The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-04-12

i very we'll, SNOW M0k IN o@0 - MWye
It laid his segar aside, and took his shppere'
a feet down from the chair on which they ha,
q bsen resting
: Cool evening, Madam said the lawye,
i - lady, closely yelled, . moment after eu
y tered the library pray be seated; herr
d take this arm chair near the register Th'
y night j. wild one for . lady to venture out
|, Pray what may b your business with me
4 madam
+ have business Of great moment viii
Mr. Thorne,' the lady replied in I law, husk,
tome, and would speak with him alone
and where there win be no fear Of Interrupt
ton, or Of being overheard
e The lawyer went to the door just in tims
J, to catch sight Of the retrcating form Of John
7 who had been doing servant duty at the KEY
hole. Shutting the door he turned the key
. and wheeled in front Of tia large SCREEN
!, He then drew the curtains, and closed
tightly the window shutters, and taking the
1 large arm chair near his victor, and Us he
} supposed, client, he signifed that he Was
! ready to hear what she wished to c0mmnni-
cate
j The lady, without uttering word, slowly,
and with q quiet, determined delibera-
: ton, raised her veil and confronted the law
, yer.
4 Great God 7 he exclaimed, as he met her
| gaze, starting up and staggering backward,
. Is this Jenny irwin :? Then, quickly draw
ing up near to his visitor, asked her, in q
hoarse whisper, what, in the name Of God
had brought her there, and what she would
have Of him.
i came, Gilbert Thorne, she said, to
have q final reckoning with yon
"A final reckoning with me Did not we
have it six years ago and did you not sign
an agreement, under oath, that you would
never call upon fne, seek me, speak to me
or in any way interfere with, or address me
again What do you mean, Jenny Irwin
i mean this-that when, six years ago,
you tired Of me, and wished to cast me Of,
perhaps for another love, perhaps
mo, mol Stop there, Jenny; stop there.
You know full well that it was not for an
other love. You know that my sense of duty
alone drove me to the step; that provided
handsomely for you
False 1t is false, Gilbert Thorne You
left me worse. than pennyless-helpless
4 friendless hopeless, homeless, aimless
Nay, nay, Jenny; be just Ii you wish
to obtain more from me tell me 40 plainly
but do not deny what have really done
Give me credit oil, at least generosity toward
| you. Did not settle ten thousand dollars
upon you, in cash, when you signed that
| contract which you have this night broken?
Did not do more than one man in thou
sand could have done7 Could hare done
| more
You doubtless remember Gilbert Thorne
eight years ago tonight You will never
forget it after have called it again to your
mind. You came with my brother Dick; you
sat next me at the table it was gay Christ
mas eve; knew not then, and scarcely
thought for long time after, whether you
were married or not; you said fair things
to me then; you often came q welcome guest
at my father board you were not rich then
Gilbert Thorn-far from it; well, you sought
to win my love you ,con it,
A slight tremor oyer-ran the woman's
frame. and drawing her hand across her
forehead, as though to soothe its pain; she |
went on.
Then my brother Dick went away to
California, and who so kind and who SO
brotherly in his attentions as you? Then
came the news of his death-Shot by some |
traitor hand, pursuing his solitary way over
the mountains; then my mothers illness /; |
for Dick was all her love-her death
Another pause, and again the hand was |
pressed upon the forehead. Again she went |
on: /
we thought you very Kind then, Gilbert |
Thorne. 1t was better, perhaps, for father |
that he went as he did-better for him and
better for me-fathers are very blind, and |
mine was binder than all the rest, or he |
might have seen what too late understood |
Was it strange, when he felt the chords Of
life loosening from earth, that he should |
have thought you most worthy of the sacred |
trust of being his daughters guardian, and |
executor of his will? Oh fate oh fate !! |
how cruelty thou dost use me! Well, well, |
Gilbert Ihorne you were my guardian. The |
world reputed my father rich All that he |
left on earth was in your keeping-his for |
tune-and his daughter. You did not take |
that daughter to your home, and cherish her |
as sister, as you promised upon his dyinS |
bed-No, no. | became your mistress; but |
God ABOVE can bear me witness, | knew not |
what | did only know that loved you
worshiped you with all the intensity Of |
strong hearts first affection
4 was very, very happy in those few, brief
months, Gilbert | say it with shame, but
yet cannot help but say it. | used to watch |
for your coming the few times week which |
you spared to me, oh SO eagerly, SO earnest |
w.
i well remember the night which decided
my fate. | have thought OF it many times, |
and never without bitterness and hate until !
to-day. You came to me as usual and after |
our little supper-how sweet those little sup
pers ere!- You told me that a great change
had come over you that your daughter was
growing up--your wife, good, faithful wo-
man was suffering from your neglect; that |
your friends Stunned you that your own |
conscience smote you and many other things |
of like import and then, to cap it all, that
I tcas the cause. You said you had deter
mined, while it was yet in your power,
to break, at single stroke, the ties between |
US, and that each must 60 our ways, never
to meet again. You told me that it had
been a matter deliberately thought of by you,
and that, from the love which you had borne
Cor me, you could not see me 90 unprovided |
for, and that to satisfy your conscience and
your hearts and to insure for me a permanent |
support, you would divide your fortune with
me- and settle upon me the sum Of ten
thousand dollars in cash.
oh, Gilbert Thorne, what a wretched, |
wretched night was that! When life came
back to me, after the full realization Of your
purpose had left me insensible upon the |
floor found myselfupon the bed where you
had placed me, while you, bending over me,
chaled my temples, and sought by every
tender epithet, {, bring me back to reason
II felt all broken, and as though life was
worth no further struggle. You asked me
many, very strange things-ifI would prom
Use never to see you more-if would sign
paper, and if | would be satisfied to take ten
thousand dollars, and call all things square
| said yes !-yes-yes-to everything What
did care for ? What was ten thousand dol
lars to me? Well, you left me, and prom
Used to come the next evening You came,
and with you came friend-you said
brother lawyer--to witness the settlement,
and to make out the papers. remember !
signed great many documents. You told
me to be calm, and not to let the stranger
see me affected, as it would injure you # |
did So was calm signed everything you
told me to, and then, when all was finished,
you handed me paper and little book,
and told me that there was ten thousand
dollars in the bank. for me, which might
a -