The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-13
MY GODMOTHER'S STORY!
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER II -tCoNCLrpED.

CHAPTER II tCoNCLCpEDl
Their interview seemed to me endlessly long;
bu, it was not an hour by the li'tle CLOCK mar
licked on evenly in the room where l waited,
before heard Captain Cameron rush down
stairs aud out of the house. Soon after, L
went and joined my poor friend, On, the
change q few such hours make! ! should
hardly have known her all color faded from
the cheek all light from the eye--the very gloss
fiom the rich hair was gone. Her features
were set and rigid. l found her in her own
r, ON putting up veil and wreaths As en-
tered, she said ia a voice the calnness ofwhich
PANIED me more than the widest soba con!d
have done: "These must all be returned they
will not be wanted. My marriage with Capt.
Cameron is broken off. Do not question me.
You will come with me- at once 10 the insurance
Office will You not! Ny father is not dead -
.Oa, Margaret" l loaded. mot to -day-it is
too late. oh. give yourself little time"
ITO day--this moment while nave
strength"
Her manner awed me +; l could not refuse her.
We went through the dreary hustle OF the
streets 10 the heart of the city, not speaking
one word, but her hand from time to time con-
wisely grasping mine. What was there that
could have said to her !! She was Drawer.
frmer better altogether than L. She had never
tor a moment doubled where her dnty lay
When we reached the Office IL was about 10
close, but upon inquiry we found the manager
was stiil there, eng aged III conversation with
one of the directors, to whom both Margaret
and were well known-a fatheriy, beaevo-
lent man, whose presence was some slight COM
fort to me even then He started at the sight
o, her face and ex pressed his fear that she WAS
Ill. Waving the inquiry. sac proceeded to
state, still with the same preternatural calm,
tina, she had reason 10 believe herself not emf,
tied To the sum of f2, 800 realized by the policy
Oh her fathers life, and that she wished 10
take Immediate measures tor transferring II
into the hands of The company adding, that in
the event of their sus aining no loss, she pre-
sumed no measures would be taken agains the
one who had been 80 uahappy AS to perpetruir
fraud.
The establishment her words and manner
excited was ofcpur.e unb Jundrd But toi the
corroboration Of my presence and my grief,
do believe they would have though, her insane.
Tue director seemed ID feel most deeply for
her, and nothing could be kinder than his con-
duct II was arranged that the lawyer who
had drawn up her marriage settlement should
call 1t the Office the following day, aud that
immediate measure should be taken for Ii
Quita,lug the whole claim that the company
might have upon Mr.. Moore. When this was
over, We drove back, still silently On reach
ing our ,usr, ,entured Ia impiore her TO take
some refreshmeut, some rest.
'Notye', - was her reply. Il must watch for
my father
then told her that another besides herself
had seen him, and suggested that she should
write a noe and trust 1t 10 Biduy. who would
keep most TAI thiul watch, IND could give II
unobserved into Mr.. Moore's hands. without
causing him SO great shock rs her sudden alp
pearaace would do. "I}ut, Margiret,' l said
'Mr. Moore may not return--may never re
turn This morning, when you saw him, he
must have seen yOu startas you recognized
him. You forget that his dearest wish is frus
trated by his re-appearance. Some longing 10
Look upon you has brought him back again and
again; but now is it likely that he will run any
further risk OF discovery ~
ale will return she SAID. "!e saw NE
grow pale, and fall back-he will be uneasy
about me-
We rang for Biddy. l had had no time to
prepare her, bu could trust the tact of her
n Hsacfln 10 mai Mp:tn yl IN a nrp
had written her little note. aud gave it to me-
to read. 1t WAS only few words: "Come
back, dear papa, to your Maggie. Ali is known,
but all is safe, aud all Is settled. l Will work
for you, and love you. 1 have no else to
live for now
Biddy came in very grave, for she guessed
how matters stood, and curtsied TO the young
mistress
"Biddy," she said, 'my dear father is alive; l
have seen him, and SO have you. Will You
watch for him, and give him this p
Sure, miss, aud l Will watch we'll; and
when 1t gets dark, I'll slip out of the house.
and walk up and down through the night
I'm thinkin' the master WILL may be, not come
agin till tits late
Margaret reached out her hand. Gle was
good aud kind always, Biddy, till trouble
came. aud then he did not rightly know what
he said or did. He suffered very much; You
must only remember that
why, thin, miss dear, what else should l
remember Sure, and it's He only who made
us MS knows the love that was in the masters
our Lady Of Sorrows herself look We night
and day, for yours is the noble nature intire-
ly aud the finder, too" Aud for Il moment
BidGy's tears fell fast on the little ma rble hand
and then she stole away.
Long aud anxious was Biddy's watch tha'
night and the next; but she never Mr.
No IRE felt persuaded that he had sailed t.
some foreign land and would Willingly have
prevailed upon Margaret 10 leave EidarseN;
but che would not hear of this. She I'M ilored
me 10 remain with her in the lodgings for one
other week, and had short advertisement ill.,
ser ed in the local AS Well as the l. jndou pa
pers, lnteliiRble enough to her father. should
II meet his eye. As for herself, she would sit
all day at the window, hidden by the curtain.
but able 10 command a long reach OF the street.
she hardly ever spoke to me, but she would
wiring my hand, aud when l kissed her sweet
pale face, the tears would some ines gather in
her eyes, but she never relaxed the IL tentuess
Of her gaze l could hardly get her to eat
enough 10 support li;e she seemed to be in a
sort Of trahce. Early in the morning, this
wa'ch " ould begin, Biddy always within cali
and ready to rush out at moments notice:
aud ~ soon as the streets grew dark. Biddy
began u pace up and down. This had gone on
for some days, and We Were sitting one IN ,ru-
ing eilen, and rad, when Henry Cameron sud
denly rushed IN. rose 10 le.tVe the room bu [ he
would not let me 10.
IS y,'' hi said, land plead for me''
Aud then he flung himself down 10y Marga-
refs sior' ana seizing her little hands as They
iav HsiitssIy IN her lap, he kissed them again
aud again, while his whole frame cuiy.rrn
win his strong emotion. IL was SOM. min
utes - ore he spoke.
"MarEaret, cannot part with Won: I have
urea H. cannot ave without you, Margaret
thought could the other dav when van
were proud aud cold You made 40 liIayanc.
for the shock IL was lear all at once OF THIS.
you desp istd me Tor thinking If your fortune
thlnking ior moment that matters nigh b..
hushed up. Perhaps you were right-tiad
knows! But thought, II YOU had 10 ed me-
m pre, your path would not have seemed SO
clear 10 You. thought there was no hing for
II but breaking our engagement or Bur l
caunot lose You'll eau bear poverty, anything
with you. Well leave the country. l eau ex-
change into some other regiment. We can 20
70 ladia. don't care where, SO you 20 with
me. Your unhappy father-I don't want to
sp~ak harsh word OF him, Ma,garet--hls dis
grace can never touch you. You Will never
hear Of him more; To yon he II he dead
] don't care what nay own family say. l
care for nothin. but To nave you tor my own
my Margaret, my own wife-miue for ever"
And winding his strong arm round her waist,
be raised her from the chair where she sai
kissed her hair, her iipe her throat, and elias ped
heS 70 his heart again and az In, as II he never
would part with her more |
A. length she partially disengaged herself |
from his grasp, aDd could see her face. Its coll |
or snd roundness has returned, the SOULS life /
was again there.
"Yoa love me, Henry"
No answer, save n look into her eyes, and
ong kiss GU her fair forehead.
"You love me e. she said again. IL want to
rear the words once more.n
n love you, Margaret So sure as God
60vs b@ers ln~ speak, believe no man ever
ove6 woman more"
"YOa sro willing to marry me. portfonless