Only a Girl's Love

r curves, a placid, peaceful river. Opposite these hills, and running beside the river, are long-stretching meadows, brilliantly green with fresh-springing grass,

efying one of the latter genus; for in a room of a low-browed, thatched-roofed cottage which stood on the margin of the meadow, James Et

flowing white hair, with gentle, dreamy eyes ever seeking the infinite and unknown, he looked like one of those figures which the old

of armor, antique weapons, strange costumes littered the floor or hung limply over medi?val chairs; books, some in bindings which would have made the mouth of a connoisseur water, lay open upo

ge behind the house; then,[2] with a start, he rose, took up his brushes, and turned again to the easel. An hour passed, and still he worked, the picture growing beneath

put his hand to his brow and sighed. Then he turned the picture on the easel, made his way with some little difficulty, owing to the litter, across the room, fo

was he, that the opening of

girl, after pausing a moment at the threshold, stepped into the room, and st

she were not certain of her welcome-as if the room were strange to her, then, wi

piece of armor, and the noise aroused

mbodiment of his evening dreams, and so he sat looking at her, his artist eye taking in the lithe, graceful figure, the beaut

ave sunk back into dreamland, and to the end of his days have regarded her as unreal and visionary; but,

the exquisitely curved lips were quivering with some intense emot

James E

t startled him, and for a brief second he was still dumb, then he ro

y name. I am Ja

in, but still, quietl

me? I am Stella-y

ead and stared at her, and

niece-Harol

3

, in a low voic

"how did you come here? Why-I thought you were at the

exquisite scene beyond, and at that mom

alone, uncl

mured again, sinking into

ut, full, rather, of a trouble

es returned

y, uncle," sh

you are too young to know what the word means. Te

ether. With a sudden, yet not abrupt movement, she

to be borne. And then-then, after papa died, it was so lonely, so lonely. There was no one-no one to

his hand rose gently to her head,

mured, dreamily, looking not at

mbered you, I had never seen you, but I remembered that you were papa's brother, and that, be

but he was silent for a momen

you not

ossed the

ermit us to write, except

y light flashed from t

ad them. We were never out alone, or I would have posted a letter unknown

e waited long, my

lish, full of the impulsive gracefulness of the passionate South in which she had been born

n!-go

4

d. "It was a dreadful thing to do, because if I ha

I not know of this? How did Harold come to send you there?

outside! Well the night just after I had received the money you used to send me each quarter, I bribed one of the servants to leave the door open and ran away. I knew the roa

ured. "A young

sked, looking up into his face

re not well treated, that you were not happy, that I would have permitted you to remain a day, an

sm

ritten with someone lo

first that he had uttered for many a lon

t, Stella! Your father thought it best-I ha

ised h

k of papa, uncle, Why should I? I loved h

wn at her with a touc

an living out of the world, and no fit guardian for a young girl. Oh, yes, Harold knew. He acted for the best, and I was cont

er hand o

ink your life lonely; it will be a Paradise after that which I have left-Paradise. And, see, I will strive to make it less

"It is[5] strange! I never felt my loneliness till

d nestled closer, and there was

are you

ught a

een, u

d inaudibly as he thought, "Beautiful as an angel," but she heard him, an

ful as an angel. Papa used to say that he wished you could have seen

tist n

rless child!

r her, uncle. Papa never recovered from her death. He always said that he

ce again; then

h with scarcely a

as unexpected, but because of its exquisite music. It was like the trill of a bird. In an instant he felt that her chil

and often he used to look at me and say: 'Italy has no part and parcel in you beyond your birth, Stella; you belong to that little island which

nod

ther-always said you were an En

said the gi

she waited silent and motionless. Suddenly he felt h

wn; her face had gone wof

"what is it? Are you

led up

ive simplicity, "I think I am a little hung

lmost to upset her. "Here have I been dreaming and mooning

6

painting here and a lay figure there, and looking aimlessly about as if

unded as if it were a fire-engine station. There was a hurried patter of footsteps outside, the door was

, what's the matt

tion, exclaimed-"Bring something to eat at once, Mrs. Penfold

glancing round the room she failed to see any poor child

child! You've been dr

e, Mrs. Penfold. She has come all the wa

se from h

from Florence,

arted and stare

me!" she exclai

dge rubbed

the old wine. Sit down and rest, Stella. This is Mrs. Penfold-she is my housekeeper, and a good woman, but,"-he added, without l

rd, still flushed and e

aughter that you so often have spoke

door open,"

sir," looking at the bewildered artist reproachfully, "you let the dear young thing sit here

you," said the

nd to rest, and to take her things off. Oh, come with me, m

ld man, "and-and," he added, gent

ella to stop on her way to the door; she came back,

7

her room, the good woman talking the whole w

ful face, as she helped Stella to take off her hat. "Yes, I should have known you, miss, in a moment? And you have come all the way from Italy? Dear me, it is wonderful. And I'm very glad you have, it won't b

ed and blus

Penfold. I ran-I le

ow, it doesn't matter so long as you are here, safe, and sound. And n

t looking through the window, her long hair falling in a silky stream

one whom I can love? Or is it only a dream, and shall I wake in the cold bare room

Penfold had already prepared the table, her uncle standing

lief from uncertainty as to her welcome, the kindness of her reception had alr

y face, and he was almost in the land of dreams again when Mrs. Penfold roused him

starving, sir!" she

raging her to eat, as if they feared she might drop under the table with

and had some difficulty in concealing his disappointment when Stella, afte

ertion that she was rescued from any chance of starvation

8

eams poured in through the window, and i

place it is, un

hing her musingly, as she lean

be very ha

amily. "Yes, and you th

low voice, and with a low si

th an old man, a dreamer, who has parted

sand times no!"

laid it down again. Slight as was the action she saw it, and with the graceful, l

oing to smo

d, eagerly. "No,

filled the pipe for him with her tap

to wish that I had n

bid!" he sa

ife; you must go on as if I had never dropp

e murmured, r

mfortable. I could n

alter nothing, Stella; we

," she murm

and, unseen by him, she drew a chair up and cleare

oking at the curious lumber, and instinctively picking up the books

he wall, and her gaze would wander from it to the painter sitting in the moonlight,

that he cared as little for fame as he did for wealth, and to be allowed to live for[9] his art and dream in peace was all he asked from the world in which he lived but in which he took no part. Presently she came back t

d by the moonbeams-a large white building rearing above the tr

e? I had no idea one was

he replied, dreamily; "it was hid

" she murmured. "Who

one, "the Wyndwards. They have lived there for hun

it a palace in

ore modest. They are contented to call i

id, quietly. "Do you know th

d, but they are not too proud to ask James Etheridge to dinner occasionally; and they accuse him of pride because he declines to break the stillness of his life

she murmured, with a smile. "But I li

nod

ould be more tha

e e

y call him. They have all been called Lords of Wyndward by the people

e asked, gazing at the gray stone

y Wyndward, and a d

ay poor girl?

otherwise than an object of tender pity. She is an inva

Stell

lies there on a sofa, looking down th