Amador weekly ledger., 1858-04-10

had already embarked on her solitary voyage
over the stormy waves of time, looking back
to pleasant bay brim full of light houses,
from which her bark had been swept by the
ruthless gale of mans falsehood-started up.
and felt new resolutions steal into her little
heart, as she gazed upon the form of one she
was convinced was her rival She dried her
tears with her renewing strength, and stood
looking at the house--the window-where
the light still shown upon the curtain. A
moment after and chaise drove past where
she stood and stopped before the door. She
saw the man get out and secure the horse to
post, and, the door opening on the instant,
food of light from within revealed to her
gaze the false man whose heart she had
deemed her own exclusive property. Ah,
Watkins | She saw him trip up the steps
that led to the front door. and in a moment
more her ears were assaled by volley Of
sounds denoting a welcome more warm than
platonic feeling would prompt.
She was concealed from their view by the
shrubbery, and the surprise was such that she
was irresoute for a moment as to how she
should act She had failed to provide her
self with dagger CT any other murderous
weapon, and hence tragedy was out of the
question. There was, amid the whirl Of
emotion that filled her, strange to say, no
feeling of hatred for the false Watkins
The reproach intended for him she had al
ready transferred to the women whom she
felt had drawn him from his allegiance, but
she could not be brought to hate the man she
had loyedso wel-that she felt she still loved,
maugre all his duplicity The closing door
left her standing in the shadow-in mind as
well as body.
Mrs. Watkins brought her body from out
the shadow, but she thought the shadow
/ from her heart, like the beak of the raven in
Mr. Poe's poem, would be lifted nevermore.
AS she stood gazing upon the window, where
she supposed her Infamous lord was sitting in
guilty dalliance with his Delilah, a white
hand reached outside the curtain and raised
the SASH AS the bee pounces upon the rose
in June, as henhawk dashes among flock
of chickens, as a horsefy darts upon his prey
as mosquito with angry importantly thrusts
| in his bill, so did Mrs Watkins avail herself
of the opportunity of listening. afforded by
| that open sash, and she cronched by IL as u
cat might be supposed to watch by a mouse
hole There was sound of tingng glass
I
able evening, while soft voices modulated to
whisper, said many tender and unntelligi-
BILE things, word here and there of which
alone she was able 20 make out
"What if my partner knew of this !" she
heard him say.
Now that partner she knew meant her,
and that moment she would have given all
the world not to know what she did, and all
the world to have known it, provided she
had not
No matter about your partner" she
heard the female voice say, little pettshy
think of me now"
"Think of YOU 7" he replied; "you are
always present in my thoughts by day and
night"
Do you love me better than anybody
else p the female voice asked
BY these lips vow you are the one of
all Others that | can love-"
And then followed sounds as though, to
seal the VOW he had made, he had kissed the
book he swore by. This was too much for
the nerves Of the widow Watkins. She
went to the front door, Turned the handle,
which made no noise and stood in the entry.
The light streamed through the key hole of
the uoor in which the guilty ones were seat
Ell. She hestated not moment, but burst
ing open the door violently she stood in the
snug little illuminated parlor.
"Oh, James. james," cried she in tone
of anguish as she saw the two sitting on a
Sofa he with his arm around the woman's
waist and table before them set with lux
urious regard for good cheer. She sunk into
a chair, buried her face in her hands aud in
dulged in another meal of grief
+" Mrs. Watkins!p cried the gentleman
starting to his feet
At the sound of his voice, Mrs. Watkins
lifted up her face, Illuminated with glad
surprise, aud met the gaze of Mr.. Wilkins,
who with perplexed air stood gazing upon
her.
To what are we indebted for this visit
Mrs. Watkins" asked he in manner far
from delighted; and turning to the lady, be
introduced Mrs. Green to Mrs Watkins
very formally.
At once the shame Of her position broke in
on the mind of Mrs Watkins. How could
she account satisfactory for her being there,
how for the violence OF her entrance, how for
her excitement But the honesty of her ma
ture would not allow her to excuse herself by
falsehood, and she told them with many
tears the whole story not concealing even
the fact of the letter that she had found in
her husbands pocket. A light at this seem
ed to break upon wilkins, who stepped to
the corner where his coat reposed, aud hold
ing it up to the light felt in its pockets and
drew out several papers, on opening one OF
which il proved to be bill of groceries