Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-03-11
A WOMAN'S HEART.

Outside the rain patted dismally
down on the great trees In the park,
whose leafess branches swayed and bent
with every gust Of the chilly wind. But
the cozy library of Ashleen House pre-
sented striking contrast to the dreary
scene without. A bright fire blazed
cheerily in the wide, old fashioned crate
and played on the faces of the occupants
of that delightful room, where high
Japanese screens kept out the drafts and
warm plush curtains draped the tall,
old fashioned windows. It was scarcely
4 O'Clock, but the daylight was waxing
very dim outside, helped thereto by the
heavy rain clouds.
AS Captain Gordon watched the beau
tiful face of his companion and hostess
bent over her work sudden, short, inn
patient sigh escaped him, and he turned
his head restlessly amid the cushions Of
the couch on which he lay, for, although
he was more than convalescent, he liked
to indulge in some Of the remaining
privileges of invalidism which had
chained him to that sofa for some time.
How lovely was the perfectly chiseled
face opposite him, and how serene, how
cold! Would nothing ever shake that icy
serenity? he wondered rather bitterly as,
shading his face with his hand, he let
his eyes devour every feature. Would she
never guess the mad, wild, unreasoning
love he bore her?
As he lay watching her his thoughts
went back with a leap to the day he had
first met her. He had not long rejoined
the headquarters of his regiment at Bal
ly-Mahon, as he had previously been in
charge Of detachment elsewhere, and
it was at a garden party he had first
seen her. He and several Of his brother
officers had driven over to Ashleen to-
gether, and from the moment he had
been introduced to her-tall, slender,
beautiful the first glance Of her
glorious, serene, gray eyes, it seemed to
him he had worshiped hef. They had
exchanged the usual commonplace, he
had walked by her side round the
grounds, and he had got her an ice.
Nothing very romantic, but every detail
of that afternoon stood out wildly in
his mind. After that day he had met
her constantly, as one is bound to meet
in small neighborhood, and he became
a frequent guest at her house, where her
husband, CHEEKY, hard riding Irish
baronet, always accorded him hearty
welcome.
The summer had waned and died, and
in that sporting neighborhood every one
turned his attention to hunting, Gordon
among the rest, for he had always been
a keen sportsman up to this. But fire.
quently he would cut some of the best
meets Of the season to spend a few hours
of the short, dark afternoons at Ashleen,
where it's mistress, who didn't hunt, al
ways greeted him with tranquil cordial
ity, and he would sit in the glow of the
cheerful freight with her discussing
the various topics of the day, only toe
content to watch the play Of her lovely
face and the swift movements of he1
slender fingers as she worked. Then the
spell would be broken when her husband
returned, noisy, CHEEKY, bringing a blast
of cold outer air with him, and he would
rally Gordon on having missed a bril-
liant run, while the latter murmured 8
vague excuse about his horses not being
fit or he had been detained by some regi-
mental duty.
| Then had come the day of his acci
dent. Lady Lexley had been driving,
and, while pottering about the covert
which bounded the roadside, he fingered
by her carriage, not caring very much
about the chances of good start while
she was there and he could look on the
beautiful, proud face, with its express
sion Of serene indifference to everything,
as if nothing ever interested her very
much.
| Then the fox was viewed away, and
hounds and horsemen started off in hot
pursuit, as if the aim and object of each
man among them was to break his OWL
neck or his horses, while the carriages
made the best Of their way along devious
| short cuts on the chance of picking uI
the hounds again later.
| 1t was ON topping a bank into the
road that Gordon's horse fell, and to-
gether they came with crash to the
ground. For a moment or two he re-
membered nothing. Then, as his senses
slowly came back to him, he found him
self being supported by somebody's arm,
while some one else was holding flask
Of whisky to his lips. A little group Of
the carriage folks surrounded him,
among whom was Lady Lexley, and his
eyes met hers, in whose depths shone an
expression Of womanly compassion, but
he could not speak.
| II fear he is very much hurt, j" she
said, and not tremor shook her calm,
even tones to his strained and disap-
pointed ear. "He had better be taken
straight to Ashleen. 1t is the nearest
place, and he can have every attention u
So to Ashleen he was conveyed with
| all speed, and doctor was summoned.
His injuries were not SO serious as at
first supposed-slight conclusion and a
couple Of broken ribs. After a day CT
two in bed he was allowed to come down
to the library and lie on the sofa.
During those days of convalescence
and all the restful luxury of semi-in-
validism Lady Lexley had been his con-
slant companion, and sudden thrill
set his pulses tingling as he dwelt on
the heaven Of those afternoons-for she
was generally busily employed morn
ings until lunch-they two sitting alone
in the freight, while all around them
the dusk darkened and deepened.
But now those days We're gone, drop
ped into eternity never to return, for
only that morning he had received Or
ders to return to barracks, as the regi-
ment had to leave Bally- Mahon in the
| rC1 of +ho %<,