The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-07-29
MRS. ST. ELTON.

June MorellO was plain woman, il
you looked at her with her eyes closed;
but little danger of her being pronounc-
ed such if they were not Her face was
one that would naturally attract atten-
ton, but where the spell lay that drew
one toward her so strangely, not three
of her admirers could have told. Some
were positive that it lay in the delicate
intonatiUns of her voice; Others, that it
was certainly in her face and manner;
but it was rare that one mentioned her
eyes. But there the fascination was
wholly. Such wonderful power they
possessed that her whole face seemed
lighted with more than earthly beauty
when her soul was speaking through
her eyes.
She was one that men raved over,
went into ecstacies about, and 90 where
she would, she drew lovers to her feet
just as surely as the magnet draws the
needle. 1t seemed to be nothing to her,
positively nothing; and that fact had,
perhaps, considerable to do with her
crowd of admirers.
Her cool indifference was quite
enough to craze one; but there was such
heaven in the look she sometimes
gave, that it quite compensated for her
seeming coolness, and sent her suitors
away more madly in love than ever.
1t was not strange that Elton St FL
ton followed the crowd, when their
steps led to such an altar; indeed it
would have been more strange had he
taken another way. But he received
no more real encouragement than the
Others. True, she now and then gave
him rare smiles, and sometimes rare
look when they were conversing, which
made his pulses leap.
By gaslight these little nothings sat
isfied him, and then, when her eyes
were looking into his, and the spell of
her presence was over him, he would
have sworn that she loved him; but in
the morning he awoke quite disen-
chanted, and with his daylight eyes,
il was easy to see how much he had to
hope for.
But Elton ST. Elton was not a man
to be easily baffied. Strong -willed and
accustomed to ruling, he could i'll brook
defeat at wOman's hands; and if for
only his pride's sake, he would have
striven hard to conquer; but now some
thing more was at stake-he loved her.
All the passion Of his proud hear. SEEM
ed to have gathered itself about this
woman, and he had no more idea of
letting her slip from his grasp, than the
earth has of letting the moon slip off
into space.
But he knew she did not love him
yet. Her eyes never grew brighter at
his coming; her cheeks never flush ed
at his earnest words; she was cool,
calm, self-possessed always. He could
not tell, either, whether she was aware
of his devotion or not. She was so ae-
customed to receiving admiration that
she took it naturally, as one takes the
air they breathe, without thinking OF
compensation.
If he had been sure that she had new
er loved, he would have thought his
chances as good as others, hut his own
soul, il that was any criterion, told him
| that such a calm as she seemed to have
reached could only he attained through
much suffering and storm. But if there
was somewhere in this world form
sacred to this woman's heart, if there
was being Oh whom she looked with
reverence and love, then Elton st. FL
ton meant to discover the fact. Suffer
as he might, it was surely better tC
know and face the truth, than built
his hopes upon the sand.
He was thinking of these things, a:
he rode through the long avenue of oak,
leading to the Morello estate, and as hs
sprang from his horse at the door, hs
said, half aloud:
al could kill the man who should
dare to come between us ~
In truth it might be dangerous bust
ness for rival to stand upon the field
beside him, for, being strong i'm his love
he might also be strong and deadly in
his hate.
Upon the steps-as if the Fates wer,
furthering his wishes for knowing o.
the future-he met man i'm uniform
a stranger who had just come out o
the door, and he thought he saw June,
hand through the window, waving al
adieu, as they passed each other. Hi
face darkened involuntarily, but a:
June was as cordial and smiling as ever
he soon forgot his suspicious and anger
She was i'm one of her most brilliant
moods, and st. Elton thought he hat
never seen such a light in her eyes a
now. If he had only dared believe tina
his presence had inspired it
A new picture upon the wall attract
ed his attention. He crossed to look a
it, June also rising and going forward
"a battle-piece," st. Elton said; ther
looking at II closer, "the gentleman
passed in the foreground, is it not?"
"Yes, Colonel Brett" June answer
ed. at must be a correct likeness, sine
you recognized it so quickly"
] "He is relative of yours I think