI
acute as hers.
A young girl who marries is easily de:
ceived by the show OF an affection Oh
which she is the object.
1t is rare that she does not adore her
husband, and believe she is adored by
him, simply because he has married her.
The young heart opeus spontaneously
and diffuses its delicate perfume of love
and its soft songs of tenderness; and
enveloped in this heavenly cloud all
around it is love.
But little by little it frees itself, and,
too often, recognizes that this delicious
harmony and intoxicating atmosphere
which charmed it came only from itself
Thus was it here; as far as the pen can
render the shadows of female SOUL
Such were the imp.e sions which, day
after day, penetrated the very soul OF
poor little Flo.
It was nothing more than this, but this
was everything to her.
The idea of being betrayed by her huf-
band, and that, too. with cruel promedl-
tation, had never risen to torture her soul.
But. beyond certain delicate attentions,
she felt herself disdained AMI slie hted
Marriage had not changed Eugene's
habits; he dined at home, instead OF at
restaurant or hotel that was all.
She believed herself loved, however,
but with o lightness that was almost
offensive.
Yet though she was sometimes sad and
nearly in tears, you coull see that she
did not despair. and that this valiant lit
tie heart attached itself with intrepid
confidence to all the happy chances the
future might have in store for it.
Eugene continued very indifferent, as
one may readily comprehend, to the agi-
tation which tormented this young healt
but which never occurred to him Tor
moment
For himself, strange as it may appear
he was happy enough.
This marriage had been q painful step
to take; but once confirmed In his sin, LIE
became rsconciled TO it.
But his conscience, scared as 1t was,
had soma living fbers in it; and he
would not have failed in the duty lie
thought he owed to his wife.
These sentiments were composed of q
sort of in Inference blended with pity.
He was vaguely sorry for the poor gill,
whose existence was absorbed and de-
stroyed between those of two beings of
| nature superior to her own, and the tate
to W hich she was condemned.
He resolved never to neglect anything
that might extenuate its rigor; but he be-
longed, nevertheless, more than ever SOLE
ly 10 the passion which was the supreme
crime of his life.
For his intrigue with Cora Elliston,
constantly excited by mystery and danger
and conducted with profound address by
q woman whose cunning was equal to her
beauty, continued as strong, after months
of enjoyment, rs at first.
The gracious courtesy of Eugene, on
which he piqued himself, as regarded his
wife, had its limits, as Flora perceived
whenever she attempted to abuse it.
Thus, on several occasions, she de-
clined receiving comp ny, on the ground
of indisposition, hoping her husband
would not abandon her 10 her solitude.
She was in error.
Eugene gave her, in reality under these
circumst ances, tete-a-tete of a few mo-
ments after dinner; but later he would
I leave her with perfect tranquility.
Perhaps in an hour SIZE would receive
q packet Of bonbons, or a pretty basket
of choice fruit, that would permit her TO
pass the evening as best she might.
These little gifts she sometimes shared
with her mother, sometimes with Slyme,
her brothers secretary.
Slyme, for whom she had at first con-
ceived an aversion, was gradually gett ng
into her good praces.
In the absence of Eugene, she always
found him at nd, and referred to him
for many little details, such as addresses,
invitations, the selection of books, and
the purchase of pictures.
From this came a certain familiarity;
she began to call him Slyme, or friend
Slyme, while he zealously performed all
her little commissions.
He m0nifested for her great deal of
respectful attention, and even refrained
from indulging in the skeptical sneers
which he knew displeace1 her.
Happy to witness this reform and 10
testify her gratitude, she invited him to
remain on two or three evenings whom he
came to her rooms 10 take his leave, and
talked with him of books and the thea
ters.
Being indisposed for some little time,
Eugene passed the tirst two even ngs with
her until nine o'clock. But this effort
| ldJlRutu Hill, duu luO pun mOLdh WV
! had alre ldy erected an edifce for the fu-
I ture on this frail basis had the mortitica-
tion of observing that on tie third even
ing he had resumed his bachelor habits.
This was q great blow to her, and her
sadness became greater than it had been
/ up to that time-so much SO, In fact, that
solitude was almost unbearable.
Unfortunately, her father and mother
/ -, I1a, ,,,fo g ha o1.1
ed the habit of refining Slyme, or even
sending for him. Eugene himself, three
fourths of the time, would bring him III
before going out in the evening.
Il bring you Slyme, my dear, he would
say, -and a good author. You can read
him together"
But Slyme, whenever he looked at her,
wore such a sympathetic air and seemed
so mortified when she did not invite him
to stay, that, even when wearied of him,
she frequently did so.
About the end of the month Slyme was
alone with Flora about ten o'clock in the
evening. They were reading Faust,
which she had never before heard. This
reading seemed to interest the lady more
than usual, and with her eyes fixed on the
reading, she listened with rapt attention.
She was not alone fascinated by the
work, but, as is frequently the case, she
traced her own history across the grand
fiction of the poet
We all know with what strange clair
voyance mind possessed with fixed
idea discovers resemblances and allusons
in accidental description. Flora per-
ceived without doubt some remote con-
nection between her husband and Faust
between herself and Marguerite-for