The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-15
Love Took Fright at a Face,

He was my master and his bondswo-
man; not, however. by any form of in
denture, but by love. Moreover, he loved
me, albiet he was blind and I his house
keepers daughter.
! That is, he loved my voice-the rare
voice that is like delicious music-even to
my ears-the rare voice that heaven gave
me in compensation for my CHASTITY face.
| That face! That face! How l have
| cursed it, How I have cursed the hour
that I was born.
He was my master in more ways than
one. He was a violinist of marvellous
power. Playing was the delight Of his
life, and when l was only child he con-
ceived the idea of teaching me, and forth
with proceeded to carry the thing into
effect
A passionate lover of music, proved an
apt pupil, and, after years of loving, pa
tient application, developed a power as
marvellous as his own. What strains we
| wooed from those two violins, at least 100
years Old 1t seemed as If the melodies Of
| heaven had found their way to earth
| under the inspiration of our touch, and.
o, how the love burned to our hearts,
Ali what memories these arei But
may not linger One glorious day he call
ed me TO him, and, pillowing my CHASTITY
face against his breast, murmured ten
Derby:
MY darling, my love, when is It to
beT
! my master" half whispered IN
tremulous inquiry, sweet joy In my
heart for 1 well knew his meaning.
| My darling" he went smilingly on.
with his tender kisses and tender caress-
| es. "My darling, must you have an out
fit beforehand? Cannot Mrs. EsteIe
Vaughn purchase it as well as Miss Es-
telle Rihl?"
my master" I TREMENDOUSLY murmured
again.
MY darling, I want my wife, he con-
tinued with a certain vehemence. II
want her tomorrow. Will she give herself
to me?"
Mrs. Estelle Vaughn. Delicious men,
DRY!
A month passed-a month Of perfect
bliss to both AT the end of that month
there was an arrival at the old hall. 1t
was the proud, neglected sister, whom 1
| had never seen and Ralston little expect
| ed to ever meet again. She had accident
! ally learned of his marriage and came to
| inspect the bride.
Good heavensr' she exclaimed, when
he called me to him and tenderly pre-
| scented me. Good heavens! Ralston, you
! don't mean to tell me that this hideous
looking creature is your wife ,and mes
alliance at that"
you forget yourself, Marion" he
haughtily replied, "and-"
But l. though my heart was on fire, in
! terposed in my mellifuous tones:
1.-The Countess is right, dear husband.
| I am no beauty, as I have often assured
you"
My darling" he exclaimed, with pas
| sionate vehemence, as he took me in his
arms knowing we'll how my poor heart
| was aching, you have assured me of
| more than that; you have declared your
| self incontestably ugly and repulsive
| looking. But what care I, my darling?
| 1t is the gem that l love, not the i'm
! perishable beauty of the casket."
| The Countess rose and shrugged her
shoulders. remarking as she did so:
| ITS well you are blind, Ralston."
With that she retired, but the same
morning she wrote and posted a letter to
| Paris. and in the course of a week there
was another arrival
| The Countess received this guest alone,
and then, without ceremony, brought him
/ to the music room, where Ralston and l
were luxuriating in heaven of
intimation we had of his arrival or his
Grand,
| "Ralston," said the Countess, after the
necessary introductions, "Ralston, this
gentleman is the most eminent ocucilst
of his day, and l have sent for him, hop
! ing that twenty years of blindness may
| end in your seeing once more, and think
I may safely say that I have never known
| "a man who needed his sight so much"
And a malignant glance at me gave
venomous point to the remark.
And that day she wrote another letter
and soon there was in reply another ar
rival-this time fair, sylph-like crea-
ture, beautiful as a dream.
1 looked at her and shuddered.
Heavensl how 1 suffered. But why do
I linger over all this. Enough that the
day came when he saw for first time in
| twenty long years. That day! Just be-
fore the bandage was to be removed q
peremptory summons called me from the
room. Whispering to the oculist to wait
until my return l hurried away.
But such was not the Countess de-
sign. I returned just in time to hear my
husbands cry of delight as his eyes
rested upon the beautiful Lulu, who had
been placed conspicuously in front Of
| him, and to see him snatch her to a
! passionate embrace to his heart. I
sprang forward wailing mournfully:
20, RalstOn! Ralston she is not your
wife,
At the sound of my musical tones he
! pushed her roughly from him and turned
with glowing countenance toward me.
He turned. but that was all. Words
were not needed. Dismay, horror, repul-
| sion, and disgust were pictured only too
! legibly on his handsome features. Reel
| ing to him 1 sobbed, as 1 sank to his feet
and chung to his knees:
1, II told you the truth. Ralston! I told
you the truth"
Eyes, yes, l know" he groaned, cover
| ing his face with his hands and dropping
! shudderingly into his seat. But l was
unprepared for this! Would 10 heaven
had kept my blindness and my happi-
ness"
| 1t was useless. His heart had gone to
! the beautiful Lulu. and gradually the
music began to madden my soul-gradu-
I ally, gradually, till a certain morning,
when 1 sprang like a tigress al his throat.
That brought the end. They took me
| to madhouse; then followed a wedding
/ in which Lulu figured as a bride; then
my broken-hearted mothers death. The
/ Countess had won the game. The mesal-
/ lance was at an end.
/ Is il wonderful that the violin still has
power to temporarily madden me?-New
York News.