Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-03-23

mat soHcfhiug more lhhn her own APP
rroa~ ning death weighed upon her niud
and when, in answer 10 his kind md
! delicate enquiries, she confessed that
anxiety regarding the future fate oi her
son prevented her attaining calmness, he
AT once removed her unensincss by pro
missing to protect aud beGi-nd The boy
as long as he proved worthy OF his kind
|. ness.
His words gave peace Ia the soul Of the
dying woman, aud when her last hou
came, she sent lnr Cleveland, and, plac-
my ia his hand The hand ol he, son, sh,
solemnly bequeaIhcd him to his prolec-
'l"n, and died, embracing her child aud
blessing his beneiactor.
Ailrr the death of his mother, Clnrcnce
Lee hecnme an inmate of Clevchnd's
family. lie was u liandsomc boy, abOni
fourteen, intelligent and thong ghtlnl be.
,ond his years, aud deeply sensible of
the vast debt of gratitude he owed hI.
kind protectors. For Louisa, pariicu-
iarlv, he felt the most enthusiastic yenr-
ration. Her attention to his mother had
male n deep iuprr ssiuu on his young
heart, aud The uniform genilencss oi hei
manner toward 4iinsrl!, and the sympa
thy she manifested with his deep giri
for the loss oi his only parent, increased
/ his devote dness, I'LL at last he seemed Ia
/. live only to serve he,, and longed for
an opporiuniiy Ia suffer, or even Ia die,
Il If by 50 doing he could contribute To he'
happiness and prove the sincerity of his
! gratitude.
/ Happiness lends wings To time, and
the days flew rapidly by. Louisa was
awakened from her dreams Of ll'ss 10y u
letter from Mr. Hurnrt, reminding her
that her debt To him would be due in u
shout time, and that he should be com
prllcd TO require immediate payment
ll This letter almost distracted our poor
heroine. With all the economy she
could practise, she had been ublc To save
from her Iillle income onl a very small
portion Of The amount she owed the
rwcllrr Where was she To procure The
remainder She shrunk from the idea
of asking her husband To discharge u
debt contracted before her marriage. and
she knew that the manner IN which ii
had been incurred would meet his Jcci-
dcd Misrepresentation, and lessen her IN his
esteem But what else could be donc
she knew not, and she could only wiring
her hands in utter hopelcssness, and re.
pcnt, ah, how bitterly, but, alas, how
nnavsilinsly, the fatal error into which
her vanity had betrayed her. Tier hus
|. band observed the change in her man,
ncr, bu, she evaded his tender inquiries,
and pleaded indisposiliun IA an eXcCS'
for pallid checks aud detected spirits.
Yet she refused To see u pin, slcian, and
! Arthur began at last 10 fear that III,
sweet wife was growing whimsical aud
capricious, or that she nourlshed in hei
breast some seciet sorrow which would
ultimately destroy the happiness of both
Ii was the evening preceding the day
on which Mr.. l'urnet's bill mus, be paid
or the whole transaction exposed
Cleveland was from home, and Louisa
restless aud miserable, had wandered
into the library. Believing hcrsclito to be-
alone, she gave vent Ia her enoiions.-
| Leaning her head on her hand, she wrpI
without restraint, tiil accidentally raising
her eyes they fell upon the private drawer
Of her husbands bureau. Suddenly II
occurred to her that she had seen him
deposit large sums OF money in that
drawer. What il she should take ,hcnc,
The amoun, Of the jewellers bill could
she not, by the most lia id economy IN he,
expenditures, save from her own income
sufficient to replace the sum before it
| could be wanted. and before It's abstrac.
| iion should be discovered As tins
! thought passed through her mind, sh,
hastily opened the drawer ani took from
thence large pnckct book. Without
! allowing herself moments pause foi
! reflection, she counted out the necessary
auouui, aud hurried from the room, un-
! mindful that the pocket book and its re-
manning contents were lying on the top
! Of the bureau. A. soon rs the door
! closed behind her, figure emerged from,
! behind The heavy window curtain, which
| had hitherto concealed il. Ii was (lnr
| ence Lee, who had been an unnO'iced
but not uuobservant spectator oi the fore
going scene. lie had been entrusted by
H Cleveland with the key OF his private
drawer FOR the purpose of copying some
papers which Il contained. Finding
some difficulty in decyphering one of the
manuscripts, he had taken 1t TO the win
dow that he might have the benefit Of
the lishi. He was standing there when
! Louisa entered the room. SnpposlE2
| she only came for book, he dad not al
Il first think IT necessary To npprlzc her al
! his presence, aud afterwards he wa
withheld, by dellcacy, from allowing her
to discover that her emotions had been
| perceived, or her actions wItne ssed. -
II There was something IN her manner
I which convinced hIm that her abstrac-
| lion Of the money was not sanctioned 10y
her husband, but he believed her inca
pnble of even an unworthy thought, and,
mysterious as her conduct appeared, hr
dld not Tor moment doubt that II was
influenced by pure and noble motives. -
Yet he hud penetration enough 10 ioresee
\ that painful consequences might result
from what had passed, and he hailed the
a.. 4