Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-07-09

Mr.. Lee, feigning an excuse, hastily re-
treated
"What is the matter with Mr.. Lee, Hell
en2" asked Mr.. Berne. He seemed i'm
patient to be off as soon as came up, and
also appeared to be excited"
III did not see that there was anything
the matter with him, father" Was the
faint and equivocal reply.
"What does this mean, Helen ?" He
exclaimed, on seeing that her eyes were
filed with tears, and her cheeks as white
as marble. What has happened to dis
turb you so muchP"
"Nothing, dear father, to give you cause
for alarm" She replied--forgetting her
own feelings in her anxiety to relieve his.
Something unpleasant, ] am sure, has
happened" he persisted, DOR why are you
thus agitated2"
II am ouly suffering the penalty, faith
er, which all must, sooner or later, endure
who have wantonly inflicted pain upon
others-I mean the pangs of guilty con-
science. But let us return to the cabin
this is no place for the explanation it is my
duty to make, and your right to hear
And taking his arm which afforded the
support she really needed, they retraced
their steps, in silence. Helen striving to
nerve herself for the task before her, and
her father lost in conjecture as to the prob
able import of her self accusation.
When he had seated himself, Helen
knelt at his feet, rested her head upon his
knee, and burst into tears. Often, in by
gone days, had she assumed this attitude,
in sportive affection, and looking up into
his face, listened to his expressions of pa
ternal love, or the playful sallies that pro-
voked the merry laugh he SO much loved
to hear. Memory now vividly recalled
those scenes, and, as was his habit then,
though unconsciously now, his fingers
strayed through the mass of raven hair
that had fallen in beautiful disorder around
her neck and shoulders, like
"Tendrills Of the parasite
Around a marble column"
"Tell me, my child" he said at length,
"what is the matter with you'll Can it be
possible that have mistaken Nir. Lees
character, and that he has been guilty"
"Say nothing father, against his char
acter," she said, interrupting him, "for he
is guilty of nothing but the folly Of low
ing one who is unworthy TO be his wife, or
your daughter. 'Tis this humiliating re-
Election that gives me SO much pain and
has, for weeks, been preying upon my
health and happiness"
"You unworthy to be his wife, or my
her father exclaimed, in tones
of astonishment. don't understand you,
Helenl What have you done to merit
this severe self-reproach p
~ have done that, father, for which l
shall incur your displeasure, and the con-
tempt of all who despise artfulness and
duplicity. l have encouraged the address
es Of young men because it Hattered my
vanity; and when had induced them to
believe that their cup of joy was full, have
dashed it to the earth and trampled upon
its fragments. And this have / done
without one thought of the pain they en-.
dured, or of the enormity of my own con-
duct. I have deceived you too; for whom
/ had alienated my friends, / suffered you
to believe that my withdrawal from socie-
ty was the effect of ill-health-hoping
that you would bring me here that 1 might
act the same part which had already cost
me SO dear at home"
Mr. Berne looked at her, with astonish-
ment, while she was speaking-his coun-
tenance betraying mixture of increduli-
ty and painful anxiety. But her manner
and tone left no room to doubt her SINGER
ity, and with modification and wounded
pride, he asked
'Is it possible, Helen, that you, upon
whom / have ever looked as model Of all
that is pure and amiable in woman, have
so far betrayed the honor and dignity of
your sex, hazarded the affection and con-
fdenee of your father and crushed your
own self-respect, as to practice the con-
temptible arts of a deliberate Airt? 1 can
scarcely believe it, though hear the con-
fession from your own lips"
There was sternness in his manner
and harshness in his tone, seen and felt,
by Helen, for the first time. To her, he
had ever been gentle and affectionate, and
this exhibition of displeasure was severe
trial. hut she horo n with fnrt;tnda Che