Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-03

tefnined, moreover, that | could and
would bear the suspense no longer.
Coed morning, Mr.. Kennedy" said
Benton.
my voice was startlingly husky to my
self as | returned the s~alutation.
You are just too late to see a very
beautiful woman said the man, with
Just the slightest tremor in his voice.
My blood took fire &C once. Sir"
said Hereby, you are a scoundrel /"
What--can-you-mean-sir 2" in
CURED the man, opening his eyes with
wonder.
T.. You are a damnable villain, sir that
Is what | mean-an Internal, smooth
tongued hypocritc. I have found YOU
out, and before | part with you, you
snail IN some way give me satisfaction"
The mans eyes actually filled with
tears. He trembled from head to foot.
and thought he would fall. | saw
guilt in every look and movement, and /
saw that had him, and believed that |
could do what | chose with him.
Have you a room in this building,
sir r. | demanded.
81 have"
Lead me to it."
There was hesitation in his look. and
l repeated my demand with an oath. He
stood irresolute for a moment, and then
said if would wait a moment, until he
had adj usted some affairs in his room, he
would comply with my demand. This
added new food to my suspicious, and |
cursed him for his artfalness. He could
not deceive me, and | reiterated my
demand that he Should show me The
room at once.
did not think that up to this time
the shameful nature Of my suspicious had
really been a~pprehended by him. When
these dawned upon him, there was a fire
IN his eye and a quick, painful swelling,
OF his veins and muscles which / pray
God | may never see again. Pain. in
dlgnation and determination we're all
there, and | felt in a moment that | had
reused a nature who depth and strength
L had failed hitherto to measure. With
great ~selfcontrol, however, he said,
Mr.. Kennedy, you are unjust to a wo-
man whose happiness, | fear, is dearer to
me than you. Did | feel at liberty to
disregard her peace, I would sooner hug
a dagger to my heart than yield for a
moment to your insolence. Even now
you can only enter my room on my con
ditions. Stand here for a moment and
l will call you"
Take your own course" l doggedly
replied.
He passed up the stairs, and l, to
avoid suspicion, looked up at the sky. 1t
was one of those calm winter days that
show a heaven as pure and blue as if a
storm had never stained it. l had stood
thus hardly two seconds, when Mr.. Ben
ton descended a few steps and spoke nv
name. | followed him up the stairs
through a dim passage into a room
chaste in its appointments, but filled with
"a light as soft and pure as if even the
glorious day without had been refined
by passage through some. rare medium.
In my state Of mind | could hardly com
prehend the objects before me at a glance.
But L knew that | was in an artists studio.
Benton was silent, but my eye selected at
once the prominent painting in the apart
ment. l looked, and was struck with a
hit OF shivering. 1t was the portrait of
my bride-my darling Jane. was dumb.
could not have spoken had it been to
save my life.
| have no idea how long I had stood
thus, when Mr.. Benton approached me
and took his my unresisting hand.
Mr.. Kennedy" said he with a chock-
ing sound in his throat, Il know of no
proper way for me to contribute to the
happiness Of one whom [ have loved as |
can never love another, except by doing a
pleasure to the man whom she has hon.
ored with her love. | thought it would
be pleasant to you to have a portrait Of
your wife as she appeared in her bridal
attire, and at my solicitation she has been
here a number Of times to sit for her pic
ture. Her friend, Miss Stevens, has been
here with her, and your servant had jlst
passed from sight when you came up, with
the package containing her dress. If
have done wrong, forgive me but |
thought it would make you all SO happy"
AS he closed these words, uttered with
honest emotion, every one Of which went
like a dagger to my heart, l found
strength to lift my eyes to his. The big
tears were hanging to his eyelids, and his
face, in that exquisite light. was as beau
tiful as if it had been the face Of an angel.
We looked at one another a moment, aud
then moved by a common impulse, threw
ourselves into one another's arms, and
cried, sir-cried like to babies.
0 my God! Tom, that was the hardest
thing that ever happened to me. | was
killed, killed by a magnimity too great for
my mean heat to fathom. | seized him
by the arm at last, led him down stairs,
and took the way to my own house. You
know my impulses, and you know / could
not stop until had made a clean breast
Of it. went straight to my house, kissed
Jane a dozen times, told the whole story,
and made myself ridiculous. Poor Janel
She was ashamed of me, and / do not
think she has got over it yet
And Benton" / suggested.