Mrs. Georgie Sheldon

“ Star and Mr. Rosevelt followed him to the door as he went out, both trying to cheer him with kind wishes for the future.
“Good-night and good-by,” the young girl said, in tones that sounded to him like an angel’s voice, as she stood in the door-way and watched him go down the steps. “Be sure to come and see us again when we return; the latch-string is always out, as they say at the West, for our friends.”
A mighty sob burst from the overcharged heart of George Richards as he reached the street, and the tears—tears of mingled remorse, gratitude, and relief—rolled thick and fast over his face. ”

“ But it was a long time before Star revived. The shock to her nervous system had been a terrible one, and nature seemed loth to resume her sway after it. But at the end of half an hour her chest began to heave, and a slight tinge of color returned to her lips.
Ralph Meredith, who hung over her in an agony of suspense and fear, would let no one touch her or come near her, save his sister and Mr. Rosevelt; and he found that it required all the strength of his will to keep him from betraying to the gaping crowd the passionate love he entertained for the senseless girl. ”

“ Star, who, in a spotless white wrapper, sits beside him, has grown a trifle matronly in her appearance, a little rounded and fuller in figure, and there is something more of dignity in her bearing; but she has the same star-like beauty—she is not one whit less lovely or less deserving of her name than when we last saw her on her bridal morn.
A year of almost unalloyed happiness passed after that event, and then there was born a fine heir to the Carrol estate—a boy, of whom his father was very proud, and who at once became the pet and pride of the whole household. ”

“ A startled look came into the girl’s eyes at this question, and her heart leaped with sudden pain as her thoughts went bounding over the sea to one to whom she had given the first grand passion of her soul.
“Uncle Jacob,” she answered, gravely, though he could see the quiver about her lips, which she tried in vain to repress, “I am happier than I ever expected to be again. It is useless to regret or mourn over the past. I have tried to be sensible over it, but sometimes, I am afraid, I have not succeeded very well,” she said, with a smile that was a trifle bitter. ”

“ That evening Josephine Richards, the most brilliant girl in the ball-room of the Howard House—the hotel where they were stopping—was made supremely happy by receiving an introduction to Lord Carrol, of Carrolton, Derbyshire, England.
One look into the frank, handsome eyes of the manly stranger, one touch of his hand, one tone of his rich, musical voice as it vibrated in her ears, and she knew that she had met the man whom she should love with the one great passion of her life. ”

“ I should like you to form some pleasant friendship,” the old gentleman returned; then, with a keen glance, he asked: “How are you pleased with her brother?”
“He is quite entertaining.”
“Very fine-looking young man; don’t you think so?”
“Is he?—yes—rather,” was the absent reply; for speaking of England had sent Star’s thoughts across the ocean again, where she saw in imagination a noble, patrician face, with dark, fathomless eyes, and curling chestnut hair; for Archibald Sherbrooke—she could never think of him in any other character—was her ideal of all that was manly and grand. ”

“ Star gave him a wondering look—indeed, all her looks had been wondering ones during the last hour—and opened a little white box, which had until now lain unnoticed beside her plate.
She found inside a morocco case, and springing back the lid of this, an elegant little watch and chatelaine were exposed to her delighted eyes.
“Uncle Jacob! I cannot tell whether I am awake or dreaming,” she cried, a rosy flush spreading over her whole face. “It is the dearest little watch in the world. And is this star on the case made of diamonds?”
“Yes; diamonds are none too good for my star.” ”

“ She is talented, too, to say nothing of her beauty, and she will make you a good wife. I congratulate you both, and there is my hand on it, my lord,” Mr. Richards concluded, heartily, and extending his hand to the young peer, which he took and cordially shook.
But Mrs. Richards, her heart filled with bitterest rage, felt as if she could have strangled her husband with a good relish for taking such an interest in Star’s prospects, while the gorgeous air-castle which his own daughter had built was tumbling to the ground about his ears. ”

“ When that first dance was over, Lord Carrol led Josephine to a seat, and, bowing before her, said, in as light a tone as he could command:
“Thank you, Miss Richards. I suppose our part in this little farce closes now. Allow me to congratulate you upon having assisted in carrying it off in the most perfect manner. I must confess,” he added, a slight shade falling over his face, “that it does not strike me as just the thing to make a mockery of sacred subjects; but since Minnie Shelton, who is a veritable witch, and our guests have enjoyed it, perhaps I should not preach about it.” ”

“ I will bend all my energies to become Lady Carrol. A whole year has passed and he has not married; there was not even any one present to-night to whom he paid particular attention, and it cannot be possible that he is still grieving for that milk-and-water beauty, Star Gladstone. No; I have the field clear to myself, and I swear I will yet be Countess of Carrol. ”

“ The last day of the voyage came, and during the afternoon the two young people were pacing the upper deck, arm in arm, when Archibald Sherbrooke suddenly stopped, and pointing toward a distant city of spires and domes, said:
“Ah! we are nearing New York. A few hours more and we shall be there. Do you know, Miss Star, I shall be sorry to bid you ‘good-by?’”
The young girl’s bright face clouded at these words. A hot flush mounted for an instant to her brow, and her white lids drooped over her beautiful eyes. ”

“ Ralph Meredith found it hard to conceal the bitterness which he experienced, as he realized how gladly Star would give herself to her manly lover when she learned of his fidelity. His heart was still sore over his recent disappointment, but his nature was too noble, he was too generous in his love for her, to wish to place a single obstacle in the way of her happiness, or of the man whom he now deemed worthy of her in every respect. ”

“ Her tone, her glance, and the emphasis which she threw into that last sentence, would have turned half the heads in that room, but they did not move him in the least.
He was constantly thinking of a fair, sweet face, framed in gold; of azure eyes, with white lids and long, curling lashes, and smiling coral lips, with the gleam of small white teeth between; of his bright, beautiful Star—the light of his life. ”

“ What was her horror to see Josephine Richards sitting at the foot of a tree, her hat tossed upon the ground beside her, and holding in her lap the little mad dog against which she had just been warned.
It was a beautiful little creature, and had evidently been made a pet and plaything. It had lovely brown eyes, looking out from beneath its shaggy brows; its coat was as white as snow, while around its neck there glistened the silver collar, and in its pretty ears were the tiny blue bows of which she had been told. ”

“ Star felt wretchedly guilty, with food in her pocket and those hungry eyes looking so piteously into hers; but she knew there was not enough for a crumb apiece, while the life of her friend depended upon it.
Mr. Rosevelt relapsed into partial unconsciousness quite early in the morning, and she was as pale and wan as a spirit, but the look of determination never left her face. She worked over the sick man constantly, forcing food into his mouth as often as she dared, while all the day long not a morsel passed her own white lips. ”

“ He met his mother as he was going through a hall, and she detained him by gently laying her hand upon his arm.
“Has anything disturbed you?” she asked, looking up into his clouded face.
“No, mother; nothing but that farce which has just been enacted. I do not like such things; they seem too much like sacrilege,” he returned.
“Neither do I like them, Archie,” she said, gravely. “We have no right to make light of any subject so serious as marriage; but Minnie is a wild, thoughtless girl, intent only on the excitement of the moment, and did not stop to consider. ”

“ Star, I know that I love you as deeply and truly as it is possible for one human being to love another. You say you love England; you wish to go back and make your home there. Tell me that, some day, I may take you there—that my home shall become your home, and you will be my cherished wife. My darling, you have made yourself very fair to-day—so like the picture I have painted, and which I showed you yesterday, that something has whispered to me that a thought of me prompted it ”

“ Ralph Meredith demanded, in low, fierce tones. “Did she not tell me with her own lips of your baseness and treachery? And do you think that I can take the hand of the man, were he twice a lord, who has ruined the life of”—“the only woman whom I ever loved,” he was about to add, but something restrained him and made him substitute—“an angel?”
Archibald Sherbrooke was very pale now. He was a proud, brave young man, and all the hot blood in his composition had been aroused by this sudden and unexpected attack from the stranger to whom he had been introduced by a mutual friend. ”

“ Your people, too, are generous, free-hearted, and intelligent, while the beauty of American ladies, you know, is proverbial,” he concluded, smiling.
Josephine’s dark eyes drooped shyly beneath his glance, while the blood went rippling to her heart with a thrill such as she had never before experienced.
“I shall remain two or three months longer,” he continued; “and I think when I do return, notwithstanding I love old England very dearly, I shall go with something of regret.” ”

“ Why did he go to a fashionable watering-place and flourish as a titled Englishman, and devote himself to Josephine? Why did he resume the former name upon meeting me again, and lead me to love him, believing him to be a poor artist? No; there can be nothing said in defense of such double-dealing as this. He has cheated and fooled me. I have found him out, and compelled him to own it. It is enough to make me scorn him; but it has been a bitter lesson, and has taught me never to trust a man again,” Star concluded, with vehement bitterness. ”

“ I refuse to obey any longer one who, from the first, has been governed only by feelings of personal spite in all her dealings with me,” Star returned, firmly.
Mrs. Richards could scarcely credit her ears.
She had not imagined that the usually quiet girl possessed a tithe of this spirit.
“Well, Uncle Jacob, what do you think of your little pattern of excellence now?” demanded the astonished woman, turning with an injured air to her uncle, who was nearly as much amazed himself.
“I think the child has been severely tried,” he returned, quietly, whereupon Mrs. Richards flew into another rage. ”

“ She was loaded with jewelry, early as it was in the day. She wore a heavy gold chain, from which was suspended a blue enameled locket set with pearls and diamonds; heavy jewels hung in her ears, broad bands of gold clasped her wrists, while her fingers gleamed with numerous costly gems; and here she was coveting the single ornament which she had seen Star wear.
“I do not like to appear disobliging,” she returned, “but there are reasons why I do not even like to lend it.”
“What reasons, pray, can you have for refusing so simple a request?” Josephine persisted. ”

“ In the evening she would entertain him with her music, while on Saturday they both felt like children out of school; and thus day by day they grew to feel a deep affection for each other.
“She at least does not love me for my money,” the old man would often mutter to himself, with a grim smile, after receiving some thoughtful attention from the young girl; “her affection is sincere and disinterested, and I pray that her gentle heart may never become seared and hardened by the cold world.” ”

“ Ralph Meredith, his feet winged with love and fear, was, as we have seen, first upon the scene of the tragedy, and caught her frantically to his heart just as she was falling to the ground.
“Is she bitten?” he cried, in a voice of agony, and with 289ashen lips, to the stranger, who stood, gun in hand, over the dead dog.
“No; she has not even a scratch; she has merely fainted from fright,” he answered; and throwing down his gun, he took a long pocket-flask filled with brandy from his hunting-pouch, and approached the unconscious girl. ”

“ This spotless toilet was wonderfully becoming to her clear, dark complexion, and her mother’s heart swelled with pride as she looked upon her and knew that she was the most distinguished-looking girl among all that company of aristocrats.
“She cannot fail to win a high position in the world,” she said to herself, as she saw several titled men hovering about her and hanging upon her smiles. “If she fail to win Lord Carrol—if he remains blind to her charms—there are plenty of others, thank Heaven, who will appreciate her. ”

“ It is the nicest arrangement in the world,” Star said, heartily; “and just to think,” glancing around the elegant apartment with a sigh of supreme content, “that I am to be surrounded with all this beauty! It is like a fairy tale, or a dream of enchantment.”
“I told you I had the best mistress in the world,” Mrs. Blunt said, chuckling; “but we didn’t imagine anything like this, Miss Star, that Sunday when we were stoning raisins and stemming currants.” ”

“ The lady who accompanied, and who addressed him, was a year or two younger evidently, and almost as lovely as Star, Ralph thought, although her beauty was of a different style.
Archie Sherbrooke! There surely could not be two young men of the same age, handsome as one of the gods, and bearing the same name.
His heart had bounded into his throat as he heard it spoken, his face had flushed a painful crimson, while his hands instinctively clinched themselves in hot indignation, and he longed to confront the handsome traitor and denounce him for the villainous part he had played. ”