Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-12-15
BY Hero Strong.

w. NGGS
She was a proud woman always
and just now she was a very angry
one.
Her fine figure was drawn up to It's
full height, her brown eyes flashed SC
they looked black, and vivid Grim
son burned on her cheek, whose
brightness no Oriental rogue could
ever hope to rival. Imogene Leigh
had always been handsome-to-night
she was magnificent.
Charles Greyland could not helm
admiring her, even while her glance
Of scorn burned into his soul and
crushed out the deep love he thought
he bore her.
He was rich, and she was poor,
and in that fact lay the cause of the
trouble. Some kind friend-every-
body has these friends, you know
had insinuated that Im0gene was
marrying Mr., Greyland for his
money; and Greyland, in a moment
of piqus occasioned by Imogene's
dancing twice with a handsome
cousin of her own, had let fall some
thing of the kind in her hearing. OF
course, Greyland was a fool, but not
so much of a one that he was not
sorry for his folly the instant the
thing was done; but he was too proud
to say so. He did not for a moment
believe that Imogene's love for him
was Influenced by his fortune; he had
only spoken thus because he was
angry, and angry people are generally
idiots for the time being.
Never would he forget the fash of
Imogene's eyes, or the keen sarcasm
Of her tone, as she answered him:
"You are free, Mr.. Greyland. A
man with a soul so small that he
deems a few paltry thousands of
more. consequence than himself,
should seek his mate from among his
own kind. Take back your ring. 1t
is diamond, and as such no doubt
valuable to you"
He set his heel on the bauble, and
ground it into the carpet; then he
said few angry words, for which he
would always be sorry, and left her.
am making only few words over
what it was very bitter for both these
proud hearts to experience-what
they both said, to themselves, had
wrecked their lives, and destroyed
their faith in human kind.
They went their separate ways, and
tried their best to show their faces
to the world bright and gay. You
who have lived through an experience
like this-and many of you have been
thus unfortunate-know how hard it
is to be cheerful enough, without
OVERRIDING it.
Imogene succeeded admirably; but
Mr.. Greyland overshot the mark, and
people said he was getting frivolous,
and the pastor of his church "labored"
with him, and won the everlasting
dislike of his wealthiest parishioner
by so doing
About this time Marge Atherton
came to the city where our disunited
lovers dwelt, and here was a field of
labor just suited to her. She hid
been some years in pursuit of rich
husband, but the man she desired to
honor was slow in making his appear
ance, and there was a strong prospect
that Miss Atherton, in spite of her
manifold attractions, would have to
die an old maid, or emigrate to Ore
gon-a country where 1t is generally
supposed they do not raise women.
Mr.. Greyland was the very subject
for her. She set herself to work at
once to conquer him. She fiattered
him, she deferred to him, she asked
his opinion on every trifling thing,
and poor Greyland's heart was so sore
that he was glad of anything by way
Of balsam.
The very day he had made up his
mind to propose, Fate stepped in, and
did good stroke Of business for him.
A great financial crash occurred, and
swept away every dollar he possessed,
and in twenty-four hours the news
was all over the city; and when, a
day or two afterward, Greyland, ach-
ing for sympathy and love, went to
call on Miss Atherton, she was mot
at home" though he could have
sworn he heard her voice at the top
of the stairway.
And that ended their acquaintance.
Miss Atherton married a seventy
five year old millionaire, who willed
all his property to a home for old
women when he died; and Greyland
became misanthropic, and took to
keeping dogs and smoking cigars in
Vulnerable.
Things with him were not so bad
at at first seemed. They never are,
at least in stories, and he had, after
all, few thousands left. He went
into business on a small scale, but
the confinement of the counting
room injured his health, and some
time in the summer his physician sent
him to the White Mountains to re-
cruit.
Meanwhile, Imogene Leigh had be-
come an heiress. A great aunt of
hers, after living fifteen years be-
yond the age of man, and tormenting
the lives out of almost everybody who
had anything to do with her, had died
respectfully one night in her bed, and
when her will was opened, her greedy
relatives found that she had be-
queathed everything to a great niece
they had scarcely heard of.
But it was no use to get angry, and
so they were all very sweet and af-
fectionate when Imogene came and
took possession of Beechlawn. But
the girl found the great house very
lonely, and so in July she joined Mrs
Judge Kendalls party, and went to
the mountains.
And Il co hnnnnnnh Tint nj tho