The Old Love

On the nfteenth day of May, 188- , I considerad myseU the happiest fellow in existence, for I had been engagedfor several months to one of the loveiiest of girls, and no shadow had ever yet fallen upon ouv love. I was not very well olV in the world's goods, being but a clerk in the postal service, yet I was perfcctly happy, for I knew that Ermine loved me for "myseif alone, and I was never disturbed by any fears of being marrfed for my money. On the day menüoned, wkich chanced to be a holiday, 1 had run down to hér home, situatedin a suburbanpart of the city, and, not Onding Ermino at home, made mvself comfortable on the parlor sofa with one of tlio lütest periodicals. Just, as a heav_y ih-owsinosa was stéaliog over me a sharp ring at the clootbell startled me to ludden wakefulness "uu opiau lip Ji-ll JU LIU1M MJ ('IIoountur n messonger-boy with n ilogram addressed to myself. Without stopping to wonder how ho had found mu bo ea.sily, haviug left no dew at my lodging as tj my destination, I hastily tore opon the message and found it to contain nqws of the most wonderfnl importance. An unelo who poaèésséd iinmeusu wealth, Dm. whose niggcd health and Intense vitallty had precluded nny idea of his death occurriu any sooner thau my own. had just died aud luft cvery penny of his vast possessions to ma. Furthermore, the telegram summoned me to the oast without a moment's delay, and, without waiting even to see Ermino, I told my irgent business to her mother and th'en rushed likoamadman to catch the first out-going train. What 8trango visiona passecT through my brain as 1 leaned back in the car and gavo myself up to imaginiugs of the fiilure thus suddcnly opened up to mo. An hour beforo I had not droamod of ivealth; I had not oveu wishcd for it. ocing perfectly cótrtont aurl liappy aw I W!IS. Nl)V. na it' 1)V lilMrvic. mx? wlmln riatiira ! ■ ■"■'i "" vj fe t J ■ iiviii nal un; ] ivas transformcd, amllreareilwoudrous castles in Spain, now and thcn bringjng thom to an abrupt terminación, liowever, as I diseovered that Ermine had vory Hule place in them. I í'onnd rny iuheritanoe uvun-greater than I had antioipated. I did not mourn my únele' a dcath very much, though I had always loved him- how oould I since it had opunod suoh a bonndless treasure-trovo to me? My mind Was full of my plans. I was now rich, besides being voung and passably good-looking (docídodly so, if Erminie's opinión íuay bo accepted) i and, of oourse, a trip to Europe was tho first thing that presentad itself lo my mind, My good angel whispered to me: "Marry Erminie at once ajxd take hor with you. Thero is no necessity longer fordelay." But I repulsod tho "still, smallroioe," and said to myself: "Not yet; for one year, at least. I will taste the sweets of liberty witii plonty of money in my pocket." So I went to Europe, where, through ïnnucntiai menas, 1 obtainod introductions into the highest circles. I threw myself headlong into Londou'9 gayety, and, ero many weeks passed by, Erminio was to me simply a raomory of the unregretted past. Among the higli boni beauties who now smiled upon ruo was Lrdr Rosalind Soymonr, with whom I sbon feil ïnaclly in love. She was beantiful a a poet's drcam, with melting, black oyes, and hair of suoh dazzling gold that an arlist would have gono wild with raptare over it. Many meu did. I had scoros oí rivals, but at last I won hei-, my pearless queen among women. No thought of Erminio's sad, sea-bhw eyes arose to trouble me as I stood witJi Lady Rosalind bef oro tho altar. No pity for Erminio'a lonely desertod lifo troubled me when, with my high bornbride, I left the London "fogs behind me and rambled throngh sunny Italy, or plunged into all the brillkiüt plensurcs of the French capítol. I was mad with delight. The huaba.ui or a countess who was pronounccd tho most beautif ui woman of her timo - wns it not enough to drive one madwith joy and pride? Whcrever wu wout Lady Rosalind Palliscr was tho sonsation of the hour, day aftor day I grew more proud and fond of her until at last I could havo thrown myself undor the dainty foet of my beautiful wife, to bo trampled on at her own sweet will, I believed she loved me, though somo times I did fancy tliat thero was not much warmth in her smilo, and that there was a certaiu stately condescension in the graceful bond of that peferless head as abe stooped to prcas a eareless kiss upon my brow or cheek. But I waa so madly in love that I did not expect a love in return equal to my own. That, indeed, could caroely tuivè been possible. Lady Rosalind waa Biirrounded by admirers, but 1 was never joalous. I gloried in the fact that sho was worshiped for her beauty, and' was never so proud as when I saw the most distinguished men in tho land vjing with eaeh otter for her sniiles. We livod a year of this life and tlion eame the awakening from my dreani of bliss. We were in one of the provincial towns of southern Franco where, for the first time, I hadm}r lovely wifo's society all to myself. Ilow happy I was then, words cannot express. I remember that day so wol!. It. was me iiiieentn oí May, ana as L walkod homeward through the warm sunshino and balmy air of France, I thongh of Erminie for the flrst timo sinoe Bosalind had thrown her spell aroimd me. I was saying to myself: "It is juat two years sineo I saw her. It was on the fifteenth of May, the day my uncle's dcath opened tomo the gatos of Paradise Then maFe me sigh, and whisper yet lower to my own heart: "Poor Eraiinie! how wol! bhe lovcd rno!" I rcached my home, and entcred, unaónounoed, niy wife's boudoir. Shewas roclining upon a sofa, looding nnspoakably beautiful, and besido her knelt a haiidsonio man, whom I at once reoognizod as an officer in tho Frenoh army, a man of high rank, who had oonstantly doggod the moveinente of Lady Kosahnd in Paris. So, then, he followed her down herc. Perhapsi i shutild have thought nothing of that, but that, just as I oponed the door, I ssw hor clasp her white arma aforrad his nock and kiss him. And biich a kiss! Never, in all our lives, had such a lovo-light shono in those glorious oyes tot me. In that instant the demon of jcalousy, Dg dormnnt, took possvasion of my soul, and striding angrüy mtotlic room I donounced them both so bittprly, thai i Lady Rosalind sprang to her feet with white face and blazing eves. "Ua! ha! ha!" she laughed, scornfully. "Only to think, Edward Palliser. that you siiould faucy 1 raaèried youfor love. It was merely your money, fooi, that tcinpted me 1o stoop from my lijgh rank to wed you." "Wbuld to" God I had never soen youl".I cried, n the bitterness of despair. "UU, that I had.never forsaken Erminio, the aweetest, trucst love of my life." Again Lady Rosnlind laiighed scornfully. "Go back to Erminie, then, whoever she be.M she said, with mockinodisdain. "You fortune is settled upon me, you know, so I really have no further use for you. This gallant ofiicer," tuiniug toward him with a smile that maddencd me, "is the man I love." Great Heaen! was this the woman I had so wildly worshiped? Choking with rage, I turned to the ofiicer who, all this time, had stoodpaleandimmovable as a statue. "Aud you, .■-ir?" I managed to gasp, scarcelv a ble ,o eontrol mysalf. "Lady Rosalind spaaks tho truth, monsieur," he calmly replied. "She is, unhappils your wil'e, though her love ia given to me. Bnt f monsieur desires satisfaction " Thosc were thu last words he ever uttfired. Iilinded wilh jealous fury, I seizeci niy revolver from the mantel and the next instant a bullet went crashing throngh the villain's brain. Thcn I turned toLadyRosalind. How white and slill sho stood, all her ligut scom irozou uito horror. Butlhndno pity ior her. Coming oue stop ue.irer to her, I fired again, :unl that ball tore lts way thronU lior 'id eruel iioart. She feil, bloeding, by her dead lov t"s sido, nnd thcn'- ■thën once morel pointod the revolver, but this time at my own breast "Forgive me, Ei-ininic." i faintly whispered. I pulled the triggor, fired, and then - awoko to iind Erminie herself standing bcsiilo the sofa, jrazing down upon me Wltn a look of niingled anxlety and amusement in her dark-blue eyes. "Why, Ed, what in the world havo you been dreamingi" she asked. "I i liavu stood here watohinc you for the ! past ten minutes, andsuon a look as was on your face just now vronld havo dono credit to a lirst-dass highwayman." I rabbed ruy eyes, arosc, shook my, self tlioroughly, and then took two ór I three turns around the room before I oould fully coaviaco mysolf that tho terrible exporienoo I had passed throuo-h was not a roality. ïhen I sat down beside Ermine and relatcd my wonder ful droam from beginniug to ead. Yot, it Is truc that every ineidcnl heroin reoorded, from tho moment I lay down upon the sofa with tho magazine In my hand, was but part of a strange and teriibly virid dream. "So you thought the oíd loro was best after all, EdP" said Erminie, slyly.aftor listening witli swoet attenüca to'it al!; "better, even, than to bo the husband of a beautifu] counter Hko Lady Rosaliiid?" "ügh! let's not monüon hur agiiin, I dear, she seemed so honibly roal," I oAiciiAjjuu, Buuuuurini;. oui VOU 8C0 I could not bear to loso yo, eren in a dream. Erminie, to rnake perfectly su ro of yoUj I think wo had botter get married vcry soon." "What! without wftitlng tor Unclo Leslie'e nioney?" she asked, with wickcd mischiof in uröry pretty dlmple. I caught her ín my arms. "Uncle's moncy be hauged!" I cxclaimed, fiom tho bottom of ïny soul. "If it could mako ach a i'ool and sooundrel of a man as I was in that, dream, I prny that I may nover touol) a penny of it." Uuole Lesüo is halo and hoarty yet, and oftcn comes to visit Erminie and me, when ho laug-hs with me over mv wonderful drenni?'