Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-10-08

would suppose that she was 100 yoU'5
susceptible, and knew too little OF guie ~
practice stratagem, when the unyleioins P1
sion of idolatrv had taken PosSesoH"' W nc
bosom; for the image of her gallant admire
his elegant accomplishments inc "ltIiie1'es vi
love and romance that ne had ofea'heu 'i'to
hor orr ali occupied her whole soul, and al
though some of his past indIscretlons had In
doed rendered him the object of mistrust, and
she was shy and fearful of the consequences
of matrimony, yet 10 give him up forever, was
more than she could bear, her hrmness gave
way, and she finally resolved to marry him.
Their nuptaIs were duly celebrated and
"never did a couple set forward up the path
OF early and we'll suited marriage with higher
hopes and fairer prospects of felicity" An
tonic proved himself all that his lovely bride
could wish; in word he was all tenderness,
and it truly seemed to be his chief aim TO make
her happy, and preserve unsullled the bright
delneatlon that her own fervid fancy had plc-
tured in the future But how often while we
are revelling in the sunny region OF delighl,
and waiting ourselves IN imagination, 10 the
future brightness of worldly prosperity, is the
invisible arm of the spolIer, uPIltted with
deadly aim against US, and before we are aware
Of APPROACHING disaster, the fatal blow is
stricken and the golden vision forever broken.
II was SO with lneZ.
But short time after her marriage, an an
lucky circumstance occurred that broke IN up
on her ideal world Of pleasure, and destroyed
forever the sweet charm that had rendered eX-
istencc so enchanting.
Antonio had been all day engaged in writ
ing, and toward evening, after adjusting his
portfolio, carelessly left out a letter that had
fallen upon the floor near where he had been
occupying By some accident it reached the
hand of Inez, and would probably have pass
ed unnoticed to its proper owner, had not her
eye glanced upon the address. 1t was direct
ed to female OF whom she knew nothing
Her suspicious were at once awakened, and
unable to avoid a temptation rendered doubly
irresistible by the concurrence of former Cir
cumstances, the letter being unsealed, she re-
solved, at all hazards, to know its contents
Wien she finished reading it the tears were
streaming from her blue eyes, and trickling
rapidly down her pale checks. She replaced
it carefully in the very spot where she had
found it, and heaving deep sigh, threw her.
self into chair and burst into tempest Of
grief and sadness.
The letter was short and simple. It spoke
of the many pleasant moments he had past In
the society of her to whom it was written
and notwithstanding the popularity Of his
situation, in justice 10 his heart, he must con.
TESS that she was still the object of his atfec
tons We may we'll imagine the feelings o
IneZ at the appearance of such words. AS she
was young, and lacked that experience which
| belongs to maturer years, it is not unreasona
Bile to suppose that she might be hurried tC
extremes She would sometimes give way tC
the most ungovernabe transports of affliction
and when in the presence of Antonio, although
her face was as bright and as beautiful as ever
and beamed with as many smiles, still, in spite
of all eXertion TO control her swelling bosom
her feelings would rise above command ant
then she would hurry away to some private
sanctuary, and there pour out her agony II
secret.
1t was a subject the nature of which des
troyed that very communion of thought ant
feeling which should always exist between
husband and wife, and which can alone briny
consolation in the hour of anguish, for it wa
too closely connected with himself, and sh
had yet learned too little of his nature t,
know what the consequences might be, SHOULD
the startling truth break suddenly upon him
that his own wife, at such an early period 0
their marriage had found him to be a hypo
critic. She bore il in silence until it becam
t lnsupportable, and being wrought up, by he
Jealous nature, almost to madness, she at las
, resolved upon retaliation, with the hope G
retaining him.
Not long after, Inez and female attendan
were alone in her private chamber, and froI
the occasional words that might have been ov
, erheard, together with the private character Q
their interview, it was evident that they wer
=, bent upon some scheme of serious and pro
badly of an impracticable nature. Much, say
she, depends upon your secrecy and determ
nation; remember this, and all will end wei
They were seen no longer All this time An
tonic was entirely ignorant of what had trans
. PRED, little thinking that any thing had occur
red to render him the object of mistrust {
r suspicion. The letter in fact, which unfortu
nately had no date, and which to her had tn
appearance of having been recently writer
S was one that he had once addressed to cou:
, in that had long before discarded him, and ha
: at this time probably forgotten that he ha
ever written one of the kind One kind wol
e from her would have solved the mystery, an
/ could she have paused and learned the tru
e sentiments of his heart, she would have foun
= it dominion of which she was the sole MOI
: archess.
?, 1t was at the hour Of twelve on the follow
!, ing night after hopeless search for Inc
i that the same female presented herself to Al
:; tonic. Sir, says she, abruptly, pardon me,
e know it all. was an witness, and a
2 though you see that these hands are no
= reeking in the gore of my murdered nistres
h | am not the perpetrator, for she is, alas, 1
v more. She died her own murderer, and
J. the southeast corner of the old cathedra
l. above her body, have there elevated lit
: mound to mark the spot where she lies Ye
8 with these very hands, snatched from h
# gaping wound the instrument of death Their
e says she, drawing the crimsoned steel fro
:. her own bosom and presenting it TO Antoni
e Here, if you disbeleve me, is the bloody te
O timony OF what tell you. At her bidding
+ now hold it and stand an unwilling accor
o phce in the preparation OF this direful dee
J. and if in so doing. have violated the Law
l. of either man or Heaven, then am still pr
pared to wear the iron manacles OF the Co
n victed culprit
d 1t was an electric shock TO Antonio. T
staggered back aghast and stood for nome
Is petrliied and motionlesS No tear bedew
ID his cheek,-no fiery word OF reproach or fire.
Of zy broke from his lips. 1t was a witheriI
IS stroke that smote his very soul to the cart
c. and calamity, for which no presage had pr
Of pared him. And when unable longer to be
+ in silence, the hellish torture that racked
Is bosom, with adrantic shrek, he rushed fro
h the presence of the fiend that stood before hil
l. and wandering off, was not seen again t
ID several days.
d Strange as it may appear, he never enquir