St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-02-10

from INT III dSohs'
forgetting all gratitude for his great
favor in bearing me, scnseless' dls-
gushing as | was, from the clutches
Of the police or Waterman saving
me the shame Of opening my eyes IN
a station house and having my name
bruited about in the public prints.
| went to the dwelling Of Annette.
l was ushered into a side parlor where
she lay upon a lounge, her cheeks as
colorless as the dead, 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.
Islington Il am i'll"
l started at that as if l had been
shot. "Mr. Islington !"
! repeated my W name looking at
her with a wondering glance.
"Olif l could believe it was not
you, but some other" she said, sigh
ing in a weary way and shutting her
eyes tightly, though not So as to pre-
vent the tears that would ooze through.
"What can you mean ?" / asked,
and my look of extreme ~incrcdulity
must have astonished her.
go Richard !! Richard I! you don't
know what you said last night" she
cried, convulsively, passionately. You
don't, you can't know what you did
o Richard, the very recollection crazes
me. Don't-don't come near me ; in-
deed l can't bear it (; the recollection
oh, terrible, terrible !"
"For Gods sake, Annette, what did
l say =? what did l do? Tell me, that
l may ask your pardon IN my knees,
and then l will leave you forever"
go, Richard! Richard!" she moaned.
Then she caught my hand with i'm
pulsive tenderness, drew me towards
her, laid her head on my arm as she
said in a tone hat haunts me yeti
will tell you a little, and then you
must go. 1t will be best for both OF
us, Richard-best for both. 1t may
break my heart !; but it would be
broken sometime, you know. Richard,
/ cannot say in words what you said
to me. Now it would kill you to hear
them. 0, l never thought this would
happen-after all l have said-all |
have felt for you. Richard, you re-
vealed some horrible things to me.
o, were 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"
l sat stupcfed, pale with horror.
She looked once in my face and shud-
dercd as she said, brokcnly--"1 could
forgive you all but that"
felt like a condemned criminal.
For q while ! sat there struggling for
voice, and then l told her that howev-
or wicked | had been, l had never de-
ceived woman
go, l am so glad !" she said, sink
ing from my arm on the pillow Of the
lounge. But, Richard, l cannot for
get last night. Don't get down to
me in that way. I know now-l knew
then that you were not yourself, and
for that reason, because you will not
nau that fatal habit, we must part.
Don't say another word, my dear,
weak and yielding as seem, l can be
firm. Remember that your W hand
has thrown the cup from your lips.
have tried to believe her voice grew
broken and sobbing-"I have tried
so hard to believe that you were every
thing good and worthy. You don't
know how | have idolized you, looking
on you as the savior of my life. That
is what | have said so often when they
reasoned with me-'father, he saved
the life of your child. How can
help loving him p o, yes, they all
know it everybody knew how ]
loved you. l never took pains to con
ceal it but now-now-I must"
I walked that floor in anguish OF
body and spirit. Then l went to her
and said
Annette, you love that canting
George Herrick better than you do
me. Don't dissemble-I know it all
know what he thinks of you, the hypo-
critic !"
had dashed myself into a fury that
was not to be Gained by the gentle
repetition Of my name--her pleading
looks.
"Yes, it must be SO. If you loved
me, you would overlook what hap.
pened when | was not myself. Little
things Nike that would not cause You
to dismiss me-
Little things I" she repeated with
r%eproachful look. Richard, if you
knew what you said last night, how
you insulted me, you would never look
me in the face again"
Farewell, then, forever" l almost
howlcd ; and seized my hat to 60
knew not where.
Richard, just one word more" L
death had been the penalty | could no
have resisted that plaintive appeal.
She held forth her arms, pulled IN,
down again beside her, and sobbct
upon my neck as if her heart would
burst Again and again she essaye'
to speak, and fresh tears and choking
sobs followed. l was almost dying
with shame and the hot tears presses
to my burning eyeballs, but ! bit m.
lips and kept them back. My Who'll
frame was shaken, but not alone wit
her anguish. There was a scene he'll
up before my soul--a black, disgrace
full scene.
"OnIy to say-dear Dick" sh
gasped forth at last, that if live
l shall never, never marry anybod.
else-and fat any time--I kno,
you have thoroughly reformed-oh
then, if you will take me and love m
still will be yours--yours throug
all time--through all eternity"
Il kissed her many times, and de-
perate, maddened. hating myself an
cursing mankind, ! left her for what
His manner startled me ; his voic
was hoarse and fierce.
ITO come to be a beggar and
pauper at the age Of twenty-nin
through love Of rum"
Another moment and I was alone
A fearful page in the book of a man
history had been unfolded to me.
shuddered as l left the arbor. II
who had talked with me was nowhel
10 be seen.