The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-24

INTO the Missing names. OHe
of her little hands held a dainty
gauze screen before her face, while the
ether hung Istlessly at her side, its
whitesuess enhanced by her long black
gown, and the, open letter, which had
slipped from her fingers to the floor,
looked like a white bird with out
spread wings.
This letter, from her Aunt Yseult,
annoyed the young widow excessively,
with its reiterated entreaties for her
to marry again. Her aged and only
relative assured her that the position
of a widow Of twenty-five years was
an impossible one, but Eva de Valrey
acknowledged, down, very far down,
in the depth of her own heart, that
she had never been so happy as now.
Free. Independent. with a beautiful
boy four years old-she had all the
pleasures of matrimony, and none of
Its drawbacks!
Husbands are great trouble" she
thought, "that is, judging by the one
I had. Aunt Yseult pretends that he
was an exception, but she seems to
forget that she herself introduced her
nephew to me, and assured me at the
time that he possessed every good
quality under the sun. I cannot
place much reliance on her now when
she declares that she has suitors for
me who are absolute perfection.
Thanks, dear aunt; one experience is
quite enough for me-"
She got up languidly and took a
few steps through the room. The ali
was fragrant with the scent of Parma
violets, of which great punches filled
every nook. their soft tints blending
harmonfOusly with the mauve silk
phfoh ard III Il
the whole room seem like an enor-
NOUS violet-sachet.
''Shall I go and visit her at the
Chateau Grillon. as she entreats?''
she said thoughtfully. 'FWhy should
not? I suppose I need not be afraid
of her marrying me off against my
will! Besides, it will be a good op-
pOrtunity to tell her, once for all, that
intend to remain a widow foreverr'
She sat down at diminutive ebony
secretary. and the light, falling from
under the mauve silk shade of the
tall lamp near her, cast soft aureole
round her lovely face. with its large
brown eyes. it's delicately chiselled
nose. and its pouting lips. and rem
dered still more dazzling the pearly
tint Of her skin.
Taking out a sheet of note-paper.
she wrote a few lines thanking her
dear aunt for the invitation which she
had SO much pleasure in accepting.
Then she lapsed into revery again.
Eva had married the Count de Val
Yey. not for love, but in order tc
atone for what she considered a grave
sffense. He had led gay life, and
having arrived at an age when his
joints were stiff, and his gallant
speeches called forth only smiles of
contempt from their fair hearers, he
realized that it was time for him to
settle down. Accordingly. he applied
for assistance to his Aunt Yseult, and
two days later he was presented to
Eva, a young orphan who had recent
ly returned home from her convent
school and was still studying under
tutor. The count had no sooner
laid eyes on the lovely girl than he
mounted the hobby of. love and set
out for the conquest of beauty. The
attentions of the old bachelor did not
trouble their recipient in the least
Indeed, she found him rather anus
Ing, and although his gallant speeches
sometimes brought a momentary flush
to her satin cheek, that was their only
effect, and If anyone had said to her
"Behold your husband" she would
have exclaimed with a ripple of
laughter, 'I do not care for old rel
ics." One evening, when torrents of
rain were falling. Aunt Yseult and
the tutor were seated in a corner of
the drawing-room playing beziqne.
and at the other end of the room Eva
was at the piano. with the Count de
Valrey beside her turning the leaves
of the music. The alluring strains of
Brahms waltzes, and the little white
hands flying over the keys, affected
the elderly lover to such degree that
he exclaimed in a hushed whisper, as
he bent over her:
"Since I have known you, I have
appreciated beauty, grace, lowell
ness
,"And did not do SO before?" she
asked merrily.
'I did not believe in them," he an
swered. 81 thought that love was a
delusive thing invented by poets.'
She laughed mockingly as she said:
"But you know better now, I sup
pose. Count?'
eyes, I know too WELL" he whis-
pered passionately. f1 feel the real
ity of the pangs, for love you;" and.
carried away by the earnestness of
his declaration, he stopped over. and
stole q kiss.
A loud, harsh discord on the piano.
which made the card-players look
around in wonder, was the only re
Spouse to this act of temerity, and
Eva, offended and indignant, closed
the piano without a word and left