The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-12-09


flames of hell till l shuddered Then he
spoke of Annette. and | knew BIZ the trc-
mor of his lips, the huski0ess Of his voice
that he, too, loved my darling. l had
suspected it before, now | was certain,
and it reused the widest feelings of jeal-
ousy. Madly l was boasted of her uu-
conquerable attachment; fool that was!
With a coarse unskillful hand | barred
his own heart to his view till be shrank
from me in agony. Then I was aroused
forgetting all his gratitude for his
great favor in bearing me, senseless, dis.
gusting as was, from the clutches Of
the police or watchman; saving me the
shame of opening my eyes in station
house, aud having my name bruited a.
bout in the public prints.
4 went to the dwelling of Annette. l
was ashered into side parlor where she
lay upon lounge, her large eyes shining
ftfully and looking as if they had never
been closed in sleep.
AS bent over her, she said, softly:
Please don't come so near me, MIR. Is.
lington; am i'll.
4 repeated my own name, looking at
ber with a wonderful glance.
90. if could believe it was not you but
some other she said sighiDg in weary
way, and shutting her eyes tightly though
not SO as to prevent the tears that would
ooze through
.'What can you meant l asked; and
my look of extreme incredulity must have
astonished her.
30 Richard, Richard, you don't know
what you said last night, she cried, con-
vulsively passionately. You don't, you
can't know what you did. O., Richard,
the very recollection crazes me. Don't,
dom t come near me; indeed, can't bear
it. The recollection- terrible, terrible!
For Gods sake, Annette, what did |
say? What did l dol Tell me, that
may ask your pardon on my knees, and
then [ will leave you forever
80, Richard, Richard she moaned'-
Then she caught my hand with iupulsive
tenderness, drew me towards her, laid
her head on my arm, as she said in a
tone that haunts me yet.
II will tell you little, and then you
must 60. 1t will be best for both of US,
Richard-for both 1t may break my
heart, but it would be broken some time,
you know. Richard, | cannot say in
words what you said to me. Now it
would kill ne to hear them. Oh! I new
er thought this would happen-after all
/ ~ III for
Richard, you revealed some horrible
things to ne. Oh! we're you SO wicked
in that foreign country? Did you love
and deceive that poor Spanish girl? O,
God help you, poor Richard! God help
you if you did.'
4 sat stupefed--pale with horror
She looked once in my face, and shud-
dered as she said brokenly--'I could for
give you all but that
i felt like condemned criminal For
while I sat there struggling for voice,
and then told her, that however wicked
| had been, | had never deceived woman.
! 80, l am so glad' she said, sinking
from my arm Oh the pillow Of the lounge.
But Richard, cannot forget last night.
Don't get down to me in that way. |
know now-I knew then that you were
not yourself, and for that reason, be-
cause you will not conquer that fatal
habit, We must part. Don't say another
word my dear; weak and yielding as |
seem, | can be firm. Remember that
your own hand has thrown the cup from
your lips have tried to belie'e'-her
voice grew broken and sobbing-'I have
tried SO hard 70 believe that you were ev.
erytbing good and worthy. You don't
know how l have idolized you, looking
on you as the saviour of ny life. That
is what | have said SO often when they
reasoned with me-'Father, he saved the
life of your child. How can | help low
ing biml %, yes, they all know it; eve
rybody knows it; everybody knew how |
loved you. never took pains to conceal
it; but now, now-I must
Il walked that floor in anguish Of spir-
it. Then [ went to her and said:
"Apnetto you love that canting George
Herrick better than you do me. Don't
UlSSem DIG KNOW IL I'LL huOM NAdt nc
thinks of you, the hypocrite!
i had lashed myself into q fury that
was not to be camed by her gentle repe-
,tion of my name-her pleading looks.
Yes, it must be SO. If you loved me,
you would overlook what happened when
| was not myself Little things like that
would not cause you to dismiss me-
! ''Little thingS! she repeated, with O
reproachful look. 'Ricbard, if you knew
what you said last night, how you insult
ed me, you would never look NE in the
face again
! Farewell, then, forever | almost
howled; and seized Gy hat to go knew
not where.
''Ricbard, just one word more
: If death had been the penalty, could
no: have resisted that plaintive appeal.
: She held forth her arms, pulled me
down again beside her, and sobbed upon
nv neck as if her heart would burst. A
gain and again che essayed to speak, aud
= Il. L ri