The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-06-29

ulu she ra e,accuSng herself as the murder
er of her tcrmer lover, and when ut las,
these alarming symptoms had subsidized,
and were succeeded 10y calm and more
composed state Of mind, she earnestly
vowed, and felt fully resolved never to see
Henry Winters again. But weak, vain.
and crcdu!ous woman! your rcpentant
and hastily formed resolutions, will vanish
before the insinuating tones and graceful
batteries Of the accomplished young Win
trrs. .. ....-.
For several days Henry was debarrcd
from her presence, but by the most perse-
vering efforts, he at LEM 9Th obtained ad-
mIttance, and approaching,iier with that
fascinating manner that lie could so well
assume, he apparently exculpated himself
n tho clearest manner from all blame in
the late melancholy event. He set forth
in high-hown language, his ardent, his
enthusiastic affection for her; he painted
h.all tile coloring Of fiction, his suffer
lngs during her illness, and his absence
from her, and so artfully did he ingratiate
himself in her favor, that her coufiIinp
nature again loved and trusted with all tho
enthusiasm that she had previously mani
tested towards him,-so wholly cngrosscd
was she in his presence, that she entirely
forgot the condition Of her former victim
then lying at the point Of death Most
truthtully did she verify the adagc of tue
author who exclaimed:
'Frailty, thy name is woman ~
Time wore on, and Alice became the
wife Of Winters. The nuptIals were cele.
brated with the utmost spIcndor and mag
nIticcnce; the honeymoon was passed in
continual round Of pleasure and excite
ment; plunged into vortex Of dissipa-
ton,-Alice was never satisfied but when
surrounded by a crowd. Yet, was she hap
py! Was the envied Of many an arsto-
cratic bcle-the apparent child Of fortune
rolling in atfluence and wealth--was she
really the happy being that she appeared,
or did she wear face Of pleasure but a
heart Of paint
II Is not Our purpose to search the heart
of the young wife, or to infringe upon the
sanctity Of the domestic circle yet extel-
nal observation would force upon ali the
conviction, that Henry Winters had not
observed the many VOWS that he so ten
derly made in the hour Of wooing. Instead
OF his evenings being spent with the wife
OF his bosom, they Were passed at a gam.
bling saloon or some other place of fash
ionable amusement; the same reckless
dissipation marked his course, and the
same dissolute companionship were asso-
ciated with his nightly revels. ....
The large amount placed by Winters
in Mr.. Wilson's mercantile business, saved
him for time; but it seemed that this
magnificent establishment was doomed to
fall. Circumstances that the most prompt
and energetic action could not subvcrt,
combined to hasten the downfall, and
twelve months after Alice's marriage, the
same paper from which we extracted n
previous paragraph, contained the follow
ing:
"Mr. James Wilson, principal partner
Of the firm Of Wilson & Co., was found
dead in liS bed this morning, having com
mitted suicide 10y taking large quantity
of laudanum. The reasons which promp-
ted this act, were but too apparent when
it was discovered that he had failed for
heavy amount, and to-day it would have
been proclaimed to the city that he was
bankrupt.
This unexpected intelligence falls like
a thunderbolt amongst the business COM
munity. Many Of our merchants will
doubtless suffer largely"
After this melancholy event, Winters
gathered the remainder Of his fortune now
greatly reduced, and together with his
wife and infant, left the city.
A week had passed since the duel, and
Horace Edgerton still lived.
In room on the second story Of the
house, shone the soft light Of lamp placed
upon side.boar,l. At the opposite end
Of the room on a couch closed in with red
damask curtains, reposed Horace. his head
raised upon pillars, his dark and shining
locks lying in disorder upon them, forming
astriking contrast With the extreme white
ness OF the linen. The white chest of the
young man was uncovered, rs IL the cool.
ness OF the night would aid his breathing.
A hoafse end noisy soahd like the death
rattle, issued from between his cIeocbed
teeth; bic face was of tke liyid hue n
DEATH and bis eyes were parity clssed.---
He was doub,less following one of he de-
iirious drcams that God sends to fhose
who are about to Gall into the strange uui.
verse Of eternity. On one side Of tie bed