White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-05-31

: you day and night. 1t will be needles
to try to do without me; 1 shall max
myself quite useful to you. But how
, you like this room ?"
: Mr.. Gastone only stared at him wit
her large eyes dilated to the utmost, on
/ an angry and insulted expression of couu
tenance.
"Oh, well, ms'am, you needn't be PIT
ont; if you don't choose to talk. it's a
! the same to me, only Victrine said
should find you very friendly and so
ciable-like companion. which would b
pleasant as we are to live here alone bu
he mistook, that's all if you want m
ma'am, Just give three knocks upon III
floor with this stick aad I'll be with yor
il minute. am paid for it, you see,
and insolently bidding her good night
left the room.
'lf you do not come till l call you, i
will be long before you enter again." sal,
the wretched woman to herself, as afte
his departure she looked about to ascer
tain what were her means Of defenc
against the rude treatment which sh
much feared would be offered her. Their
was nothing but the lock upon the doc
and the stick left her TO pound with il
case she wished for assistance. Will
the latter she contrived to fasten the doc
Of her sleeping closet so - to secure her
self within the two rooms.
Upon the waiter was common night
lamp, which she found did not contain
sufficient oil to burn two hours. At thi,
discovery she sat down in despair. A,
she anticipated, she was soon in tota
darkness, the uneasiness caused by wbicI
was increased by the sound of rough vol
ces in the room below; these gradually
swelled till they became boisahps and
unreStrained. Among them, she distinct
ly recognized that Of her lover. Terrified
beyond expression, she crouched upon hen
bed without undressing, and as morning
advanced and the sounds died away she
fell into an uneasy slumber.
Day after day passed in this manner
during which Boyd frequently looked IN
to add insults to her misery. She had
become pale as death and her eyes seemed
larger than ever, contrasted with the
harshness and sharpness which her fea-
lures now assumed. She would have APP
pealed to the kindness of the man, witt
whom she lived, but whenever he appear
ed, the exceeding hideousness Of his coun
tenance repealed her and rendered it i'm
possible; she doubtless could have bribet
him. but all means Of so doing had beer
taken from her.
Thus passed the time till Bernard as.
certained that Boyd. having crept from
one hiding place to another was mostly
secreted in his wife cottage. With the
scenes which followed we are already ac-
qlainted.
On the afternoon of that day, Mrs.
Gastone. almost worn ont with grief, dis
appointments, Injuries and insults. and
despairing of any relief while Boyd was
free to torment her, which, for aught she
could see, would be the case for long
time TO come, resolved that that night
should witness a termination of her mis-
cries, if it brought no relief The thought
OF self destruction bad often occurred to
her, and she had only been preserved from
it by secret hope of again seeing her
children. This, for many days grew
more and more faint, till she found her
self upon the verge of insanity clasping
her hands upon her head and calling
wildly upon her absent ones to suppli-
cate for her release.
She had born to the utmost, and hu-
man suffering must somewhere find Its
limit. Exhausted. she sank upon the
bed which for two days and nights had
been undisturbed.
Suddenly the wretched suffer- was
aroused from the stupOr into which she
had fallen, by the sound Of loud voices
in the entry. unlike those to which she
had nightly become accustomed. Spring
ing from the bed, she listened at the door
with the eagerness Of despair. 1t was her
husbands voice exclaiming:
"Show me to her room instantly your
hearts blood shall pay the penalty if you
have deceived me-"
"Pollow me-" replied Boyd Ia. a
much louder tone than was necessary.
Instantly she heard the tramping Of
footsteps upon the stairs, and wholly
overcome by the fear Of meeting her hus-
band, she few through her sleeping room
to the back entry and endeayOred to Sc
crete herself among some rubbish that
had been left there, instead Of which she
only feel among them and tainted. -
In a moment q strong hand lifted the
latch but the lock yielded not.
"0pen this" exclaimed Gastons, lay
ing bis fingers to Boyd's throat in way
that gentleman by no means rslished.
Dumont. in the mean time, bad laid bis
powerful shoulder to the door and burst
it from its hinges. -ns
Gastone started. and an expression oil
anguish passed over his eOuntenance as
be saw the wretched place in which bis
besutifu! and accomplished wife had been
confined, and for q second his thoughts
were distracted by seeing . rich velvet
dress belonging to her thrown caIelessly
across the chair.
That incident was of vast importance
to Boyd. Finding that he could not for
a moment elude the strong grasp and
vigilsnt eyes of his companions in order
to escape. and having already had too
severe a specimen Of their vengeance to
again attempt it by deceiving them, to-
gether with having glulted himself with
the misery If his victim till Il was no