Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-01-28


A might have been a good man. With he
It for my guardian angel, lbelieve ] ceul
d have won through and scaled heaven. Wei
n now, suppose, shall go to company that
o more of my Kind than saints and angels.
!, l. Il went to see her one day when sh,
O wasn't quite eighteen, and told her wha
v she had been 10 me all my life, ever sine,
S the days when she used to sit opposite I,
n me in school, a little eight years old child
in her red dresses and white aprons.
: tried to show her the height, and breadth
and depth of my love. / think / made hel
. understand it, as we'll as her gentle nature
V could understand Ihe wild passion of mine
( She heard me all through, and then she
d began TO cry. l have heard of womer
) weeping at such times, for love and joy and
bashfulness, but knew well enough her
, tears were not of that kind. They fell fast.
i They were born of her tender pity--her
sorrow at giving me pain--and they an
swered me as well as words.
'Soon she commanded herself and spoke.
She talked ike an angel. She told me
how much she had always thought of me,
and always should. She would be nv sis
ter, she said fond loving sister, | ut such
love-as asked for she could not give me.
1 II wept then too. 1t was the last time
any tears ever fell from my eyes but bow
ed my head on her lap--I was kneeliug at
\ her feet--and The flood hroke loose
Even after that | did not quite give up
all hope. Time, thought. might work
wonders. Any way, she had been the life
Of my life too long for me to shut her out
fn4 D L. :.
ard comforted myself-it was the only
comfort had--with thinking that even if
she did net love me she loved no other 1t
was just before then that Colonel Eastman
had moved to Ryefeld, and very soon his
son Robert came home TO pass the summer
/ He met Lucia, and they seemed at O ce
greatly interested in one another Ii was
not strange. He was Of her kind --gener-
ons, genial, and loving. | suppose they
were just suited TO each other. Well, /
i haled him. / hal was not strange. either.
/ hated his handsome face, his social man.
ner'. ! gave TO every one of his good
| qualities distinct and separate hate and,
\ because her eyes looked on him with favor,
and more murderous. But dissemb!ed
even eultivat d his friendship. / was
more social and good humored than had
ever been before, and began to gain pop
ularity. But the smiles wore were like
/ flowers growing over volcano.
| .'Af,eI while heard that he and Lucia
were engaged and then | resolved that he
should die. met him just as usual, with
I this deadly purpose in my heart. / even
congratulated HIM on his happiness. But
watched his every movement. close close.
Soon after there came a time which placed
HIM in my power. He was to corle from
Windhau, one day, with five hundred dol
lars he had drawn from the bank the day
before. He wonld come this way. / re-
solved to meet him here. He was not ex-
prcted until afternoon, but / came early in
the mornihg--I was determined he should
not escape me- | stationed myself behind
that clump of poplars, near the Black Pool
Lightning has blasted them since No
wonder had not been there very long
before heard a horses footsteps. / look
ed out, cautiously. 1t was he. He had
started eariy--perhaps 10 make the journey
in the GOODNESS of morning; perhaps-I
gnashed my teeth in silent fury at the
thought--perhaps he was in haste to see
again his falr betrothed.
u had laid my plans as coolly as / tell
them TO you now. / had armed myself, and
resolved, as soon as he should reach me, to
spring from my concealment, fell him from
his horse. and murder him then and there.
OF course there was always the chance
thai he should defend himself and master
mr-the yet more dreadful chance that, if
killed him, should expiale my crime up
on The gallows; but, physically, L am no
coward. | had made up my mind, and
there was no fear that should fl nch
But it happened better than had plan.
ned. For once Satan favored his own.
Before he reached me he dismounted and
tied his horse to the fence on the other side
of the way. The animal booked tired and,
! suppose, bis master was in the mood TO be
mercitul. Then he came esaci oss the road,
and sat down in the very shadow of the
poplars behind which /, his deadly enemy,
was hid. He took off his cap and barred
his forehead to the September morning air.
Then he drew from his pocket miniature,
and bent over it, lovingly. was almost
near enough to hear him breathe. | could
see the features as well "a e. Lucia was
theTe-Lucia, with her soft hair, her eyes
of violet blue, her bewildering smile. Af-
ter nome he pressed il passionately to
his lips, murmuring, fondly,
"'Oh, Lucia, my bride, my darling, my
dear, dear love
al l had meant TO spare his life before,
should have killed him then. might
never win her love. but he should not live
to bask in her smiles-to claim her-,o hold
her in his arms.
~Sofily as a cat l stole from my conceal-
ment. Absorbed in his happy Thoughts, he
neither saw nor heard m unlil | stood be-
hind him and my hands were clasped around
his throat-tight, tight. Then, indeed, he
struggled madly for his life. Blu, never
relaxed my hold. All he'll could not have
shaken it Off Soon he fell down at my
feei-stiIl and stiff, struggling no longer
dend