Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/337

 02 THE LADY'S

the evening, he addressed but a single word to her, she, progress, but he could not avoid saying, in @ voice would be almost too embarrassed to reply. And then | tremulous with emotion, she would retire to think over all he hai said, and how | «God bless you, Miss Bellanger! he hail looked when speaking to her; and perhaps she | least, farewell !”” would dream sweet dreams, from which she awoke with | When Howell rushed into the stroot bis tumult of asigh, Alas! poor Buith, ignorant of Jove and all ite | passion threatened, for a few moments, to deprive him various disguises, she little deemed that sho had uncon- j of reason. Love for his heartless mistress contending sciously given her heart’s dearest affections to Howell. | with indignation at her faitllessness produced a tempest A week, we say, had pnssed since the moonlight féfe- | within his hosom which choked his atterance, and rene é-téte between Kate and her lover; but it had been’ a | dered him insensible as to whither he was going. His week of changes. In that little week the wholo vast | firat return to consciousness was on finding bimeelf in estate of Howell bad been swept away by the combined | his own room with the door locked and douhte locked villainy of his guardians, and of the officers of the bank in | behind him. For houre he walked the floor in « state whose stock his fortune had been invested. The young | of mind approaching to phrenzy. At length pride

T can bid you, at

heir was now # penniless orphan,

“And you do not intond to sce Mr. Howell st all,” said Edith, s6 if continuing » conversation with her cousin, “oh! Kate,” and her voice quivered with emo tion, «how can you treat him #o 2”

“ How can I, child ?” said the proud beauty, with & tose of the head, “why, easily! The infatuated boy cannot dream that now, when he is hot worth a dollar, he can aspire to my hand. Perhaps I did very foolishly make him sort of promise one ovening last week, but really he was so romantic and sentimental and all thet, that I could not, for the aport of it, refuse him then. For my part,” and she Inughed merrily, “I hold that words said at moonlight, by river's side, to a poetic youth just from college, are nothing more than the mere sweetmcals one trifles with—the spica of a harmless Hirtation.”

“ Their disavowal may torture a noble heart,” retorted Ecith with fecling, “oh! shame, Kate, that you sbould be 60 selfish and unjust to your better nature.”

“Indeed, Miss,” said ber cousin, while her cheek grew red with anger, “and who asked you for a homily? I dectare T believo you have fallen in love yourself’ with this erack-brained boy,” and, aa she spoke, noticing that Edith blushed to the very brow, she continued snecr- ingly, “you may take him and welcome—he will not be the firut of my cast-a-ways you have worn,”

At this unfeeling epecch—unfeeling both as coming from a wowan and in view of Edith’s dependant condi- tion—the poor girl turned deadly pale, then burst into tears, and rising from her seat rushed hastily from the room. As she reached the hall she met Howell, who, entering unobserved, and finding no footman to announce or rather to forbid his ingress, had been on the point of ‘opening the door when he heard Kate’s voice. The mention of his own naine induced bir to pause, and shame and indignation had kept hic, as it were, epell- bound, until Euith rushed out. At sight of him the poor girl felt ae if she would have sunk through the floor, but, rallying her fainting energies, she sprang past him. Howell's delicaey forbade him to arrest her

atlained the mastery.

“Ob! the vile Circe—the double-dyed deceiver,” Le exclaimed passionately, “to think that, but one short week ago, she reclined on my shoulder and whispered assent to all my ardent protestations of affection—ay! thet her lips were yickded unresisting to my kisses, that her hand faintly returned the pressure of my own, God ‘of beaven and can this woman now sneer at me as a beggar and a boy? A boy—yes! that was the word, and I feel it is too true a churge, for what have I done in the twenty long years of my life? Nothing abso lutely nothing. I have been a drone and a dreamer— but that time is past. A pennileas orphon, I must carve out my own fortune, and I feel here,” and he struck his forehead energetically, “that which shall make or mar me. She despises me, does she? because Tam a boy=then hero I swear, henceforth from this hour, to devote myself day and night to study—to give every energy to the pursuit of glory. And when I have won renown,” and a proud joy lit up his elassie face, “whon I have won renown, then shall come my re- venge

That very night saw Howell begin the falfilment of his vow. It was soon noised through the circles he hud once frequented that Kate Eldrington had received # proposal from bin which ehe had rejected, and that immediately afterward his bankruptcy bad heen made public. The majority said’ that ho already knew his poverly when he asked Miss Eldrington’s hand, and that she had made # lucky escape from the wiles of designing fortune-hunter; and it wae only a few, who, noticing the exultation with which Kate heant this rumor nerrated in her presence, suspected the truth, and even gave her credit for originating the false report, The rumor further said that Howell had teft the city, and gone no one knew whither. A few only of his old friends were aware that he had commenced the study of the law on the scanty pittance which bad been saved from the wreck of his fortune.

A second runtor also found its way into the great world, It was said that Miws Eldrington finding it

�