Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-09

decks deluged with the blood Of my comrades Bu'
to die with the blasting stigma Of traitor attached to my
name is worse than a thousand deaths in action The
Admiral done all within his power and also elaude,
who is the of this clear me- butnyan Letters
have been forged purporng have been written by me
to the Commander of the enemys fleet and by some un-
accountable means, upon opening my trunk, duplicates
of these together with his answers, were found therein
know not who has done this neither can form the least
conjecture for am unconscious of having enemy
board The officers firm in the belief OF my nnocence
but their sympathy avas me nothing The Admiral has
kindly offered to dispatch of the vessels with this
You what his feelings towards me.
could die, dear Mabel willingly, were not for you.
leave you aone and yet alone, for there One Who
will sanctify this afiicton you. Into the Hands Of
Him to Whom have looked for guidance in life,
commit my spirit, believing that He will be with
through the valley and the shadow of death Oh, Mabel,
look unto Him who doeth all things WE'LL and does not
willingly aic His children, and He viii cid you God
grant that We may meet in another word, where the
mystery which hangs around this trial shall all be cleared
away. Adieu. Your afectionate hrspand
CHArBI soHER.
The letter fell fresl Mai1el'g sI4, i.sc sie
burst into tears
cob" she murmured. what could prompt
any one to seek to iniure one so noble as this
letter reveals my father to have been2"
Mrs. Archer did notreply for some moments,
for the reading of the letter had brought vivid
ly to her mind her last meeting with her hus-
band. At last she said
&C You may we'll ask that question, Mabel,
but there was one who did It, Soon after your
fathers death you were born, and the blow fell
less heavily upon me. When you were two
years old visited my friends in the north of
Eng land, and then turned my steps towards
America, for there were but few ties and only
mournful associations that bound me to my ma
tive land. Although the New World was
land of strangers to me, yet they have been
kind, very kind"
"And was his innocence never proved?"
"No yet nearly all believed it. The truth
will only be known in that day when all men
shall render up their account to Hin who is the
author of our existence"
" Have you no likeness of him ;" asked
Mabel
None"
And your suspicious were never aroused
against any one as the author of his death "
g may be unjust, but in my heurt believe
the man who apparently acted 50 nobly in an
attempt to save him, was the instrument who
forged the papers found in his trunk
"You mean Claude?"
" Yes; years afterwards when he again sought
me in marriage, refused him, and he replied
Had you married me Instead of Charles
Archer, this sorrow had not bean yours
That was all he said, yet it was enough to
excite suspicion in my mind. Now, Mabel, do
!, you not see why was panied when you told
me you had promised to bo Mark Lincoln's
{ wife," .---....
81 do. You think he would not wed one
whose parent had suffered an ignominiou,
death"
e " He might be noble enough to throw suct
: an objection aside"
: " But will never marry him, never! sNiC
g Mabel with marked emphasis. HcncoGortl
o he is nothing to me-"
Is Pray for strength to aid you, dear Mabel
o and it will be given you 1t may cause yo'
l. much sorrow, yet that is nothing compare
y with the self-reproach you would feel if yo
lie married him.
y " You are right. will write to Mark, an
tell him my reasons, shall not?"
IL "Yes, Mabel. | am confident he will urg
you to wed him, yet do not Tor moment er
he courage him IN the belief that you can /
aught save his friend''
In ~ will not; yet how hard the task"
ne "True, but do you not believe that in tt
" performance of every duty there is One VIII
fy will assist you?"
~ 81 do"
Mabel arose from her seat and went to hi
bo room. There she dropped upon he knees, al
- =. claspng her hands earnestly together prayt
ao for strength to perform what she believed to t
- her duty towards Mark Lincoln. There was
i Smile upon her lace Wneh she arose, and thoug
= she had triumphcd, the struggle was IL hal
49, one. Opening her writing desk, she drew
% sheet before her, and began to write Near
an hour passed ere she finished the lnissive, III
then folding it, she sent 1t to Mark Lincoln
~ Cato.
W The shadow she had felt slowly envelopiI
~ her heart at last rested there, and all W
- gloom.
as To BE CONTINUED.
ed