Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-10-07

=, OHIO, IHURSDAf Y (
! Mrs. Markham was not within; bu, th
beauty of the afternoon enticed me upon
terrace, The extremity Of which commuu
Gated with the walled garden. The gal
was always kept locked. | knew. and onI
the squire and the head gardene: had th
4 keys of it. Sauntering slowly along upo
the turf, and drinking 10 the prospect dream
lily, had reached the extremity fthe wall
and was about to turn, when | heard tn
whispering of voices. could not see wh
the persons were, for they were behind tn
wall in the garden. close below me. The
had no business there, I knew, and ba
probably come after some very choic
melons of the squire's. I made no scruple
therefore, Of listening; but after the frs
few words, feit as though l would hav
given both my ear. .xaiher than have dom
fso. ny = 2
81 tell you. Jane. that now or never i
the time. There is a heap. of money in hi
desk to-day. which viii. 90 to the bank to
morrow. Markham is away at Ruf ham
aud it will not kill him when he comes t.
6nd it gone"
"Never!" said q clear voice, which
knew to be Mrs. Markham's. 81 will die
first. . ! will GO away with you yoursel
before would rob my husband"
"Your husbandl" said the other with a
sneer, "Pooh, pooh. you need not be SO
squeanish for few pounds, since you are
in for SO many pennies already. Why
you've made free of hundreds"
"No: shilling" she interrupted, vehe-
mently-"no; one shilling have you touched
OF his. My own luxuries, my comforts. the
wants of Goes own poor, have gone to
support your proaigacy; but no. one penny
of his Heaven knows"
"Jane," said the ruffian slowly, "take
you good heed to what Iqsay: I'll blow upon
you, and tell all 10 his face. I'll carry YOU
off, swear it, before his very eyes. What
you have known of me hitherto is nothing
to what you shall know of me when you
and come to live together again" |
seemed 10 see and feel through the vail
itself the shu der that ran through that
poor lqdy's frame at these words. IfI had
thought the worst of her, instead Of being
assured, as | then was, that her wicked hus-
band Heaihcote was indeed alive, and perse-
cutting her with power more rrible than
ever, my heart would not have bled for her
less painfully, my indignation against him
would not have risen higher; but es it was,
my teeth were grinding in my wrath, and
my stick was furiousIy griuped, as though it
were q sword. Silently, like thief in the
night, stole down to the we'll, and setting
my feet in some convenient crevices, peered
cautiously above it. Both, luckily. had
their faces turned away from me; but l
could see, even on the man g back, scoundrel
and coward written. His poor wife 3 wrongs
and goodness, and all that I had heard of
his brutality, swept over me IN a sea ofI
Oh, for one quarter of an
hour of my college days, before | had put
IN that ecclesiastical curb! Oh, to have
given him so brief an example of that zone,
NO." which | remember to have had some
kill in, in the bygone time. My years aud
profession, indeed, we're already so far for
gotten that rather wished he might inst
,ave laid his hand upon her in his rage
Ny stick was an ashen one. and would not
lave broken for some time, l think. He |
wanted to do it, could see by the twitch-
ng fingers: the bowed and trembling, but
till graceful fgure-the appealing sobs, for
Which could only guess the meaning-the
'oung life wi,hered aud struck down in its
oy by his cruel threats ani presence-they
moved him not one jot. | dared not trust
myself to look any longer, but resumed my
tation at the foot of the wall. After a
torn Of menaces, met by almost hysteric
xpostulations that grew fainter every
moment. l heard him say: "You know
'here am to be found, woman; and if
'hat demand does not come to my hand
'thin the next eight-snd-forty hours,
ONE to this house as surely as you are my
1ife, land claim YOU" | heard fall upon the
round, and knew bis poor victim had faint
d; butI waited until the wretch-who heed
her no more than if she were a log-had
If the garden and plunged swiftly into the
opse that fringel its Northern side. Iran
D then at the open door, lif sI Mrs. Mark
am from the path, and revived her at the
pring that flowed hard by. She was afraid,
n coming to herself, to lock up at me,
liking me for Heathcote: but / told her how
jhad walked in, seeing the gate open, and
xpecting to find her gardening, and how
feared The heat had been too much isr her.
he was ice-cold, poor thing; but she mur-
ured-"Yes, the heat, it was the heat"
) | supported her homeward up the HILL
got away Immediately, and pretending a
Geographic message, packed up little cur
st-bag, drove down to the railway station
. full speed, and arrived in time for the up !
spress. as had hoped. |,
On the next Wednesday at noon | was :
lck again, and at once took my way down q
the Grange. Mrs. Markham had been b,
,ry i'll, heard, and was now NO better; the ,
uire was even then at her bedside. | sent !
e him upon the plea of very urgent busi- :
ess, and he came down into the library at :
nee. If l had not been in his own house, 4,
nd expecting to meet no otbei but himself, :,
should not have known him. His eyes
ere swollen and dull, his gait tottering, =,
I'd his features white and drawn like the
ce of Jead man. She had told him all
last; his frst and only love, his true, de. Z
4 fa ha IF. .. L.