Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-15
CLEVELAND FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER Is, 1858.


countenance concealed from view until the GER
emony was ended, and Walters clear, musical
voice announced the closing hymn. Then she
raised her head, and her face seen through the
folds Of her costly veil looked haggard and
CHASTITY, as If fierce storm Of passion had swept
over her. By the door she paused, and when
the newly ordained clergyman passed out, she
offered him her hand, which, when he held il
last, was pledged to him. There were diamonds
on it now,-diamonds of value rare, but their
brightness was hateful to that wretched woman,
for she knew at what fearful price they had
been bought
They did not meet sgain and only once more
did Walter see her; thea from our door he look
ed out upon her as with her husband she dashed
by on horseback, her long cloth skirt almost
sweeping the ground, and the plumes of her vel
vet cap waving in the air.
Mrs. Douglas is a fine rider,n was all Wal
ter said, and the tone of his voice indicated that
she was becoming to him an object of indiffsr-
ence. Desperately had he fought with his affec-
ton for her, winning the victory at last, and
now the love he once had felt was slowly and
surely dying out. The next week, tired of our
dull village life, Cora left US, going to Nahant,
where she spent most of the summer, and when
IN the winter We heard from her again, she was
a WidOw,-the sole heir of her husband, who
had died suddenly, and generously left her that
for which she married him.
"Will Walter Beaumont marry Cora nowi'
asked myself many time, without however, az
irving at any definite conclusion, when little
more than a year succeeding Mr. Douglas death
she wrote, begging me to come to her, as she
was very lonely, and the presence of an old friend
would DO her good. complied with her request
and for few days was an inmate Of her lux
uriOus home, where everything indicated the
wealth Of its pOssessor. And Cora, though robed
in deepest black, was more ike hersell-more
Ike the Cora of other days than / had seen her
before, since her marriage. OF her husband she
spoke freely and always with respect, SAYING, he
bad been kinder far to her than she had deserv-
ed. OF Walter, too, she talked, appearing much
gratifed when / told her how he was loved and
appreciated by his people.
One morning when we sat together in her
little sewing room, she said, II have done what
you, perhaps, will consider very unwomanly
act. have written 70 Walter Beaumont
Look and she placed in my hand letter,
which she bade me read Ii was wild strange
thing, telling him Of the anguish she had en-
dured, of the tears she had shed, of the love
which through all she had cherished for him
and begging Of him to forgive her if possible,
and be 10 her again what he had been years
ago. She was not worthy Of him, she said,
but he could make her better, and in language
the most touching, she besougnt him not to
cast her of, OF despise her because she had
stepped so far aside from womanly delicacy as
to write to him this letter. 81 / will not insult
YOU" she wrote in conclusion, " by telling YOU
Of the moaey for which sold myself but it is
mine now, lawfully mine, and most gladly
would share It with you"
you will not send him this : T" I said
" You cannot be in earnest ~
But she was determined and lest her resolu-
ton should give way she rang the bell and order
ed the servant who appeared, at once to take It TO
the office. He Obeyed ard during the day she
was unusually gay, singing snatches Of old
songs, and playing several lively airs upon her
Rhsna and nntSdhessdn ths nr 9Rth P eveiiht hha %@ S. Gle ga
down, and the moon rose over the city, she
asked me to walk with her, and we, ere long,
found ourselves several streets distant from that
in which We lived Groups of people were
entering church near by, and from a remark
which we overheard, we learned there was TO
be a wedding.
Let Us 90 in," she said. " 1t may be some
one know" and entering together, we took
our seats just in front Of the altar.
Scarcely were we seated when rustling Of
satin announced the approach Of the bridal par
ty, and in a moment they appeared moving
slowly up the aisle. My first attention was
directed towards the bride, beautiful young
creature, with fair sweet face and eurls Of
golden hair falling over her white uncovered
neck.
Isn't she lovely y whispered, but Cora did
not hear me-
With her hands locked tightly together, her
lips firmly compressed and cheeks of an ashen
hue, she was gazing f1edly at the bridegroom
on whom, ! too, now looked, starting quickly,
for it was our minister, Walter Beaumont -
The words were few which made them one,
Walter and the young girl at his,side, and when
the ceremony wac over, Cora rose, and, leaning
heavily upon my arm, went out into the open
air, and on through street after street until her
home was reached. When, without word,
we parted, going to my room, while she thro'
the live long night, paced up and down the long
parlors where no eye could witness the work
Of the mighty sorrow which had come upon
her
The next morning she was calm, but very,
very pale, saying not word of last nights ad-
venture. Neither did she speak Of it for several
days, and then she said, rather abruptly, al
would give all possess If had never sent that
letter. The modification Is harder to bear
tl1u W alLer 5 loss. DuL ne VIII not Neli OF u
I'm sure He is too gsod,-too noble" and
tears, the first she had shed since that night
rained through her white fingers. It came at
last, a letter bearing Walters suPerscnption,
and with trembling hands she opened it while
on a tiny sheet was written, a God pity you,
Cora, even as do. WALTER."
Walter, Walter" she whispered, and her
quivering lips touched once the loved name
which she was never heard TO breathe again.
From that day Cora Douglas faded, and
when the autUmnal days were come, and the
distant hills were baihed in the hazy October
light, she died. But not in the noisy city for
she had asked to be taken home, and in The
pleasant room where we had often sat together
she bade me her last good bye. They buried
her on the Sabbath, and Walters voice was
sad and low, as, with Cors's coffin at his feet,
he preached from the words, (" am the Resur-
rection and the Life" His young wife, too,
wept over the early dead, who had well nigh
been her rival, and whose beautiful face wore
a calm, peaceful smile, ss if she were at rest
There was will, they said, and in it Walter
was generously remembered, while to his wife
was given an ivory box containing Corais dia-
monds,-necklaee, bracelets, pin and earrings,
all were there.-and Walter, as he looked up
on them, drew nearer TO him his fair giri wife
who, but for these, might not perchance have
been to him what she was,-his dearest earthly
treasure.