Laura Jean Libbey

“ His was a face that women always trusted, and no one had ever had cause to regret it.
"I am going to New York in search of work," faltered the girl, clasping her little hands closely together.
"That is certainly reason enough to weep," he replied earnestly. "May I ask if you have friends there to whom you are going until you can find employment?"
Ida May shook her head, her breast heaved, her white lips quivered, while great tears welled up to the great dark eyes, so like purple velvet pansies drowned in rain.
"I have no friends—no one. I am all alone in the world, sir," she sobbed. ”

“ A wife never loved a husband more dearly, more devotedly than I love you. I would have devoted my whole life to you. I would have died for you! Every beat of my heart, every thought of my mind, every action of my life is for you! I love you as no one else ever will, as no one has loved you! You may live many years, happy, flattered by the women of the world, but no love like mine will ever come to you. The wife who is to you as the dirt beneath your feet is the truest friend you have!"
Eugene Mallard looked terribly distressed as he listened.
"Ida, my dear wife, listen to me," he would say. ”

“ Fate surely intended us for each other, or we would never have met and loved as we do. Oh, my darling, you can not deny it! You do love me, Ida May?"
She strove with all her might to deny it; but, in spite of herself, he wrung the truth from her lips—that she did love him. A sudden light that she could not quite understand leaped up into his eyes for a moment, and a triumphant smile curved his lips.
"We shall be married to-night, Ida!" he cried. "I will arrange it somehow;" and as he uttered the words, he told himself that the great heiress was as good as won. ”

“ The hapless young wife could find no answer to that question; her head drooped, and her lips were dumb.
"I am so glad you told me this," said Vivian; and it was strange that Ida did not notice the ring of triumph in the voice of her false friend as she said: "I will do my best to bring you two together. I do not ask which one is at fault. Both can not be entirely blameless."
"There is a shadow between us which never can be lifted," sobbed the young wife, putting her head on Vivian's shoulder. "There is love on only one side," went on Ida, despairingly. ”

“ When the door closed after them, Hildegarde stood for a moment stunned, with a white, awful pallor on her face.
Miss Fernly watched her in silence.
Was Hildegarde going mad? If she would only cry out, utter some word. But no; only that awful silence. "Hildegarde," said Miss Fernly, approaching her tremblingly, "what can I say, what can I do, to repair the terrible wrong I have done you?"
"The only thing you can do is to kill me," answered the girl, in a hoarse, unnatural voice.
"Oh, my niece! my precious niece, do not say that!" replied Miss Fernly, beside herself with grief. ”

“ Ida May drew a long, deep sob.
"How strange the word 'marriage' sounds to me now," she moaned. "When I hear of a young girl's marriage nowadays, I earnestly pray Heaven that her husband may not deceive her!"
"I am sure that there need be nothing to fear in this instance," said Miss Fernly. "My niece sent me her fiancé's picture this morning. He seems to be a noble young fellow. By the way, I will show it to you," she added, still believing that the one thing needful was to divert the girl's mind. ”

“ Trust me for that. They think I am the heir of my uncle, wealthy old Royal Ainsley, who died recently, and—curse him!—left all his wealth to my gentlemanly cousin, even making him change his name to that of Eugene Mallard, that the outside world might not confound it with mine. Yes, I will marry beautiful Florence St. John, and live a life of luxury!"
In that moment there rose before his mental vision the sweet sad face of beautiful Ida May, the fair young girl whom he had wronged so cruelly and then deserted so heartlessly. ”

“ As she looked at Vivian, she said to herself:
"How foolish I have been to imagine that this brilliant, beautiful girl should care for a man who belonged to another girl."
Vivian had a very fascinating way when among women, and now she exerted herself to please Eugene Mallard's young wife as she had never exerted herself to please any one before.
"What a very cozy boudoir you have, Ida!" she said. "It is like a casket for some precious jewel. How considerate your husband was to have it furnished to suit your rich dark beauty. ”

“ Half fainting with grief and pain, Ida May rushed out into the street.
The sun was shining bright and warm, but it seemed to the girl that the whole earth was dark and gloomy.
Where should she go? Which way should she turn? She would not go back to the little lodging-house for her few belongings; she never wanted to see it again. Let them do what they would with her few belongings. The few dollars that were hers, she happened to have in the pocket of her dress.
"Royal!" she murmured, "I can not go to you in this hour of my deepest woe!" ”

“ Are you looking for a partner now? Shall I find you one?"
"No; thanks, Vivian," he answered. "I am looking for my—my wife. Do you know where she is?"
"Yes," returned Vivian. "I saw her a moment ago. Let me see where it was. Oh, yes; I remember—down by the clump of oaks. She and Mr. Hollis had danced four consecutive dances together, and were resting. By the way," she added, with a gay little laugh, and something like a pout on her pretty red lips, "you must tell her not to monopolize Mr. Hollis, Eugene. It is too bad of her. It does not give a single girl a fair chance, you know." ”

“ Although Ida did not realize what was in his heart, yet she felt intuitively that there was a great change in Arthur Hollis since he had been beneath that roof.
Although he lingered with his feet on the edge of a precipice, yet he stood face to face with the truth—he loved at last with all the passionate strength of his heart and nature.
He said to himself that if marriages were made in heaven, she was the one woman intended for him; she was the only woman in this world that he could ever love. ”

“ In her case, Vivian knew that the old saying was at fault. The strong, passionate love of her heart had gone out to Eugene Mallard, and he was fair. He was her ideal of manly beauty. The faces of other men appeared quite insignificant when compared to his. She was anxious to turn the conversation into another channel.
"I have often thought, amid all this gayety, how lonely you must be at times without some girl friend to talk matters over with you," said Vivian.
"You are quite right," said Ida, eagerly. "I do need a girl friend, some one of my own age, to whom I could open my heart." ”

“ Miss Fernly trembled. She was doing a noble action in righting a terrible wrong, she told herself, and there was no response to the clergyman's appeal.
In a voice which seemed still more solemn, he pronounced the two before him man and wife.
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The bridegroom caught the bride in his arms, and he laughed gayly to see how she trembled in his embrace.
"My wife!" he cried, straining her to his heart. "Sweet," he murmured in a voice just audible to his bride, "to be the lover of the girl you love, is bliss; but to be the husband of the girl you love, is heaven! ”

“ She is very ill," she said to herself.
"If you only felt as well as you looked, my lady," said the girl, aloud and admiringly.
"Do you think I look well, Marie?" she asked, with a pitiful eagerness in her voice.
"Oh, ma'am, if I dared speak the truth without being accused of flattery, I would say I never saw any-one so beautiful in all my life!"
"Do I look more beautiful than Vivian Deane?" was the question that rose to her lips. But she checked the words just in time. At that moment another maid tapped at the door, and inquired if her mistress would soon be down.
"Yes," returned Ida. ”

“ For an instant Ida May was fairly dazed. She scarcely believed that she had heard aright—surely her senses were playing her false. She sprung to her feet, and confronted the girls, who stood, with angered faces, looking at her.
"Surely you can not mean what you say!" she gasped. "What have I done that you should say this to me?"
The ringleader looked at her with withering scorn.
"We do not consider you a proper companion to mingle among us," returned the girl, stolidly. "We all work for our living in this cotton-mill, but if we are poor we are honest. ”

“ Should she confide in Hildegarde the story of Ida May, Miss Fernly knew that the present state of affairs must end.
There were girls who would turn in horror from a man who had done as cruel a deed as that which was laid at the door of the man whom Hildegarde was about to marry. But might not Hildegarde cling to him despite all?
"He is all that is noble," continued Hildegarde, dreamily.
"What if he should cease to love you?" said her aunt. ”

“ At that moment quite a thrilling scene was transpiring at the railway station of the little Virginia town.
The New York Express, which had just steamed in, stood before it, and from one of the drawing-room cars there stepped a handsome man dressed in the height of fashion.
He sauntered into the waiting-room, looking about him as though in search of the ticket-agent.
A woman entered the depot at that moment carrying a little child in her arms. She recognized the man at a single glance.
"Why, Mr. Royal Ainsley!" she cried, "is this indeed you returning to your old home?" ”

“ It is so exquisitely dainty! There is something in the pocket of the dress!" exclaimed the maid. "Does madame wish me to see what it is?"
"Yes," said Ida.
The next moment the girl had produced a tiny box. On a bed of violet velvet reposed a band of plain gold. Within were the engraved words: "My wife!"
The poor girl caught her breath with a sob as the maid handed it to her. The color came and went on her face; her eyes grew dim with tears. It was with the greatest difficulty that she succeeded in hiding her emotion from the maid, whose eyes were intently fixed on her. ”

“ Royal Ainsley immediately joined Ida in the parlor. He found her ensconced in one of the large velvet easy-chairs, looking out of the window, with something very like fright in her great dark eyes.
"Oh, Royal, are you sure it is quite right?" she sobbed. "Did you want me to marry you so very much?"
"What a silly little girl you are!" he cried, impetuously. "Of course, I want you. I could not live without you. I know you must be very hungry, as well as tired from loss of sleep. Come over to this sofa and sit down, and we will talk over our plans." ”

“ The woman smiled as she saw Eugene Mallard's young wife, and appeared annoyed upon observing that she was about to stop and speak to her. She answered her question readily enough, and pointed out the way, a short cut over the meadows, that would bring her near her home. Still Ida lingered, looking wistfully at the young mother.
"I have often seen you, from my window, rambling by the brook-side. You must be very fond of out-door life," said Ida.
"I do love the sunshine," replied the young woman; "but I do not come out for it only for myself, but for baby's sake also." ”

“ At the sight of Eugene, Ida flung up her hands with a wild cry, and sunk at his feet unconscious. Royal Ainsley sprung forward to catch her in his arms, but Eugene dashed up to him.
"Lay one hand on her at your peril!" he commanded.
"And who shall prevent me, when she is my wife?" sneered Royal Ainsley.
"She is not your wife!" cried Eugene Mallard, his face darkening; "and here and now, I propose to avenge the wrongs you have done her. ”

“ My life is of so little account that not one in the whole world would miss me or grieve for me, and then you could marry Hildegarde!"
He drew back shocked.
"You must not speak in that way," he said. "The life of every human being is sacred. You are entitled to your life, no matter what has happened, until God calls you. I do not blame you, my poor girl, for what has happened. I only say we must try to face the future, and to see what can be done." ”

“ The sweetest moment of his life was when he could steal upon her unawares.
He saw no danger, and in the meantime the shadow darkened and deepened. Vivian Deane watched them with exultant eyes.
"It will end in an elopement," she told herself, triumphantly. "Their hearts are drifting nearer and nearer together, and the end is not far off."
Every day seemed to make Ida more cold and careless, and to leave an added sternness upon the face of Eugene Mallard, and a harshness in his voice.
His marriage had been a bitter regret. It was an effort now to even keep up appearances. ”

“ What a terrible thing it is to be young and desolate in the great wicked city of New York! She is so young, guileless and innocent, I hope no ill will befall her. I must remember to look up my friend Ernscourt to learn if he gave her a position or not. I declare, if it were not that I am betrothed to the sweetest girl in all the world, I am afraid I should commit the desperate folly of falling in love with that beautiful, dark-eyed little stranger. ”