The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-03-09

Oert, pale almost as the dressing gown Sne Wore,
tottered feebly into the room.
g Elinor why, how-what in the name of won
der brought you here - were the planters iucohe-
rent exelamations he moved quickly toward her;
+" you are crazy Elinor-you havn't left your room
! for year.-how did you learn this 7"
"By what gathered last night from Constance's
whispers when she thought asleep, and By
hearing noises about the house at this unusual
hour" she replied; /" and have left my room as
you say truly for the first time in twelve months
to ask if you really intend to sell Gabriees child?
The faithful creature whose last illness
tra,ted by attendance your sick bed. and whose
last hours were made happy by your promise that
her child should never be parted from Constance.
Did you not give her to Constance for her espe-
cal attendant"
% You mistake think, Elinor, about the prom
Use; but it cannot be helped" answered Mr.. Her
bert, 81 assure you nothing but imperious neces-
sity compels me 10 sell hers
What necessity ?'
81 am in debt Elinor; deeply embarrassed:
have refrained on account of your health fiom
mentioning it TO you, but" he added ina very low
voice, "you do not dream how near TO ruin am!
Now he continued aloud, Ego back quietly. l
tremble for the consequences of this imprudence."
81 cannot" answered the wife greatly agtated,
" unless you promise not to sell Angelique How
/ much is the debt We can spare many useless
articles of luxury from the house; my piano, my
jewery. take anything, only do not that which will
darken the few days or months I have to spend
on earth destroy the little of happiness that pain
and weakness may yet suffer me to know"
Mr.. Herbert exceedingly perprxed and
annoyed. After having been a. the trouble to ex-
plain the matter to her, with something nearer
like confidence than he had ever manifested be-
fore, it exceedingly vexat;ous that she still
maiued unsatisfed. What was to be donel
sElinor" said he at last :" do you know that
you are endangerng your life by remaining here'
81 do" she answered; and then there
other awkward silence, broken only by the calm
regular breathings of the the children and the inn
patient drumming of Mooney = riding whip on the
verandah; that worthy having retreated thither
through .manners," which he further Illustrated
by peeping and listening at the open window
| 6 Come, EIiuor, don't be childish. l don't won
der you feel little surprised. but such things hap
pen very frequently all about u.s. and moreover L
tell you there is no alternative. You wouldn't
prefer TO have Nanny sold from her five children
/ or Susan from her husband and little babe. An
gelique has not relative on the place; she is but
child and will soon forget US, and che will in all
probability be purchased by kind and wenhy
family. AS for Constance, tine girl has never been
I particle of use TO her except TO play with, and
she will soon be too old for that. have long felt
that their familiarity should be checked. Lotfie
is devoted to her mistress and will make an excel
lent maid. But come now; this excitement will
kill you. Let me support you back to your room
and send for physician"
Saying this he took her hand 10 lead her from
the apartment; but as she turned TO speak once
more, livid paleness UVer-spread her features,
her eyes were fixed and she fell heavily 10 the
floor.
The planters cool self-posseasion for once des-
erted him. His wife had been i'll for years, and
he was prepared to witness any amount of ner-
vous agitation but he had never her faint be-
f, and eieved her to be dying; mistake which
was no matter of wonder considering her extreme
weakness and that nothing but the most intense
excitement could have nerved her feeble frame for
I'the effort she had made.
i Under the influence of a complete reyulsion Of
feeling, which even, stoical. unimpressble ma
lures will sometimes experience, and suffering
for perhaps the first time in his life, the bitterness
: of remorse. Mr.. Herbert carried the nsensibe
form of his wife TO her chamber, and after des-
patching servant for a physician, stood by the
d-side. chafed her icy hands, and assured her
repeatedly that Angeque should not be sold as
surances which fell upon tnlstening ears. The
death-like swbon continued, and leaving her in
charge of the nurse he returned to the verandah,
where Mooney was making various fdgety de
nonstratohs
Mr.. Mooney" said he abruptly, "once for ALL
shall not sell the girl your horse and wagon
at the door-ride 61et to B was your in
tenton. will meet you at the Exchanges before
noon, and adjust this matter to your satisfaction"
{" Val raly,'' commenced the trader, grufly !:
" I'm not exactly used to that kind of dealing
How do Know
f Hav'nt told you ~ thundered the planter turn
, ing iercely toward him. 81 will meet you before
noon prepared 10 satisfy your claim? What more
, do you want !" and he slammed the door in the
f face of the dcomfted Mooney in style equally at
variance with the reported hospitabe hnbits of
, Southern planters as class, and with the peeu-
ar staidness of demeanor. and proprety of Ian
f guage which chafacterzed our individual planter
per se
Returning to the sick chamber, he stopped to
D remove the light which had been left near the
chidren's bed, and glancing ut Angelique, he saw
a that her large melancholy eyes were open, though
turned from the light, and that heavy drops OF per-
3 siration stood upon her forehead. AS he looked,
Constance moved in her sleep and twined her soft
hand yet more closely about her companion.
f With quckened pulse as if the beauty and ho-
Iiness of the scene were penetrating even the in
d crusta,ons of that selfish heart. the man of the
y world turned land lfet the room.
The threatening cloud had passed over. What
s his own upbraiding conscience. the agony of An
gelique herself the eutreaties Of wife and child