The History Of A Life

" Miss Cameron." Leonie Cameron, lazily looking out of a bow-window upou a garden flaming with autumn tints and f unset glow, lifted a pair of soft, dark eyes to Mrs. Tollman's face. It was an anxious face just at that moment, and, being usually full of happy content, the anxiety was very apparent to Leonie. Ss, after her flrst careles3 glance, she straightened herseif in her low chair, and said, quietly, yet with every appearance of interest: " What is the matter ?' An awkward pause followed that question. Mrs. Tollman fldgeted under the inquiring glance of the dark eyes, cleared her throat twice, and finally said, with nervoas emphasis: " John Furber." Miss Cameron's face seemed to freeze. It was a very beautiful face, with pride for a leading expression. Sweetness lurked in the mouth, intellect beamed from the radiant dark eyes, )ut pride shadowed all. It carried the small head gracefully erect, it swept the folds of the rich dresses with a regal motion. It touched the small patrician hands, and was evident in the weli-modulated tones of thareflned voice. "There," Mrs. Tollman said, despairingly, "I've made you mad already, and haven't saidanythiag." "I am not mad," Leonie answered, and there certainly lurked a smile in her mouth at the good woman's consternation : "But you have not told me what troubles you." ' ' It's - it's - John, Miss Cameron, and" - then rapidly, as if the words were forced by a fear of her own inability to finish her self-appointed task, she hurried on. " He's my nephew, miss, as you know, though his father is a rich man, very rich, and John is above his mother's place m her life. She's dead, and John was spoiled somewhere between the year she died and two years ago. I don't know where he took to bad ways. He was brought up an idler upon his father's money, and from idleness to drinking, gambh'ng and bad ways is an easy road. His father is a hard man, and he thrust hi out nearly j a year ago and disinherited him. He [ came here, for I love him. I've nothing else to love; husband and children ia the graveyard, so I love John." There was a piteous pleading in the woman's face, but Leonie's was blank, save for an air of polite interest. "He was most desperate when he came here, bnt I've coaxed him up a little. But - but - oh, Miss Cameron, you know what I want to say. You are beautiful, rich - a lady far above me in education and position, and only staying here for country quiet. I've no right to find fault, but - but don't flirt with John. He is in trouble, despondent, disinherited, and he's falling in love with you as fast as he can. I believe if you play with him he will kill himself, body and soul." Fairly out of breath with her own earnest utterance, Mrs. Tollman paused, looking pleadingly in Leonie Cameron's face. The expression of polite interest never wavered, as that young lady said : "If I understandyouaright, you wish me to ignore your nephew. It is not eo easy, as he is in your house, so I had better leave it." " Goodness !" cried the widow aghast at this interpretation of her words. " I never meant that. Where can you find another boarding place near here ?" "I can return to London." "I've put my foot in it. John will never forgive me," said Mrs. Tollman disconsolately. But there was no sympathy in Leonie's face, and she turned away at last, perplexed and more anxious than ever. And Leonie, sinking back in her chair " again, looked at the sunset clouds and variegated foliage, and thought perhaps it was time to return to London. Sho had come to S , weary with n round of fashionable life, tired of flattery, dancing, flirting, and she had found rest and quiet under Mrs. Tollman's motherly care. She was rich, richer far than the landlady had any idea of; but slie had no near relativos, only a second cousin to keep lier lonely home and play propriety. Society constituted itself her amateur guardián, and, lying back in her cushioned chair in the sunset glow, she wondered indolently what society would say about John Furber. It would grant him a rare perfection of manly beauty of face and forni, and forgive the evident traces of diwpaiion, if it was only known that ho was the son of a rich man, and had Deen educated au idler by profession. But in what holy horror it would turn away, with uplifted handil, when it was known he was disinherited, with no home but a room in the house of a widowed aunt eking out her narrow income by taking boarders. It would smile at his biting sarcasms, nis brilliant conversation, his cynical sneers, if he wns reinstated in his father's favor, but how mde these would be in a poor man. Leonie, from thinking of soeiety's opinión, quite unconsciously glided into considering her own. This darkbrowned man had made a fair portion of her summer pleasure for three months, had been her cavalier in many country walks, drives and sails, had quoted poetry under trees, sunk in a superb baritone upon the murmuring waters, looked into her eyes on a moonlit porch, and whispered delicately-Oorded flattery. No more than many another man had done. A beauty and rich, Miss Cameron had looked upon more than one languishing suitor, and forgotten him when his amusement wearied her. Scarcely a flirt - for she encouraged no downright love-making - but a beautiful, fascinating woman, wno wounded hearts with merely careless grace. Musing in the BUBset, it was impressed upon the prmd heart that, unconsciously, she had poisoned a life that was alreadysinking. There were capabilities for better thingsthandissipation and suicide in John Furber, and she shivered as she thought he might be upon some dangerous precipice, waiting for the clasp of the hand to draw him back, or its repulse to throw him over. She passed in review her host of male friends, and found none who had wakened her heart to hours of such keen pleasure as John Furber had given her. She tried to recall one mind whose grasp of intellect had dwarfed her own as his had done, who had met her fairly in so many arguments and worsted her, and she could only remember soft flattery of her "wonderful mind." Finally, lifting her eyes with a soft sigh, she saw him leaning against a tree opposite the low window, looking at her. A vivid flush stained her cheek as he said: "What can you have been thinking of ? You have not stirred for half an liour. Only that your eyes were open, I should have thought you asleep. " " Your powers of observation are marvelous," she answered, lightly. "I. was dreaming." "Of what?" "The world in general, my world in particular. It is almost time I returned ;here." She was prepared for some polite show of regret, but not (or the ghastly change in his face. She shuddereJ, remembering his aunt's words. " Going away ! Why, of course you would be soon," he said, trying to speak carelessly, while his eyes hungrily devoured her face, and his white parched lips were drawn as if in sharp physical pain. "T have lip.eTi here t.lirpe mnnfTis "hIip j. nave uccii iicie lüicc Jxiuijlilb, öuc said, feeling her own heart ache at his niisery. "Yes, yes! You will go, certainly." "And you," sbe said, very gently, ' ' you will be in the city, I presume. I should be glad to welcome you to my house." " No," he said, harshly; "I will not take sucli advantage of your kindness; I am a man your friends would tell you to shun, Miss Cameron - a man who has wasted his life till it is too late to take up the threads again. You do not know, perhaps, that my aunt keeps me here from charity ?" " I know you have offended your father," she answered; " but you are a man, soaroely 30, and it is cowardly to talk of despair at your age." Her words out him like a whip-lash. The dark blood mounted to his forehead as he repeated: " Coward ! I might fight the whole worid yet, but," and here his tone was bitter, and yet strangely pathetic, "the battle is scarcely worth winning. What wouidlgain? Money? I do not value it. Position ? I have thrown it behind me. I have played the fooi, and I must take the fool's wages." "I will not have you say so," she said, ronsed by an earnestness she had never in tended to betray. "You shall not uselessly throw away your life." A hope sprang to hia eyes, new there, lighting them to dazzling radiance. "Miss Cameron - Leonie," he cried, "were there a prize to win, were one's heart's hope oentered upon me, I would trample down these demons of temptation. I would prove myself a man ïf I hadany motive." There was no mistaking the prayer in bis eyes, thepleading in his voice. Only for a moment, close to the low window, before a hand like a snow flake feil upon his shoulder, a voice, low and swefet, murmured low in his ear : " Be a man for my sake." She was gone before he spoke again, and he wandered off to the woods to muse upon a possibility of this new life. The next day Mrs. Tollman lost her summer boarder. Society, languidly contemplating Miss Cameron for the next three years. found her eccentric. She was grave and gay by flashes, fascinating in either mood, but she was mysteriously unapproachable. The bravest suitor fonnd himself met at the point where friendly attentions merge into lover's devotion by a wull of icy reserve that was impassible. She never flirted, but she had the reputation of a flirt, because she was popular and admirsd, and remained single until 27. She was known to be trufchful, and she had distinctly told several mquisitive lady friends that she was not engaged, so there was not even the spice of romance in the gossip. S knew her not in those three years, but Mrs. Tollman was the recipiënt of various hampers of city delicacies from her, and would acknowledge the same by letter. One of those, dated three years af ter the beautiful Miss Oameron left S , after elaborately thanking that young lady for a hamper of dainties, added : " Do you remember my nephew, John Furber ? He left me the day after you did, and I fretted more tban i little. But he took a turn for good, Heaven bethanked. He worked himself up, and to-day hewrites me he has mado iriends with his father again, and is to be takeu partner in a commercial house, His father's to buy ït, but Jolm's earned a place too by harJ, honest work. Oh, my dear, I'm happier than 1 ever thought to be. Perhaps you've heard of tlie house in London that John is in. But í'll tire you, writing about rny affairs, I wouldn't only I thought perhaps you '11 remember John." "In London," Leoniemurmured; "so near me all these years, and yet never seeking me. Was I too bold ? Did I drive him a-way by showing hitn my heart too plainly? Well, even so, I am glad. I gave him the first start toward an honorable manhood. Remember him? Yes, Mrs. Tollman, I do remember John." She had foldcd the letter and was dressing lor the opera, when a visitor was announced. "What a barbarous hour," she murmured, not looking at the card. "In a few moments, Jane." She was robed in her fleeey drees of white lace, over pale-blue silk, had clasped diamonds on throat and wrists, and in the little ears, when, as she took the opera cloak from the maid's hand, she looked at the card : "John Furber." A great throb sent the blood over her brow and neck; then it faded, leaving only a soft tint upon the fair cheeks, and in the dark eyes a light of happiness harmonizing well with the smiling lips. She looked like some visitant from another world, in the radiance of her beauty, as she carne across the wide drawing-room to the wiaoow where he stood. He had not heard her light step, but he turned when she was near, showing the stamp of his better life in his noble face. He held out his hand, looking earnestly into her face, and seeing she only spoke a happy truth, as, taking it, she said: "I am glad to see you." "Leonie," h e said, "you gave mea hope three years ago, that has borne me above temptaticn and suffering to a position where I am not ashamed to look any man in the face. Leonie, you bade me - " Blushing brightiy, she took up the words as he passed : "To be a man, John, for my sake." "And I obeyed you, my love, my darling. I have come for my reward, Leonie, loving you with all my heart, daring now to ask for your love in return." So, society had arippleof sensation in a fashionable wedding, when John Furber married Miss Leonie Cameron. But only you and I, reader, know the romance of thesummer in S , of how John Fuiber redeemed his manhood for Leonie's sake.