Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-08
VOL. XIII.
THE FATAL LETTER.
BY ESTHER BERNE.

but there were heavy black clouds III the sky,
which threatened soon to open and pour down
deluge of rain. The very air was heavy and
oppressive, and the waves came rolling along
the beach with long, sullen roar.
AT each of the front windows of the cottage
parlor stood figure shrouded In gloom. Mr..
Mason drummed on the window seat in a
vague, uneasy way, seemingly unmindful Of the
coming storm and everything about him so in
tently was he wrapped in his own thoughts
His daughter stood gazing earnestly out upon
the ever darkening sea, and listening to its sui
len roar. 1t was in the frightful pause of the
elements, when they seemed gathering strength
for some awful conflict, that the voice of Mr..
Mason was heard rendered terribly distinct to
to his daughter by the unnatural calmpess that
Erootad over everything except the sea.
'Mily."
"Yes' father" said Milly, with her eyes still
fixed upon the waller.
81 do not know what 1t is said Mr.. Mason
solemnly, " but ] feel as if something were
about to happen me-something serious II Is
not often that I am troubled with presentiments
as | am to-day"
" 1t is only the effect of the Storm said Mil
ly, without changing her position. :" You will
be quite bright and cheerful when it is over,
and, father we'll laugh at your presentiments
then"
The father leaned back against the window,
and muttered to himself: She does not know
how should she? As if twenty years re-
morse could bring cheerfulness. AS If / could be
cheerful with this burning pain in my heart.
am an old man now, and could i'll bear the
sneers of the word-but for her it is ten times
worse. Oh! why did l yield to temptation !
Why did | ?" and he sank back with stifled
groan of anguish.
!" 1t will be lost :" cried Milly, suddenly
See, father, the small vessel lying near the
shore They cannot know what a dangerous
coast this is !! ,"
Child" said Mr.. Mason, raising himself,
and speaking with fierce energy, not hearing
or not needing his daughters remark "Child,
if anything should happen to me, secure as
soon as you can the papers in my desk-they
are of great Importance. Through them you
will learn the secret of my lfe-the fatal secret
which has made my life burden. And, Milly
you must promise to carry out my last wishes,
which have transferred to paper aud deposit
ed in my desk Child will you promise, even
though it should bring lifelong misery, perhaps
death upon you? Promise that you will not
spare my memory, but do what justice demands
of you.'
Il promise, was Milly's slow, and solemn
answer.
And then as if the tempest had been waiting
for that critical moment to ratify the solemn
promise just made, the terrible calm was bro
IL, Of
and most terrific storms which he'd ever been
known on the coast before.
Both father and daughter closed their res
pective windows, but still stood in the former
positions as if fascinated by the sublimity of
the scene. Milly's eyes were fastened upon
the water, whose low, sulen means had chang
ed to hoarse, roaring sounds. But in the gath
/ ering darkness and the turmoil of the waves,
nothing could be seen of the little vessel,
which ten minutes before had caught Milly's
attention.
Suddenly her eyes were blinded by a vivid
sheet of lightning, and the next instant there
was heavy fall upon the floor. Slowly recov-
ering. from the effects of the shock she had re-
ceived, NIilly's eyes wandered around the room,
while a vague and underlined fear oppressed
! her.
Right upon the floor where he had fallen
when stricken by the relentless messenger OF
death, right in the sight of his daughter, whose
J gaze rested upon the inanimated mass, lay the
| old man, who few minutes before had gloomi-
| " foretold his own fate. And still the daugh-
! ter gazed on and on, and watched the proceed
| ings of her old nurse, who vainiy sought to re-
store life to the mass, with a sort of fascina-
ton, the horror of which no words can express
By-and-by when the nurse had turned away
sorrowfully from her useless task, the daughter
came resolutely nearer to the dead, whose eyes
had closed so suddenly and mysteriousy upon
the things of this world Forever and ever
had the light gone out of those loving eyes
forever and ever was the pulse stilled, and tht
weary heart at rest. People had whispered
that he had been a hard, stern, even crue
man. He might have been so to the world
but to his motherless child he was ever kind.
The expression of the dead mans face re
minded Aiilly of her sad promise. She hal
fancied that the white lips moved as if II
form the words she had so lately spoken
Promise that you will not spare my memory
but do what Justice demands of you
Half an hour afterwards, Milly was seate
at her fathers desk, reading over and owe
again, with her white face and compressed liz
a letter addressed to herself in her father
hand writing. And in the next room, whic
the old nurse had solemnly darkened, was st
fleming in death, the lines on his rigid fac
growing sterner and sterner, making him loo
even harsher than he had in life. Withou
the storm having spent its fury, was moanin
and sobbing drearily-but through all an
over all, was the sound of the water dashin
: fiercely, madly on the beach.
= But Milly saw nothing heard nothing bu
= that terrible secret, which the letter had r
:, vealed The familiar sights and sounds wit
: in the house, the storm and the raging sea ou
4 side, even that terribly unfamiliar sight in Il
next room, was nothing to her-nothing wht
compared with the secret of her fathers life.
- Over and over again she read the letter b
!, ginning with, To my dearly beloved daug
y ter" and ending with his signature. Eat
:. word in it, even the smallest was weighed Sc
~, arately, until the reader again reached the nar
at the bottom. In the formal phraseoog
and the clear, distinct hand writing of the de
man, was the following traced =
>, al, Alexander Mason, being of sane nil
VI and believing that Heaven has heard I
q. q, prayers and will soon put mereiful ending
4, ~ my life, do solemny affirm to the truth of t
70 following Twenty years ago, was lawy
nc !. struggling for competence. Though I "
'F strictly honest, and never descended to a
u III meanncss, and had consequently gained go
NC character, yet fortune was slow to come to I
&c &c I was not young, and therefore beh'
NJ with a keen disappointment the years passi
10 on, which had once fondly hoped would bri
y me fame and wealth. In the building which
occupied was another lawyers Office lov
down than my OWE, the occupant of whicl
he was once very intimate with Both poor q