Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-02-06
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!. THE LITTLE CHURCHYARD +:

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The portraits Of two fair girls which
saw in the gallery of the grand old man
sion at Eastonmere knew had history
If any one knew it, was sure that Mrs.
Gray, the motherly housekeeper, did.
asked her to tell it to me.
THE story Of those two fair faces and
the wandering master, as you call him,
is one and the same, Hilda," she said at
length. Il will tell it to you now" And
settled myself to listen.
"Lenore Dalton and Ivy Gordon were
stepsisters. Ivy being the daughter Of
Mr.. Daltons second wife, but treated by
Mr.. Dalton as if she had been his own.
Il was the orphan daughter of a friend
of Mr.. Dalton, and, though only three
years older than Lenore, was made her
governess and companion, for Lenore at
IL knew little or nothing save music, and
of that she was passionately fond.
"Ivy Gordon was the same age as Lee
more, but looked childish in comparison,
for Lenore might easily pass for 20.
"One day Mr.. Dalton brought home a
distant relative of IGNORES on her moth
er's side, saying he was going to be their
guest for some time.
"'Oh, Helen, he is so handsome Lee
more said, meeting me on the stairs, for
had not been at home when Alured Vim
cent came, that l am in love with him
| already"
II cannot account for it; but, standing
there, felt that somehow the coming of
| this handsome stranger would bring sor
row to Eastonmere.
1.-Two weeks later Lenore gave ball,
and, when at her urgent request went
down, the parlors seemed a vision Of
fairyland
"Lenore looked strangely beautiful in
| her dress of pale rose silk, her raven hair
falling in heavy curls over. her shoulders
| down to her rounded waist, and above
her brow glittered diamond aigret. Her
neck and shoulders cleaned like polished
ivory beneath the foamy lace that cover
ed them.
"In all the gay crowd Lenore was the
| gayest, for her idol, Alured Vincent,
stood near her, admiration pictured in his
proud dark eyes and grave sweet smile.
But l noticed how often his eyes wan
dered from the beautiful face beside him
| to Ivy Gordon, who stood some little dis
\ tance from them, looking like some fair,
pure lily in her simple white robes.
| "In that moment / knew that Alured
! Vincent simply admired his brilliant
cousin, but that he loved my lily blossom,
| as l always called Ivy Gordon. The
| weeks passed on, and still Lenore Dalton
was blind to what was patent to all 9TH
or eyes-the love Of Alured Vincent for
Ivy Gordon.
| "But at last her eyes were opened, for
one fair, bright evening she and / strayed
down the oak path together, she talking
and / misunderstanding with a deep
pity at my heart, for she was speaking Of
her love for Alured Vincent.
Suddenly, with a low, sharp cry, she
stopped and chung to my arm.
"See-see, Helen" she gasped, white
even to her lips. And l, glancing through
the intervening trees, saw Alured Vim
cent, his arm around Ivy Gordon, whose
golden head was resting on his shoulder.
and his face alight with deathless love.
Like a statue Lenore stood, her
breat coming in short quick gasps.
| "No other word came from her lips till
we came to the ruins Of an old house that
had once been the home of the Daltons
Of Eastonmere.
"All around it ran balcony, surround
ed by frail balustrade. 1t must always
have been frail, but then the wood was
rotten, though the balcony itself was safe
enough.
| without a word, Lenore ran up this
steps, and l followed, giving no thought
! to the matter, as we often went up to sit
there.
Before long Alured and Ivy passed.
Lenore leaned over the balustrade.
"'Come up here, my babes in the
wood she called, as they were going on.
| ivy laughed and ran up the steps, fol-
lowed by her lover, whose handsome face
was flushed with happiness, and / no
ticed that a diamond solitaire glittered on
one of Ivy's slender fingers.
81 saw IGNORES eyes rest ON the bril-
liant gem-the gem that told us she had
promised to be Alured Vincents wife,
even If his radiant face had not told US
| before we noticed it.
"As IGNORES eyes rested on the gem l
saw red fame shoot into their depths,
and then she bent suddenly forward and,
catching Ivy, dashed her against the frail
balustrade.
"a wild cry rang from Ivy's lips as the
| woodwork gave way with a crash, and
the next moment she was lying cold and
still on the ground.
with mild moan, Alured dropped
down to where his darling lay, her golden
curls stained with blood, her fair young
face upturned to the sky.
"He stopped and raised her in his arms
| and bore her to the house. AS he laid
her on the sofa he bent and kissed her
| lips Then nature gave way, and, with a
groan of anguish, he fell forward on the
floor. the blood gushing from his lips.
"For many long, weary weeks Alured
Vincent lay battling with death. Life and
death hung in the balance, and, though
life conquered, Alured Vincent was never
himself again. He lived, and nothing
more. The future held no charms nor
hopes for him. Ivy Gordon was dead.
and his heart died with her. 1t could
never wake again."
"And LenoreY' said questioningly.
"Lenore Dalton was found drowned In
the lake when they went to search for her.
Once year Alured Vincent comes
back to his own land, as you call it, but
he never comes nearer Eastonmere than