Year: 1873

|


belle, pretty, highly cultivated, and very
sprightly; she reigned supreme in Cliff
ton-a pleasant little country town
where her father resided-queen of
fashion as well as queen of hearts All
the young men admired her, and as
| natural consequence, all the female
population envied and strove to initiate
her. Whether her chief charm con-
sisted in her fair, dimpled face, or deep
| blue eyes, looking like half-blown for
get-me-pots, bathed in dew, or mischiev-
| Gus rosy mouth, or in her half tender,
| half taunting air and manner, no one
| could say; but it was generally agreed
| that she was beauty.


Violet was uniformly kind to her
| many suitOrs, making her denials, when
necessary, so sweetly that the rejected
ones felt almost as much favored as the
accepted. And when Guy Hilliard came
to take charge of the village school, al
though he was man of fine appearance
and excellent character, it was a long
time before the village beauty vouch-
safed to him the least sign of preference.
But perseverance and patience, as they
| generally do at last succeeded, and in
due course of time, one tender moOn-lit
eve, under a honey suckle arbor in the
squire's garden, the teacher pleaded his
cause in true lover-like fashion, and was
transported into the third heaven of bliss
on being accepted. The old squire made
no objections, and after proper lapse
of time the young people were united
amid bewildering confusion of flowers
and lace, and the poor love-lorn swains
of Clifton were left to console them
selves as they could.


Everybody was surprised to see what
a loving, exemplary wife Violet made.
She had been gay girl, so full of mis-
chief. so petted and fiattered, that some
of the Clifton wiseacres shook their
heads and limited that Guy Hnliard
might repent his bargain; but on the
contrary he rejoiced over it anew every
day, regarding it the best transaction of
his life.


They had cosy little cottage on the
outskirts Of the town, all embowered
with eglantine, with shady trees and a
flower garden in front; and the young
man must have regarded it as the sweet
est, happiest spot on earth, judging from
the briskness of his step and the bright-
ness of his face, as he returned at even
ing from the schoolhouse. Violet was
always at the gate to meet him, robed in
some pretty fresh apparel, her curls
lcoped back. and her blue eyes full Of
tenderness, ready to lead him to the
tidy, well-ordered parlor and supper
table. No wonder Guy was happy-he
would have been a monster if he had not
been so. But after a while, as if fortune
was bent on running his cup over, some
thing else came TO make him still hap
pier; a small, dimpled, growing baby.
with eyes like its mother, and rings Of
hair that looked like spun gold Violet
was in raptures, and Guy could hardly
wait for night to come in his eagerness
to get home. What a happy couple
every one sald--even the wisecares, IN
spite of their prophecies.


But there never was a paradise, per-
haps, that the serpent did not enter IN
some form or other. 1t even came to
this perfect little home, trailing its Shiny
after this wise;


One evening Guy .chanced to come
home little earlier than usual. and
Violet and baby were not at the gate TO
meet him, as was their custom but he
hurried on, eager to surprise them ly
being so early.


Just as he reached the outer enclosure
of the garden be heard the cottage door
open and saw-a living man, young
and very distinguished looking-come
out on the porch and talk 10 NiOlet-his
Violet He saw her plainly, laughing
and chatting and tossing her riIglets,
and then the stranger bowed himself
out and left the premises by the same
path.


Don't fail to come,7 said Violet to
him. Il shall expect you"


Guy Hilliard looked on in amazcment.
Violet was dressed as he had never seen
her before-in a magnificent new silk
robe, all covered with laces and roses.
What did it mean? Who was the man
she urged to come again so cordially =?
A sharp swift pang of jealousy and mis-
trust wrung his heart-mistrust of the
woman he held thousand times dearer
than his own life; he hurried away to
the cottage, his brow for the first time
since his marriage looking lowering and
moody. Violet was nowhere to be seen
below, so he went up to her chamber.
The door was closed, but he heard the
wailing of the baby within.


"Violet !" he called.


Eyes, DEAR" came the pleasant an
swer sin one moment ; as soon as ! get
my dress on.


He waited impatiently until she came
out, and then he scanned her face with
keen, anxious eyes. She looked f1urried
and confused, and ran back almost i'm
mediately to put the blue robe which she
had thrown upon the bed in the ward
robe Guy followed her into the cham
ber


'Have you been out, Violet ?" he
asked, trying to appear unconcerned.


''Out? oh, no, she replied. why
do YOU ask ?"


Nothing, only l saw you putting
away your dress, and you have got baby
dressed in her finery,"


80, yes," she said, catching up the
little mass of embroidery ''I've been
fixing the sleeves of her slip, you know
but come, let's go down and look after
supper"


lie followed her down with weary
step and heavier heart than had ever lain
in his bosom. But he determined to say
nothing; he would not question her, but
would wait and see what it meant.
Violet hustled about, making herself un-
usually pleasant but somehow gloom
| hung over the whilom happy home,
which all her gayety could not dispel.
Long after she retired with her babe, her
young husband sat in the porch, his
head in his hands and his soul tortured
with nameless fear


The next afternoon he returned home
at the usual hour, and found Violet and
her babe at the gate awaiting him, her
face all brightness and tenderness. His
heart began to tighten; she was true to
him. What a fool he had been; he was
glad he had not let her know it. Laugh
ing and playing, they proceeded to the
cottage. Guy went up stairs for his
dressing gown with his usual buoyant
alacr1ty. On the topmost step he picked
up a glove-a gentlemans glove-but
the old jealous pang with redoubled
pain. Still he did not question his wife.
but kept a silent, cunning watch on all
her movements.


| The next evening and the next, he
came earlier, and in both instances con-