Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1855-04-12


also. have hesilated long before con.
clnding to take this sep. But. if you
could know how that have suffered du-
ring the last year, am sure you would
forgive this apparent disregard of your
wishes could die. Willis. to save you
a single Pang; but this torture is far
worse than Gea;h--and l cannot bear it.
There is yet another reason why |
leave you-l cannot be dependent on
your bounty. cannot stay here in the
midst of affiuence and splendor, and feel
that you believe that for such baubles ]
bartered my truth and purity Of heart.
Willis, Willis-you wronged me
there I was young and ihough,less.-
| imagined myself scorned and slighted;
and when you offered me you ha nd. | ac-
ceptrd it--scarce knowing what did.
But God knows that never thought OF
your wealth. had not fallen as low as
thatl
have secured situation as govern
ess. with a salary that will be sufficient
for my moderate wants. and by the time
you are al home | will be far away.
tell you this. because know. that little
as you care for me now. you would not
like to feel that / was destitute of
the comforts of life.
Il intended 10 have written long
letter-to have laid my heart bare be fore
you. that you might see how entirely it
is. aud has long been your own. But |
cannot do it: my pen is palSied (as my
tongue has long BEEN by feeling that
YOU will believe nothing tina, my say.
The secrecy that | maintained with re.
gard 20 my past history was'worse than
folly; but surely the agoay Of this one
thought ought to atone for it.
And now farewell. Willis. nv hus
bend. May the blessings Of the Mos,
High be Upon you evermOre, Would
thai could hear your voice out once
again--then | could so forth upon my
lonely way with stronger heart. But
it may not be: unloved and unforgiven
i must Bill you farewell forever"
No, unloved nor unforgiven! Oh
Ad, laiie my wife. come back TO me
again i cannot live withou, you !" ex
claimed Mr.. Fletcher. as the letter fell
from his nerviess hand. 81 have driven
you to this, my beloved. by my harsh
ness and cruelty, and now my punish
meat is greater than | can bear"
He took up the letle. again, and re-
read il carefully. II gave him no clue
10 her destination; bot he fnnnd in il she
KEY 10 the heart he had learned 10 be-
lievt SO destitute OF feelinS-so cold and
wosldiy. My pen is palsied, as my
pen has long been. by feeling you will
believe nothing | may say" He read
the sentence over and over again: it SEEM
ell so strange tha, be had never though,
of it before. He recalled their Inst in
lefview, previous TO Adelaide's illness.
and he remem bered how tauntingly. how
scort fully he had told her that she could
deceive him no longer. and how sterniy
he had bldden her cease TO mock him
with her pretended love. And yet. af.
ter all shat. he had wondered why she
had held herself so coldly aloof. and
made no effort 20 soften his heart. He
marveled how al his own blindness
and springing up. he rang the bell VIC
lently.
James answered the summons.
Did Mrs. Fletcher leave word how
long she intended to be gomez"
NO, sir: at least | have not heart
! that she did"
Did she take the cars or the boatf
Neither, sir; she went with the car.
rage"
Send Robert to me-"
/ Ii few Clements the goodman ap
peared. ha. in hand.
"Where did you leave your mistress
Roberto"
when did she tell you to come afIe
her?r
She did not tell me TO come at all, sir
She was going on farther with som
friends. who were to meet her there"
when did she expect them?"
"She though; they would be there be
fore she was. but they was not. Sh
would rot let ne wait Cor she said the
would come before night, and had bet
ter return Immediately
Had she much baggage?"
Only one trunk, sir.
"Very well. you may CO."
Willis Fletcher was alone--wife an
child were gone. One was at rest. Blu
IS for the other. oh 4! where was she?-
All night he walked the floor impatiently
for not until the morning dawned coul
he ursue Ibis inquiries.
1t wore away at last, and few fain
glimmerings in the east foretold The &C
ming day. He went forth with stron
heart. He would find her. No power OF
earth should keep her from him. nov
that he knew she loved him; he woul
bring her back TO her happy home again
he would tell her how fondly his hear
had chung TO her even when he believe
her false: he would bid her forget thos
long months Of sorrow, and while he hel
her in his arms and kissed away the tear
that had dimmed her eyes so long. ne
too, would plead for forgivness-he wo'
I tell her that he. too had erred.
One month afterward Willis Fletche
again sat in the same room alone--bu
how he had altered! The fire had ia
ded from his eye-his cheeks were wa
and hsggerd. and his whole bearing hope
less and responding. You would hav
thought that many years had flung thei
L. a n Il IL