Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-09
Love That Was False

Turning ont OF one OF the br0adesI
and most fashionable avenues OF
c.. well down in the older part OF
the city, where the substantial houses
and spacious grounds tell of a respecta
bility which is of more than a days
growth, you will find yourself In Il
quiet little street, IL we dignity the
place with the name of street, only
two blocks in length, and coming to an
abrupt termination against Il garden
wall. A strip of sod borders the mar
row walks, old elm-trees stand sen
tinel at either side Of the way, and the
pretty cottage houses are set back in
the midst Of shrubbery. In one of the
prettiest OF these cottages Helen Mars
den was born, and lived happily enough
for the 10 years of her life. Her great
est JOY and her greatest sorrow found
her within its walls. In many a
pleasant summer evening, she and
Charles Bclsham paced the gravel
walks in the moonlight, or fingered by
the little fountain that played in the
middle of the grass-plot, or at the gate,
while the elm-tree shadows fell over
them and around them, and flickered
OH the pavement at their feet, and earth
seemed fair enough for heaven. That
was her greatest joy. The story Of her
sorrow will take me longer in telling.
Marsden was n rich and influential
man, but he was not happy one His
business was old and well established;
his name stood high on CHANGE" and
and his house on the broad avenue, not
far from the cottage in which his
niece and sister-in-law lived so pleas
antly, was one of the largest and fin
est, but it was cold and empty, and
there were no children to inherit John
Marsdcn's name and wealth. Helen
Marsden was her uncle's only heir.
This was why, although her father had
died poor, she and her mother were
dwelling in comfort and ease; this was
why she was well dressed and well in
structed, and lived in every way MS
only rich mans daughter has a right
to live; this, too, was why Charles Bel
sham paced the garden walks with her
In the moonlight, but how was she TO
know that?
Charles Belsham was an inmate OF
her uncle's house, and a nephew of her
uncle's wife. Mrs. John Marsden was
cold, hard, fashionable woman. here
was one person in the world whom she
loved, and that was her nephew, Charles
Belsham. There was one person in
the world whom she hated, and that
was her husbands niece, Helen Mars
den. Ii John Marsden died intestate,
the law gave his immense wealth to
his widow, but John Marsden's will
Mrs. Marsden was well provided for
during her life, everything reverted to
. Helen. Mrs. John Marsden first dis
covered this will in the private draw
Of her husbands secretary. she was
inwardly raging, but outwardly as calm
and cold as ever: and when she had
mace her plans, she gave her nephew
her orders. Then had commenced
those visits to the little cottage, those
pacings In the moonlight, which were
Helen Marsden's greatest joy.
John Marsden's home need not have
been silent and empty, for he would
long since have brought Helen and her
mother to enliven its solemn grandeur,
II Mrs. Marsden would have consented
But Mrs. Marsden would not consent
not that she was jealous Of quiet Rose
Mars,len-she could but respect and
confide In Il character so opposed to hei
own-but that she was jealous of hei
husbands love for Rose Marsden's
child. So Helen and her mother con
tinued to occupy the little cottage
and night after night, when Mrs. John
Marsden had rolled away in her car
riage to the opera or theater, or party
with Charles Belsham for an escort
John Marsden, growing tired of loneli
ness, would betake himself to it's Quie
hearth-stone, and there find his only
realization of domestic comfort.
But latterly there had crept a new
pain into his life--an ever-increasinl
fear that this lark of refuge" would
be swept away; for gentle Rose was
drawing visibly toward the end which
cometh TO all.
1t was dreary night in November
the rain was falling steadily; the wet
dead leaves that strewed the side
walks giittered in the lamplight, ant
not a footstep broke the stiffness; bu
in tIs cottage there was unusual stir
Mrs. Marsden was suddenly worse
and Helen was hanging over her in al
agony OF fear and hope.
Before morning she was double or
phan.
Rose Marsden was dead, and Johl
Marsden was not there to comfort tn,
daughter she had loved so wei. w nel
they had come to his room I'm the morn
ing TO tell him of his great loss, the,
found that It was rather a gain. Some
where i'm the measureless realm tw'
souls had met.
The servant who went to summon
John Marsden to the cottage came bacl
with white face, and there wer
hushed comments and whispered con
situations as to who should tell tn
quiet girl upstairs.
Helen seemed to be living In a dream
trance, out of which she would wax
to find all the sorrow and pain whicl
were so new to her gone out Of lie
life. When she was at last told sh
did not even seem surprised.
1t was when the funerals were ovcI
and she came back to sit alone In til
silent house, and wait for Charles Be
sham, who would be with her in tn
evening, that her thoughts turned I
tho futurc. and she caught eagerl