Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-08-12
CHAPTER III,

UtIettS uuu HUI tut iTOui tuC AS'''
river, sat two females, listening to the
shouts of the populace, and the ringing OF
the bells, and the rattle Of small arms anu
booming Of cannon, and watching the
tongues of fame that leaped up from the
bonfires along the rivers bank. Inc nrst
was a woman of middle age, slightly
framed, her pale, wan face giving token
that she was far from well. Traces OF
silver were abundant In her hair, marks
Of premature age: and though the same
stsmp had come prematurely upon hcr
face. vet there were traces Sufficient ief'
to show that she had bcen very beautifui
once, Ave, she had been very beautiful
when she became the wife Of Jacob East
court, and nobody wondered ut the time
that Jacob had fancicd the charming
widow, though many did wonder now a
refined and beautiful woman could will
iuRly have married with a coarse. unpol-
ished man like Jacob Eastcourt. But
stranger things than that have happened.
Weak, timid women have often taken
husbands coarse and uneducated simply
because they were physically strong and
brave.
At the age Of thirty, Marian Wilton had
been left a widow, with n large property.
Mr. Wilton had been a successful banker:
enjoying the confidence Of all who did
business with him. But he had not been
q physically strong man. and the cares
Of life soon wore him down. A child had
been born to him--a daughtcr--which died
at the age Of three years; anu rev
months later he had been himself taken
away, leaving all his property to his WIRE
In the fifth year Of her widowhood. Ma
rian Wilton would have lost her lie IN
the food OF the Delaware but for the
strong and willing arm Of Jacob East
court. She had never seen the man De-
fore. but she saw him often enough after
Yards. He represented himself as q
vidower. with a child dependent upon
Him. His wife. he said, had died In Bos.
1oo three years before. And then Ma
risu Wilton saw the child-Lillian East.
court-as beautiful as the morning, and
a. BRIGHT and winsome as fairy-re.
minding her of her own lost darling, and
completely filing the aching void In hei
mothers heart. Later. Jacob Eastcourl
asked her for her hand. and she gave II
to him; but even then II was not certain
that Il had not been the child rather than
the man with whom she had fallen ID
love. Later the child occupied her heart
entirely entirely. Her second husband
had evidently been attracted more BY hel
wealth than her beauty. He had no love
for the beautiful. He had no weakness
Of gallantry. He never could have given
q wife occasion to be Jealous Of other
women. He loved money first; and, hav.
ing gained money, he loved power. He
cared nothing for the power to do good,
or to make men happy; It was rather his
pride to be feared. and to possess the
power Of being revensed upon bis foes
But Of him we shall know more when
We have seen him.
Thirteen years had Marian been thu
wife Of Jacob Eastcourt when we now In
trude upon her, and years Of WEAKNESS
and Of emptiness might they have been
but for the one bright presence that gave
light to her home, md impaired warmth
to her heart. But for this blessed support
she might have failed long ago. Herself
highly educated and accomplished, sht
had found her great Joy and solace In cd
ucating and training the true and loving
heart that had fallen to her charge. And
well was It for the girl that II had beef
20, for 4 fathers love she had never
known, Tho man who could have no low
for his beautiful and devoted wife could
feel no love for his child. In truth, rea
love, warm In the heart, was q stranger
to Jacob Eastcourt's nature.
Lillian Eastcourt! She sat now near u
her step.m0ther, listening with batet
breath to the wOndrous voices Of tn,
night. She was beautiful In all that car
ali the eye of the true lover Of sweet ant
delicious harmony. She was taller thar
her step.mother, and stronger. and yet no
above the medium height Of women, To-
the elder lady was hardly up to the stand
ard. In form the maiden was the yer!
perfection Of statuesQue grace and ease
that 10, when she was at rest; when sh,
moved she betrayed a strength and sup
pleness Of limb. and rhythm Of motion
that might have become Terpsichore her
self. Her hair, floating In wavy masse
over her shoulders. was Of q lustrou
brown, and her eyes. frank and inspiring
were Of q deep. liquid blue. OF year
she had seen not quite eighteen.
''Liilian. Of what are Joy thinking"
The girl looked up with start.
u was thinking Of many things. dea
mother"
"You were thinking Of RobertY'
"Yes-but not more Of him than Of m,
father"
Marian Eastcourts face had brightene
when she spoke the name Of the youn
patriot, but q shadow fell at the mention
Of her husband.
II was thinking" pursued Lillian, "hov
different must be the feelings with whic
Robert and my father listen to this Out
pouring of patriotic emotion. Oh, VIII
10 my father as he Is? How can he, wit
America for his h0me-with all his proi
poets Of the future fixed upon this soil
steel bis heart against this GOd-giye
yearning for liberty and manful rights :?
"Ah, my child. he has no"
mo heart, you would sayY" added tn
girl. o. the other hesitated.
"Alas" mOaned the unhappy wife, ''yo
and ] cannot hide the truth from GU,
selves. II he has heart. 1t Is cold an
hard"
do you think" asked Lillian. In n
strained. hesitating tone. 'that my fathe
ever loved meY"
II never saw token of such love-" n
piled the woman, slowly and thoughtful,
and with mOurnful shake Of the heat
1T was your bright, winsOme face tina
gave me chief promise Of happiness whe
l consented to become Jacob Eastcourt'
wife, and 1t was his show Of utter disrt
caro- TOR you that first led me to distrui
him. ! cannot account for it,"
did he not once intimate to you ths
~ sometimes almost hated me because q
the sins Of my n0ther?''
Eyes, Lillian; but ! believe he lied
me. He did not speak like a man VIII
was telling the truth. Think no more .
that. DO not let 1t trouble you."
"Ah. dear mother, were that the oul
source Of trouble. think could be hal
Dy, The darker deeDer Trouble 4. 4, ~