Year: 1877




He had risen and stood gazing on her
with face illuminated with admiration
such an expression as he had never
turned on me in what | thought his most
fervent moments of devotion. ! turned
cold all over, and felt that the color
had left my face but | struggled TO re-
tain my composure and presented them
to each other. Then turned TO look
again more closely at Alice.


Her gaze met his with a sweet frank
ness that half reflected his admiration,
and the pink in her cheeks dccpcned TO a
blush.


They would love each other-they did
already. saw it and felt it then, as
well as when ! finally knew it by strong5
passionate and ardent words and al
ready the dark fires Of jealousy consumed
my soul. helped Alice unpack her
trunk and sort her things and fold them
away in the bureau drawers, or hang
them up in the closet, as required but
| spoke no word Of the tender confession
of my love for Arthur, which | had been
so longing to tell her of-neither then
nor any time. never spoke oft,


The days glided by fast enough,
though to misery they often drag. But
my heart and brain were OH fire, my
thoughts flew wildly in every direction,
and were so constant that seemed al
ways busy.


One evening in the twilight, before the
lights were brought in, sat sad and
wretched in our great long parlOr, in a
deep armchair in corner of the room
besides being concealed in the gloom,
when Arthur and Alice entered from the
garden, where they had been walking
among the roses for the past hour. |
was too listless and Observation-Disclosures
being horribly jealous-tO care whether
played the eavesdropper or not; so |
kept quite still, although ! knew that !
would be the listener to lovers tcte.a-
| tete.


"But, Arthur" said Alice, apparently
continuing conversation, 81 thought
when saw you two together that first
day when | came, that you and Evelyn
were lovers"


eve have never been 50, my darling.
You are my first and only love-"


think he drew her toward him then,
and kissed her. OF course he did, though
could not see them, for my chair was
turned from them and | dared not move.
Presently Alice spoke again:


"Of course it is fortunate for me, Ar
thur, dear, that you should prefer my
poor beauty TO Evclyn's, but you know
can scarcely understand any man
knowing her well and seeing her con-
stantly without falling in love with her"


"Well, sweetheart, if | had ever known
her well enough not to feel afraid of her,
and grown accustomed to her style of
beauty, perhaps it is just possible |
might have fallen in love with her if !
had never seen you, my darling"


The blood seemed to rush back upon
my heart and then surge up into my
brain; there was singing in my ears,
and heard no more.


When ! returned to consciousness of
what was going on about me, they were
gone; but | had heard enough--too
much


Till those last words of Arthur's,
had tried TO bear my misery bravely in
dumb despair | had persuaded myself
not only that he had not loved me but
never could have loved me; that Alice
was the only one he ever could have
loved at all, and 80 must try to bear
my anguish and my disappointment as
hest | could but now Those words
from him let loose a fury in me- Had
be never seen her he might have loved
me--his own lips had said it, Heaven
knows what wild and monstrous thoughts
pursued each other though my frenzied
brain then. | had not hated her till
now, but hated her from that moment
wished her dead, and would have
laughed and rejeiccd TO see her die


The moon had risen and was flooding
all the world outside in silyery light,
when Alice came into the room, and ap-
preaching me gayly, cried


"Do come down to the lake. We
might have lovely row by moonlight,
for | promised not to so to bed till Ar
thur came back so ! could say good.
night again, she added, blushing bright.
ly. "He has gone to the town with your
brother. They must be back soon, but
we might have time for a row on the lake
before they arrive.-.do come"


rose without word wound the
scarlet scarf on the back of my chair
about my head and neck, and prepared
to accompany her.


The lake was less than ten minutes
walk from the house and all the way
there Alice kept up such a run Of care
less talk that, in the cxuberauce Of her
spirits, she didn't notice that | had
scarcely spoken at all, When we had
| lnunrhnd tie liIIln hnni and i'm mnnd in.