Isabelle's Triumph

"Jcssie, I wisli you would bo a litt'e noro womanly - yoUT cbildish actions iiínoy me exeeedingly." These words were epoken ly Rerbert Livingston e, a hindsoine, ■haiiijhty mnu, tiid liddicssed lo a grac.cful li't.lc creauro witli golden curia and sky-blucey es, lii- affianced wife. Her ofSeose wa, running payly down tho jath to meet him s he returoed from a two diiys' abeenoe, aivl tbrowing her anus arouiid his ncck with a glad cry nf joy at seciüg hitu r.güin. íle M'oulil not havo cared so mneh liad i not Jeesie's cous:n, queenly Issbelle , sat by tho opea vvii.do"", appari-iiiiy reading; but he knew ihat she was watcliing thtjiu, and tbal lu-r proud lip curlcd i i scorn at Jcssic'd exbibitio-i of fondücss. "Forgive irc, dear Herbert," and Ibe swetlips quivered and lur bluc eyes ii!k'd wiiii tears. "I did not mcau lo . ; Lut 1 havo been voi'y lonely Bince you went awny, and wns gbid to l'.avc you brick ignin : "JSbver miiid, litlle ob,'1 be saiJ, iü a ■ to:.e. "I will not speak co harshly again ; but I dreaded Isabellu's Jïy iliis time tbey had enterad tlic house, and Jliss Isabeüe Les'ie arpae . sloomed Herbert vithaa eleganoe :,i!cr peculi-uly h . r o'.vn, and which o ued hiH heart to throb a triflo faster, a:n! mide hiui wíib, as be bad oí'tcn d(.no beíoio, ibat Jcssie was more like her iep d C-OUiÍ!l. As fbc reaumed herfcot, ?ho rcrnnrked, with a carcastio srnile apon ber lips of SCOrn i ber voice - '1 tan glad for Jessi 's íako, that you liavu returned, for sbe bas piued for you tcrrililv. poor cbili!.:' A II t tío tíusb of anger shot from -Xt;!"." iu's blua oye?, aud Ileibert ci'imaon ed w i t 'i aunoyanco. Isdbellc tlicn ijtirely ignored tbeir presencia ly resutning hr rending. JeBsie Hoon forgot berelf, and talkcd and lüugbed as merrily as cnly tbe innocput enn, dow and ihou a(idressin; Herbert 'as "dcar," uot nolicing bis frowns or Isabelle's contemptucuspmiie, but givinp; berself up entirely to the enjoyineiit of bis presenco. At last Isabelle rose abruptly and left the room. Th: brougbt Jesie bock to evi-ry day liíe, fur her cousius manuer i: dicated ber di-plc.isuro. Herbert bit lis linn iu silence, and lea ing Ji's?io:s eide, he walked moodily to tbo window and Btood looking out, while tbe clond grew tbickeraud darker upon his brow. Jtssie's fiíst impulso was togo to him, and afjaiu a-k bis forgiveness and try to please him in tbe future. Foor little Jofsie ! Sbe was of a geutlc, affeetion:ite nature, :n.d tbought it uo h::rtn to show her lovu fnr her betrotbed band. Sho was just tho wnmiin to tniikü a failhful, loving wife, to be a comfort Kkdjoy to the man she loved tbtough all tho troublea and disappoiutniciitH ol üfo. But she wa not without pride, n::d ow tho said to hereelf : "I will Ruy nolhing to hiin. He Í9 iif'haiiicd of me and admires cousin LJelle bceause she is eo ladylike and diii'iiüed I aai aluays oftVuding them both tliougb I try hard not to do so. Bolle is more capable of making him happy thau I ain ;'' and choking lick a great sob, ehe canght up a little bluo ecurf, and tbrowing t over her golden curls, ran out amutig the flowers, lnoking more iko au ingel ihan an eurthly be:ng, (ryinp it 11 Ihe wbile to fing a gny soug, but failing ïnosl miaeiably. Jubt as she was about to jivo up and havo n good cry, a chceiful voice spoke her uanie, fiid lonking up, she found Karnctt Linwood, tufl young village pat tor, BtkudiDg y her side. "Wbat, Jessie ! tcarsinyour cyes !" he faiil, in a kind, almost leader voice, 'What troubles my liitlo Finging bird ? Berbert bae retartied safe, ha hu notV" "Oh yes; but, loesn't loveme as he uscd to. I iin a . ;s saying or doing Foniotliing obildish and it displeagcs them.'; 'Them ! Who, Jessie?" "Wliy, lltrbert and Belle. You know, Belle is very (uiet and ladylike, and 1 am noi, aod t aogera him. Perhaps I i ught not tu say it." Kniest taid, with compreesed lips, as he lonked apon Jessie's sad, tcarful face : "but Belle is a proud, lieartless womau ; nnd you, Jcssic, are an angel. Herbert LiviogHone will sonie d iy see his mistake." Adding, menially, "I foresaw tliis; I ki.cff that Miss Eatoo would pluase liis artiötio eye. Would that she had never come berc, lor she has dehtroyI ed Jessie's peace forever. Had 1 but been bleassd with tlie dar lovewhieh he is lotrniog to despise - but that was not to.be;" nul Ihea he faid chcerfull)', ; "LSrush awny your tenrj, Jessie and tak; ; a stroll witb me iu (be garden, and when ! you become yourwulf again, wu will go into tbc house, and y;u must try atiil pleaso Hcrbert, for lic loves yon, altbough lio ia sonieiirnes a j tl lic unkind." "Ernest," and her voioo was (inn DOR, ai:d her eyes tearless, "lie has beorí Jiifiing BWflj froui me over since Isabelle í Carne. I havo tried not to beliovo it, but I can deceive myself uo longer." "You mut not thiukeo. He admirei her elegant appenratice, but bis lovo, Jesaie, must suiely be yours.' Eroeet Lïnwond was a. noble man, and an accomp'ished f cholar. He was much nlder than Jessie, and ghe bad alway? lookeii up to biui, and given Iiiin hoi1 conüdence as though he were an eider btotber. Wie dicl not know how much bo loved her, and honor forbade ti is telling her, now that ghe was botroibed to anotber. It dernanded all the moral strengt h of bis nature r;ow, however, to resist the yearniiiL( desire to cliisp her to bis beart, and ask her to give hitn the love he so much coveted. Half an hour hier thcy sat together witliin a lustic arbor, talking quietly. Ernewt's kiDfl words and wife coungels had rendered her bopofu), and she hntl jut Btartod up to po in tesrcli of llerbmt, wben they saw bolb hún aud tsabelle wa!king slowly down the path towaid tlictn. Jegsie tbought ehe would wait until he w8 alono to speak with him, and eo ifent back and sut down ogain vvith Er nest. They were hiii from view by interviiiing vines, and, as the two pnssed the arbor, the1 oecupants could not help hearing thcir conveisation "She is fearcely more than a chiid 3-et," Isubt lle was saying. "A few you i's will give her more womanliuesg, I trust ' tboogh I pomeliuies fear she will alway 8 be childibb, nud uowoi tby such lovo a yours " "Ah, Isabelle, would that sbo were more like you I" llerbert answered. ! 'Then, indeed, I abould be proud to cali her wife. Is; belle, I love you. It is a sin, peí haps, but I cannot help it." Then the musical voice of the bcauliful temptfen mnimured : "Ah, blissful kuowledge ! But alas, we met too lhte.:' "Do you love uie, Isabelle ? If so, it is not too Inte." "I love you, Herbert; but I wül go away ind i-ee jou no more." "Go, if you cboose, my queenly one ! Bat I sliall follow you. I will not ro yonr peüilcas lovo tor Jessie'a ohildish affection." Il o did Dot si'o tho glcam of trlumph in laabulle 8 dark ejes, lor sha turned them from bim, for fear tbat ho would. She had accomplishej her f.urposc. Sl.c was poor and proud, while jlurbert was ricli, a:id could m;iko her a queen n s iciety. Jcssio ncitlier wept nor fainted, but became cold and rigid na ma; ble. Wben they could pass without being olisei ved, Ei nest coutlucted her lo tbc house, and then returnod home, with a sorrowful heart, Uut he was "ot the earth earthy," and could not sbut out the great joy which ininglcd witb bis sorrow, fjr he cheriahod the phadow of a hnpe that Jesie might yot bo bis. Herbart and Isabelle went away the next tnoniing without nny explanation, little thinking that Jegsio knew all, and a uiontb lutcr, they woro married. To-day, he ie a ca'e-otn, mi.-erable man, and he is the reigning belle of the aristocratie circle in which they move. Slie is too proud and cold to be a loving, affectionato wife; and he has learned by bitter esperieuce, that elegance and beauty alono cannot render homo a paradisü. And a thought of all that he bas lost by bis own perfidy is to him an ever-present anguish. After months of sorrow, and many n bitter beart-fttruggle, Jessie Rucceeded in crusiiing out her iovc for Ilcrbcrt Livingstone. Sbe is now the happy and eberishcd wife ot Kniest Linwood, the giftcd pastor of an aristocratie church iu the city of C ■ ; and wheu nemory reverle to the past, she fully rcaU7.es tnat her preeeot happincss is ono of tho results of laabolle'a Triumph.