Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-06-11

GOnttUued FROM 4 t/st "yeD
in his hands. Who would have thought
the hunchback so strongF
Horace Gray reached his home, but
he was more seriously hurt than he was
aware of. The excitement he had al
ready endured in his mind, and the eli
max of his attempted assassination OF the
Arab. in addition to the fearful brulse he
had sustained in the encounter proved
too much for his brain, and he soon lay
in a raging brain fever.
The Arab said nothing about the mat
ter BY some strange chance his own
wound, severe though it may have been,
seemed TO cause him little il any trouble.
He well knew the position OF Horace
GRAY. and that there was nothing TO be
gained. and indeed, in his own case,eyer-
ytbing to loose, by betraying MS folly TO
any one. The game he was playing was
a deem one, and the less he drew atten-
ton upon himself the better. So the
very next morning he played his accus-
toned game with the rajah, Zamine's IA
Their, and permitted the old man to win.
While Yusef and the rajah were thus
engaged together, Famine was alone in
her private apartment Her eyes were
red with weeping, and she sat listless and
unhappy. An open letter lay at her feet,
which she had been reading. A glance
would have shown the reader that it was
from Alfred Howard. it read thus;
MY DEAR ZAMINE,-Almost as soon
rs YOU receive this, hope to be in India,
and by your side, TO consumate the one
great purpose of my life, to look once
more into the clear depths OF those eyes
l love so well, and to listen to the tender
music of That voice which time and dis
tance have not for moment obliterated
from nv heart. l will say no more, be-
cause hope soon to be with you in per-
son. Always your own,
ALFRED HOWARD"
She stopped down, took up the note,
and read it again. How like him it is
open, frank, manly, full Of faith in my
truthtulness. Alas alas how sadly am
] torn by contending emotions. l have
loved him so long and so truly; and now
Yusef-ah, would that l had never seen
the hunchback "
At that moment a knock at the door
leading to her boudoir from the sitting
room, where she was wont TO meet 1u-
sef. and TO recte and read with him, at
tracted her attention, and partially reno
wing the traces of her tears, and smooth
ing back the rich dark hair from her tenn
pies, she opened the door and came ou
TO meet the summons. 1t was Yusef
Famine" said he, Z" have come,pe
haps for the last time, to speak with you
1t depends upon you TO decide" Zaml
ne gazed inquirngly. You have told
me you must be true, and that you vii
love and marry this Alfred Howard ?"
"Yusef-yes," sighed the girl. HI
was my early love; he has been true II
me; / cannot betray his affection"
"And yet you love mel"
"Ah, Yusef! it is cruel for me TO sa.
it,"
will you not fly with me to the tent
of my people? l will love, will ten
you, will heed your slightest wish, an
love you always.
"Yusef, you have never tempted m
thus; say no more. If you continue
counsel me to do that which my heal
and soul denounce, you will forfeit tn
respect and tender regard l now enter
tain for you"
Noble girl, you have stood the test
You have passed through the fiery o
deal, only purer and brighter for all -
AS he spoke, he cast the cloak from hin
which had until now enveloped his pc
son, and said " Behold in me no long
Yuset Hassan, but Alfred Ho'0ard :"
Famine gazed a moment, bewildere
There stood the form of Yusef Hasa
but the deformity was gone. The tru
flashed through her mind with lightniI
like rapidly, and the next moment 81
was pressed 10 his heart.