"I don"t know what could prevent it, Louise, but I shall be glad when they are really married. I think a wife of the right stamp would have a great influence on Edward."
"Why, mother, I"m sure Ned"s principles are good, and he is steady enough for a young man; I don"t see what particular advantage a wife would be to him."
Mrs. Sherman only sighed.
Louise looked a little disconcerted. "Why, mother," said she, "you act as if you thought something terrible was going to happen to Ned and me, and our only escape was matrimony."
"Louise," said Mrs. Sherman after a pause, "could not Miss DeWolf be prevailed upon to spend the day of the party with us; she would only be a few hours longer away from her father."
"Why yes, I think so," said Louise thoughtfully. "Ned could go for her in the morning. O yes," she concluded decidedly, "Ned can manage that I know."
Little Wolf spent the day above mentioned in Mrs. Sherman"s family.
She was happy; happier than she had been since her return home. The memory of the dreadful night which she pa.s.sed at Squire Tinknor"s had ever since haunted her. It was only when in Edward"s presence that she forgot it, and it would even sometimes cloud a moment of such companionship, as comes only to those whose very life is bound up in another"s. She often said to herself, it was his first mistake, it would never be repeated; he would not dare to indulge again, now that he was convinced how a stimulant would effect him. But, spite of all her attempts at self-control, whenever the well remembered scene came up before her, she was ready to cry out with anguish. The society of Edward"s mother, comforted, and rea.s.sured her. The son of such a mother was exalted, if that were possible, in her opinion, and she instinctively gathered renewed confidence in her own future happiness.
During the day, Mrs. Sherman"s penetrating eye was frequently fixed upon Little Wolf, as if she would read her very soul, and the glimpses which she caught, shining out in her words and actions were on the whole satisfactory.
Louise, who was naturally rather yielding and dependent, involuntarily deferred to her young companion, whose opinions were always independent and often expressed with marked decision. In fact, before the day was ended, Little Wolf"s force of character was felt and silently acknowledged; and little, and rosy, and curly though she was, she had become a power in the Sherman family. But what beauty, what sweetness, what love is potent when opposed to a depraved appet.i.te?
But why antic.i.p.ate?
As Edward was busy in his office the greater part of the day, and the doctor in his professional duties, they saw but little of the ladies, and Mrs. Sherman, antic.i.p.ating their wishes, advised Little Wolf and Louise to dress at an early hour of the evening, in order to enjoy a quiet social hour all together before the party.
The mysteries of the toilet occupied more time than they had calculated upon, and, just as they were in the midst of an important discussion, as to whether pink or white flowers became Louise best, they heard the gentlemen come in.
"There they come," said Louise, "I hear them in the parlor; do, mother, tell them we are most ready!"
"Now Miss DeWolf," said she, turning to Little Wolf, as her mother left the room, "how do you think I look?"
"Why you look like a prim puritan. The roses in your hair look as if they had been taught to grow very properly all their lives and they were not going to depart from early habits, even if they were going to a "hop.""
"Now, do you think they look stiff?" said Louise anxiously.
"Just a little, Miss Louise."
"Please arrange them for me," said Louise, stepping up to Little Wolf.
Little Wolf gave the offending flowers several slight twiches, this way, and that. "There, how do you think they look now," said she.
"O they do look lovely," said Louise, glancing at herself, admiringly in the mirror, why could not I fix them so?"
Little Wolf gave her head a slight toss of triumph, thereby creating a breezy excitement, quite becoming among her ringlets, and the moss rose buds with which they were ornamented. Her dress was white and gauzy, and her every movement floated it gracefully about her slender figure.
Louise was also dressed in white, but there was an air of precision about her, with which although it accorded well with her conservative character, she was evidently dissatisfied, when comparing her appearance with Little Wolf"s.
"I wish my hair would curl like yours," she said, glancing from the reflection of her own smoothly braided locks, to Little Wolf"s dancing ringlets.
"Why I"m sure you look very beautiful indeed, beautiful as a bride, Miss Louise; now, go ask the doctor if you don"t. Don"t wait for me, the doctor is waiting for you; I"ll come directly when I get this lace fixed."
"Well, remember _somebody_ is waiting for you," said Louise, as she left the room.
A shower of compliments fell upon Louise as she presented herself to her brother and lover. "Now don"t waste any more admiration on me, either of you," said she, "save it for Miss DeWolf, she is the most beautiful thing I ever saw. She is grace itself. She touches a ribbon and it knots itself into an exquisite shape, she lays her hand upon lace and it fastens and floats, she gently pats a flower, and it instantly a.s.sumes its most graceful att.i.tude. O Ned, how happy you will be."
The words were still upon Louise"s lips when Little Wolf joined the circle, and somehow, she instantly caught the expression of Edward"s face, and read in it those emotions, with which our pen intermedleth not.
It was very pleasant to look into that quiet parlor, presided over by Mrs. Sherman, who sat regarding her happy children with so much tenderness and pride. But we must not linger, for there are other scenes to be presented.
It was near the midnight hour when pleasure ran highest in the brilliantly lighted ballroom that Edward might be seen leading Little Wolf to a seat. She had appeared on the floor many times, and had at length acknowledged herself weary.
"What a handsome couple," whispered Louise to the doctor, nodding significantly towards them, and her whisper was echoed by many others.
There was a deep red spot in Edward"s cheek, and a flash in his eye, which some might have attributed to the excitement of the occasion, but the doctor and those who knew him well, interpreted it differently. He had several times during the evening left the room with one or two of his friends, who were in the habit of indulging in a social gla.s.s, and Edward"s principles were not such, as to shield him from their influence.
Little Wolf"s quick eye followed him when he went and when he came; not indeed with a suspicion of the truth, for it did not occur to her that he was being led into temptation, but the fact was about to burst upon her.
"Excuse me for a few moments, love," whispered Edward as he seated her, "I will be back in time to dance the old year out and the new year in with you; the next is to be our wedding year, is it not?"
Little Wolf smiled and fluttered her fan to conceal her confusion.
Two gentlemen were engaged in conversation near Little Wolf, and, as Edward left her one of them remarked, "What a pity so many of our promising young men are falling into the habit of drinking. There is young Sherman, if I am not mistaken, under the influence of stimulant."
Although not intended for her ear, Little Wolf caught the words, and her bright smile faded, and her busy little fan dropped in her lap.
The wound so lately healed was reopened, and in it had fallen a corrosive poison. She felt the aching pain, and the eating smart, she begged Dr. Goodrich to take her from the room. She had arisen and was leaning on his arm when Edward returned.
"I see my bird is on the wing," said he claiming Little Wolf"s hand for the forming cotillion.
Little Wolf caught his breath as he leaned towards her, and grew paler, "I cannot dance," said she drawing back.
Edward looked surprised, but the doctor knew what all meant and he turned with her towards the door, when who should they see, but daddy, making his way towards them.
He had evidently come in haste, for his great rough over-coat was only partly b.u.t.toned, his leggins were put on awry, his over shoes were untied and the strings dangled under his feet somewhat r.e.t.a.r.ding his shuffling locomotion. With fur cap drawn low so as to protect his face as much as possible from the biting winds, beard white with frost, and cl.u.s.ters of snow flakes resting upon his broad shoulders, Daddy pushed forward into the throng.
Little Wolf no sooner saw than she ran up to him, "What"s the matter Daddy?" said she.
"Twixt you and me, Honey," said he clutching her by the arm, "the doctor is pretty nigh done fur."
Little Wolf waited for no futher explanation. She gave her little dimpled arm a jerk and was out of the room in a twinkling.
"Bless me, twixt you an"me, it will go hard with the Honey," said Daddy addressing Dr. Goodrich, "your services is needed. Miss Hawley said fetch you right along with the Honey, and, doctor hev" her wrap up right smart, its awful cold and blowy--howsoever, I clapped in two big buffaloes, for I know"d putty well how gals is dressed at sich places. Laws, I expect them are buffaloes would keep her warm if she hadn"t nothing on but that are outside fish net."
For once Daddy made no useless delays. He saw that Little Wolf was well wrapped in as they sped along the frozen river. The horses were put to their utmost speed, but in vain. Little Wolf arrived a few minutes too late to attend her dying father.
With a despairing wail she threw herself beside his dead body. She did not weep, but moaned so pitifully that it was distressing to listen to her.
Mrs. Hawley at length went to her and gently raised her up and removed her hood and cloak. In her haste, Little Wolf had made no change in her dress, and she was too much absorbed in grief to once think of her appearance. The rose buds fell from her hair on the still face of the corpse and her white robes floated over it, while Mrs. Hawley tried to soothe and speak words of comfort to her.
But suddenly her eye fell upon a form at the opposite side of the bed.
It was Hank Glutter. She was pale before, but at sight of him she became absolutely ghastly. Slowly she arose to her feet and went around to where he stood. "Mr. Glutter," said she solemly, raising her hand, as if to p.r.o.nounce upon him some dreadful anathema.
"Miss DeWolf," said Hank, eagerly interrupting her, "do not curse me."