Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-12-12

yet within your reach if you will but rive
to clasp it,
ALAS my friend, he cried, 'you know
not what I have lost. You would fain
administer comfort to me, but you know
not the extent of the wound you would
probe. feel that tomorrow will bring
the crisis of my fate. We can neither Of
US sleep; if you will have patience to listen,
l will recount to you and if ever return to
our native soil, you can tell my friends my
story and my fate.'
l expressed my willingness to listen,
and Archer proceeded at once
i am native of Boston; my profession
is that Of lawyer, yet l had no necessity
to practice it, for | was left an orphan at
twenty, with ample fortune,
did not fall into the course of dissipa.
ton common to young men who are left
their own masters at an early age. Reared
in the path of honor and integrity by a
wise father, remembered and treasured
his counsels long after the lips that uttered
them were crumbling into dust.
The old lawyer, under whom | studied,
had niece; she was the heiress Of fine
estate, which was unjustly withheld from
her by male relative. Her uncle had
given her home, and instituted a suit to
recover her property.
Della Hallet was seventeen when I first
beheld her, and | thought her the lovelest
of her sex. will not attempt to describe
the charms which made me her slave !;
suffice it 10 say loved her with my whole
being.
L sought every opportunity Of securing
her society, and our acquaintance soon ri
pened into intimacy my love was told and
accepted. Della promised to be my wife
on one condition, and that was, if she
gained her law suit, as her fortune would
then nearly equal my own.
L endeavored in vain to combat this
resolution. She was firm against all my
entreaties; she acknowledged her love for
me; but in the same breath told me l should
never call her mine so long as she rem Iined
a beggar.
I left her With the determination to exert
oil my energies in her cause. | would
prove myself worthy of hor, I thought, by
winning her, Animated with this idea, I
at once offered my services 10 her guard IN
they were joyfully accepted. We labor.
ed toge her. The trial day c,mc-the
case was severely contested-the result
gave us decided victory. I bore the
news of our success to Della.
Il have no thanks to speak, she said,
laying her hand in mine; 'th;s is your
reward
Tho wedding day was fixed. With
what joy / awaited the approach of this
eventful period. Time passed On slowly
enough to my eager anticipation. The eve
of the day came. ] was sitting in my Office
when servant brought me the alarming
intelligence that Della had disappeared, no
one knew whittier. At the same time lie
placed in my hand note addressed to
nc, in her well known handwriting.
1 tore it open with trembling hands. I,
contained these few words, which siuce
then have been engraved indelibly up N
my heart:
'Ed,o@rd-Forgive me for having sc
long deceived you. never loved you.
am about to e'ope with him who alone
possesses my heart. Pardon her whom
you have so often called your
DELLA.
| sat in my chair in state of stupor
holding the fatal paper firmly clenched il
my hand, while the moments passed by
UNDECIDED. Heaven only knows how lon!
l should have remained thus if I had no
been disturbed by the entrance of he
guardian.
He noticed my distraction at once, ant
inquired the cause. gave him the lette
silently. 1 could not speak my heart wa
in my throat, and choked MY utterance.-
Could have wept. I should have been re
lieved:
lie read the note; as he did so, tn
greatest astonishment was depicted on hi
face. When he had finished, he exclaim
cd
II is impossible she never would hav
acted thus
Is it not her handwriting p I gaspeG
: He scrutinized the note, word for wore
and his countenance fell as he replied
1T is very like it,
You cannot deny it,
: The resemblance is very great, yet !,
US not be too basty, Edward. will haste
home and ascertain the truth, he said 1
he prepared to depart. Wait until I rt
turp.'
He was gone. had no intention {
awaiting his return. The demon of de- pa
4. was in my soul, and could not bear
look on familiar things. wrote line
my tutor, leaving my property to his charg
r and gathering up what money had in tt
: office, l hurried away.
q That afternoon took the cars for Ne
a York. On my arrival there found tn
It city filled with volunteers for the army
It Mexico. joined them, and obtained
captains commission,
i I have little more to tell. l have cour
Q ed death in many fray, and escape
without wound. l cannot drive Il
h image of her whom so fondly loved, al
= who so basely deceived me, from my min
It She has been the cause oil the everlastir
z grief that consumes me. Something tel
is me that tomorrow my heart will be