A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
So Annette waited in vain that evening for Dallas Bain to call in reply
to her invitation, and she could hardly wait till after breakfast the
next morning to rush to Daisie and tell her the bad news.
Daisie was still in bed, for her sprained foot was worse this morning
from her rash effort to walk on it yesterday. Tears rushed to her
lovely eyes, and she sobbed aloud with grief and disappointment.
“I see how it is, Annette,” she cried. “He misunderstands me, and is
too proud to give a sign that he cares. He will never forgive me until
I explain everything to him.”
“Write him a letter, and I will carry it to him myself, and plead your
cause in person. Then his hard heart will surely be melted,” returned
the vivacious little beauty.
So Daisie was propped up in bed, and, with a throbbing heart and
blushes that came and went like the roseate glow of dawn, she penned
Dallas Bain the sweetest epistle that ever gladdened a true lover’s
heart.
She was fighting for her life’s happiness, dear little Daisie, and
every word was eloquent with truth and love. Ah, the pity of it that he
had gone away too soon to receive it--gone away with that proud, aching
heart and that distrust of all fair women for the sake of one cruel
misunderstanding.
Annette took the letter and beamed encouragingly upon her forlorn
friend.
“Now, cheer up, Daisie, for I shall have him here to call on you this
evening,” she predicted brightly. “You see, I owe Mrs. Fleming a party
call, and I will go to make it this afternoon. I shall be sure to see
Mr. Bain there, and I will give him this letter, and make sure he reads
it; then all the trouble will be over.”
She kissed Daisie, and went away smilingly, for Annette’s disposition
was bright and sunny; besides, wasn’t her own dear lover coming to see
her to-day? And what more could a pretty girl want to make her happy?
As she did not know at what hour he might arrive, she told her mamma
that if he came while she was absent, to ask him to wait till she
returned.
And, by a very untoward fate, the big, handsome fellow arrived soon
after she started, and when Mamma Janowitz told him where Annette
had gone, he said he would go on and overtake her, as he also was
acquainted with Mrs. Fleming, and would like to make a call at Sea View.
Meanwhile, Annette, all glorious in her new summer silk and big white
lace hat crowning her dark, bewitching face, tripped away to the grand
white house, Sea View, only to meet a most cruel disappointment.
The manservant who opened the door to her suavely remarked that Mrs.
Fleming and her guests all went up to Baltimore this morning, not to
return till to-morrow.
“And Mr. Dallas Bain--did he go with them?” she queried.
“Oh, no, miss; he went away at daylight this morning--took the Northern
train.”
Annette paled with disappointment, and almost burst into tears, as she
asked eagerly:
“Is he coming back any more?”
“No, miss; his visit is over, and I’m sorry for that, too. He was a
fine, handsome gent, was Mr. Bain, and a liberal one, too,” returned
the man affably.
“Where did he go? Can you give me his address?” asked the young girl,
thinking disconsolately of poor Daisie’s letter.
The man replied that he did not know for certain. He thought he had
gone to New York to join Mr. Sherwood.
So Annette went down the steps, after leaving her card for Mrs.
Fleming, and her young heart was very heavy as she walked toward a
vine-wreathed arbor in the grounds, thinking she would rest there a
while before starting on the long walk home.
And just as she entered the beautiful rose bower her betrothed, Ray
Dering, came in at the street gate and saw her going in. His heart
thrilled with joy, and he resolved to slip up unawares and give his
darling sweetheart a most charming surprise.
But Letty Green, Mrs. Fleming’s sharp little maid, had overheard
Annette’s conversation at the door, and, having more than her share
of feminine curiosity, she resolved to find out something more about
Annette’s interest in Mr. Bain, thinking it might be a nice bit of
gossip to tell her mistress while she was dressing her hair that night,
and perhaps be the means of her getting a cast-off silk gown.
So she ran breathlessly after Annette, and rushed into the arbor,
exclaiming:
“Did you want to know Mr. Bain’s address so very bad, miss?”
Annette turned, and saw such a kind, sympathetic face that she clasped
her little hands dramatically, saying:
“Oh, yes, indeed; for I wished very--very much to see Mr. Bain, and I
am cruelly disappointed that he has gone away without letting me know.
It is very sad, very unfortunate, that he went away so soon; but if I
can get his address so as to mail him a letter at once, I shall be very
thankful to you!”
Any one not knowing the circumstances of the case might have supposed,
from Annette’s impulsive words and tearful eyes, that she was
desperately in love with Dallas Bain, and that he had basely deserted
her. The artful maid received that impression, and so, alas! did the
jealous lover listening outside the bower.
Letty Green smiled, and said artfully:
“He must have gone away in anger?”
“Oh, yes, he did; but if I can only get a letter to him soon, I am sure
he will come back at once. Can you give me his address?”
“I don’t know it, miss; but I will find it out from Mrs. Fleming and
let you know to-morrow.”
“Oh, thank you ever so much; but don’t let Mrs. Fleming know you want
the address for a girl, or she might be jealous,” smiled Annette,
bestowing a piece of silver on the girl, who thanked her, and skipped
away.
Scarcely was she out of sight ere Annette was confronted by the livid
face of her jealous and violent lover.
“Oh, Ray, darling!” she gasped, in delight; but the young man caught
her arm in a steely grasp that pained her, while he hissed into her
little, pink ear:
“Don’t call me your darling, false, perjured girl, for I have heard all
you were saying, and I know you have another lover who has deserted
you, and whom you love better than me. But you shall never live to
recall him to your side. I will kill you both for deceiving me! Die,
then, perjured little coquette, and I will soon send your lover’s soul
to join you in Hades!”
There was a flash, a report, and Annette sank down to the ground with a
stifled moan, the blood streaming from her breast, while her maddened
slayer fled wildly from the scene.