The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-06-13
THE REVENGE OF A WOM!N.


Mrs. McFarlune was lady of the noble
Scottish family Of Kerr, who reduced in her
circumstances, had married law regent By
the name of McFarlune. She vas extreme,
ly beautiful and therefore, mvch prs,ered by
the dis'olue young noblemen in Edinburgh.
This was in l7o7. A yourg Engl,hman,
by the name Of Cuyiey, bccnn SO deeply en-.
amured OF her, t!lat he threatened her, If she
would not elope with hIm. TO utterly olast
hel character by cvrrring TINT hc had in.
triguc with her. She could not believe that
he would do so dishonorab'e and unmaEly
an ac'; but he did throw out hints Of public
c"iiee huuse, which convey ed what he had
threatened. The next forenoon she went to
pay visit in distant part Of The town, but
She cou'a not he'2 rcmarhing, that while she
.'me1 TO have become On object Of addi-
iiondl interest - the male sex. the ladies'.
even those with whom she had been on
terms otcIvI recognition. avcrred their eyes
tron her, with an expression, us she the uoh,,
Of contempt.
The lady upon whom she called received
her in the CO dcst manner, ind on an cvn,,-
nation being asked, did not hesitate to men.
tlon what she had heard as the town talk
that morning, Mat Mr.. CayIey protested
himself to be her favored lover. The unfor.
tunnie lady burst in n passion Of tears and
lamentations this Intelligence, protested
her innocence thousand times, and decsr.
ed herself to be only the victim of proli-
gate, but still she saw ,hut she did no, pro.
duce an entirely cScuIpa,ory eff ct upon the
mind of her friend. She welt home in a
statc OF distress bordering on ies 1air. Her
earIy mislor,unes through the severity of
the government; her dependent situation i'm
the houses Of her kInsfol; her unhappy
marriage to man she c0u d never love: and
hnalIy the cruel GOODNESS with which she
had been treated by her former friends in
ihe LnyS Of her depression, all REQUIRED
upon her mnd Tor the most desperate rcso,
IutIons.
Early in the afternoon she SEMI note tn
Mr.. CayIey. requesting in her usual term.
the favor vi hIs company. The receipt of
me DII'et tnrcW hun into transports Of Joy;
tor he believed that his scheme had already
taken effect, und that she was now prepared
to nccede to his proposals. He therefore
dressed himself IN his best style and al the
proper hour Che felt too secure Of his prev
to go soonrr) walked across toe street to
his appointment He was shown into n
room at The bock of the house. where he had
never before been, md wl,re there was
mite furniture besides n picture of Mrs.
painted by Sir John Medina, an
Italian urtist. VIII" long practlscd his trade
IN the Scottish capital. This portrait,
winch he 'cgan to gaze upon with all the
enthusiasm ot lover, represented his mis-
tTess IA style and manner slrIkngly teau.
utul. Tic utmost serenity. united with the
almost innOcence, shOnc IN l.iuse sweetIv
noble textures. Ih4 fair, open brow clowcd
IKE HE summer sky, calmly and cloud!essJv
beautiful. Tie eye shoae with the luslre Of
g'adne and intelligence. and the whole ex,
preston was resolved into an exquisite md
killing smile. Tho lover stood ~ trans.
port before The imngc Of all he held dear ON
anrth' rs 1t he were yielding to an indola-
.rous contemplation OF Its extraordinary
Ovclness, when The door was opened, and
behold The o.gInal!! instead Of the voup,u-
'us smile which shone or the canvass Of
Medina, beautiful fury stood before him
l Heculc not yet grown Old. He started
with horror; Tor not only did she beur in her
the most threatening eusirns.
It passions, but she carried in her hands
wo large pistols, one Of which she held
.x'endsd to him. while she locked the door
behind her, at the same ,ino keeping d
@alch'ul and glaring eye upon her victim.
"Wre,ch" she sud, "yuu have ruined
'ne who never did you wrong. You have
Destroyed me as completely As il you had
me Eielcss beneath your hand.
More than this, you have rendered others
who are dear to me, unhappy forever. NV
have deprived her of the nurture
of q mother; you have fixed upon her uame
a stain which will never be washed out-
And yet, for oil this, society, cruel as it is
To 'ne V'c'lms, provides no punishment
hardly even ccnsure--tp the criminaI.-
Were II not my wiII to prevent you, YOU
might walk away scaihclcss from the falr
scene yon had ravaged. with nothing to
deslurb your triumph, but the lameniaiion
Of so many broken hearts. You shall nor
however, enjoy this triumph, for here you
shall die
Cayley had stood for few minutes. caz.
ing alternately at her face and al the weapor
she held extended toward. him, He heard
her addrG,. as If he heard it not. Bu, a, tho
10 st words he recovered little of his pre.
sence o! mind and made an effort to IN.
prUcch her. She at That moment fired. bur
without effect. The ellor, of raw.np tho
trigger had depressed the muzzle Of the
reupon, ard tho ball entered the floor n, his
feet She lost not an ins,an, to present
and fire the other, the shot of which oene-
traied his breast, aud he fell the mex, MOI
ment before her, with but one indi,,inct
murmur OF ngony-and then all was still.
One briei embrace of her child-a mn.
mcnl at the toilet TO arrange her travelling
dress, which she had previously prepared,
and the beautiful murderess was ready TO fIy.
She instantly Ief. town for the South and
received shelter md cOrcealment in the
house OF her distant kinsman, Sir John
Swln,Un. How long she va, there protect.
ed IS not known; but 1t was probable as
long as the search Ut Justice continued to be
IN the icas. eager. 1t was always under..
stood by those aged persons who knew her
story. and from whom the preceding facts
have chiefly been derived. that she uIti-
mately escaped TO some remote continental
State, where she was supported By con,ri,
buttons from her relations. So closes ona
OF the most lraglcal thles that stain the
domestic annals OF Scotland during the last