Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-29
"ouR COUNTRY Wrong Country

OuI PbayuOuhei Wab1InB OuT UIGS VI OTOkcH
China in the ripping stFeam-hcrc We watch
ed the little fishes as they darted in and out
Of the deeper eddics-hcre we had conned our
daily tasks-hcrc she had listened to tale Of
love, the memory of which seemed mOcking
lcauI, and here, as fnintIy hoped, / found
her. With q halEjOyful, haIfmOaRing cry,
she threw her arms around nv neck and |
could feel her tears dropping upon my face,
as she whispered
40, Lottic, Lottie, We have met again BY
the dear old brook"
For few minutes she EObbed a. il her
heart would break, then suddenly drying her
tears, she assumed calm, cold, digniHcd man.
ner, such rs never had seen in Cora Blanch-
ard. Very cOinpOscdly she questioned mo Of
what had done during her absence, telling
inc, too, Of her travels, Of the people she had
seen, and the places she had visited but not
n word she said about him she called her hus-
band. From the bank where we sat the viii
lagc graveyard was disccrnablc, with its mar
bic cleaning through the trees, and at last her
eye wandered in that direction, she said
=" Have any Of the villagers died ? Mothers
letters were never definite"
EYES," | answered, 'Our minister, Mr.. Sum-
ncr, died two mouths ago."
"Who takes his placer" she asked, and, as
III suspicion Of the truth were flashing upon
her, her eyes turned towards mo with an ca
ger and startled glance.
"Waltcr Beaumont. Tic Is to be ordained
next Sabbath, and you're just in timc," re.
piled, rcgrctting my words the next instant,
for never saw SO fearful look Of anguish as
that which swept over her face, and was sue:
cccdcd by a cold, defiant expression, scarcely
less painful TO witness.
She would have questioned me Of him,
think, had not an approaching fOOtstCp caught
our car, sending n crimson flush to COra's
hitherto marble check, and producing on me
most unpleasant sensation, for knew that
the gray haired nan, now within few PAGES
Of Us, was he who called that young creature
hiS witr. G0kleiSswast the chain by which he
had bound her, and every link was set with
diamonds and costly stones, but 1t had rusted
and eaten to her very hearts core, for the
most precious gem Of all was missing from the
chain-love for her husband, who, fortunately
for his oMn piece of mind, WAS too conceitcd
to dream how little she cared for him. lie
was not handsome, and still many would have
called him finc-looking middlc.aged man,
though there was something disagrceable in
his thin, compressed lips, and intensely black
cycs-thc one bctOkcning q violent temper,
he was exceedingly pOitc-rathcr too much
so for my perfect case, while towards Cora
he tried TO be very aifcctionatc.
Seating himself at her side and throwing
his arm around her, he called her "a little tru.
ant" and asked why she had run away
from him."
Half pctiIshly she answered, "bccause !
like sometimes to be alonc;" then rising up
aud turning towards me, she asked I" il the va.
ter still ran over the old mill dam in the West
woods just as it used to do" saying If it did
she wished to see it. "YOu can't CO." she
continued, addressing her husband, "for i: IL
more than mile, over fences and ploughcd
fields"
This was sufficient, for Mr. Douglas was
very faS,idious in all matters pertaining to bis
dress, and had no fancy for sOiling bis white
pants or patent feathers. So Cora and sat off
together, while he walked slowly back to the
village. Scarcely wns he out Of sight, how.
ever, when, seating herself beneath tree.
and throwing herself fiat upon the ground,
Cora announced her intention of not going
any further.
IL only wish to be alone. breathe so much
better" She said, md when looked inquir.
ingly at her, she continued, "Ncvcr marry
n man for his wealth, Lotto, unless you wish
to become as hafd, as wicked, and as uniap.
py as | ain. John Douglas is worth more
than half million, and yet would give it
all if were now the same little girl who six
years ago wadcd with you through tho snow
drifts to school on that stormy day. Do you
remember what we played that noon, and my
foolish remark that would marry for money
0hd diamonds? Woo is me, have won then
both !" And her tears fell fast on the spark
ling gems which covered her slender fingers.
Just then saw in the distance o young
man whom knew to be Walter Beaumont.
liz seemed to be approaching us, and when
Cora bccaYc aware Of that she started up and
g. 0sping my arm hurried away, saying, as she
cast back fearful glance-"I would rather
die than meet him now. am not prepared"
For tho remainder Of tho way We walked
on i'll siience,- until we reached her mothers
gate, where We found her husband waiting
for her. Bidding me good morning, she fol.
lowed him slowly up the gravcllcd walk, and
saw her no more until the following Sab.
bath. 1t was glorious, beautiful morning !;
and at an early hour the old brick church was
filled to ovcrilowing, for Walter had many
friends and they came together gladly to see
him made minister of God. During the
first part OF the service he was very pale, and
HIS cyC WUUucTCO OIVIt tOWuTOS tu6 large
square pew wherc sat portly man and a
beautiful young woman, richly attircd in satin
and jewels. 1t had cost struggle to bc there,
but She felt that she must look again upon
him she had loved SO much and so deeply
wrongcd. So she came, and the sight Of him
standing there in his early manhood, his soft
brown hair clustering about his brow, and his
calm, pale face wearing an expression almost
angelic, was more than she could bear, and
leaning forward she kept her countcnancc con-
ccalcd from view until the ceremony was
ended, and Walters clear, musical voice an.
unced the closing hymn. Then she raised
her head, and her face, seen through the
folds Of her costly veil, looked haggard and
ghastly, as if u fierce storm of passion had
swept over her. by tho door, she paused,
and when the newly ordained clergyman pas.
sed out, she offered him her hand, which,
when hC held it last, was pledged to him.
There were diGRaOnds on it nOw-diamonds
of value rare, but their brightness was hateful
to that wretchcd woman, for she, knew ct
what fearful price they had been bought
They did not meet again, and only once
more did Walter see her; and then from our
door he looked out upon her, az with her hus.
band she dashed by on horseback, her long
cloth skirt almost sweeping the ground, and
hn nC