, 1862-10-09

earth free man. His sister met him, and b.
hind her fingered that other woman, no longer
the fresh and sweet young girl be bad known,
but Wrinkled and pale, with lines Of grey n her
dark hair, and, traces of the age that was efsep-
ing on, IN her thin and slIghtly bent hgure, %
unlike the rounded form that had once seemed
90 beautiful IN bis eyss dare not portray the
meeting. There are passages N every human
life too sacred. for words and n ne lives II
those who have so deeply suffered there q Z
mystery Of grief, and fSthomleM ocean Of ioy,
In such reunions, that Il were daring 70 invade
6y aught 20 poor a. language. lsis enough that
the barriers Of those silent years wesp al swept
away, and elaudius came home q once q lhs
hearts that had loved him 80 long. And Alice
Fletcher completed her lonk-iIis sacrifice when.
laying aside Al Jealousy u ! lore greater than
she could claim, she smiled ubob The late bridal
Of the longoving pair, and fslt helallf moFu des-
olate than ever before, since there was nolhlng
left to hope for.
For shs dared not hope ior dat which w.s 70
come 70 pass. i't
Arnold Fletcher, with an bic wealth, was not )
happy man. He had besndseply tried, his friends
were wont to eay. and then they would, q con.
ISOLATION, remind bin Of impsrshable treasures
laid up above
His wife had ihded from his armsin The fouFth
year Of their marriage, She had brought bin
three children. An bad lived to admit years.
10 two the seeds Of consumption, their molher's
disease seemed % have been sog5rnt their birth.
They died ipstu upon the threshold Of womanhood,
fading Away as the mother they 80 much ~
sembled bad done The other child, the eldert
IA son-iDherited the dars beauty which had
distinguished bis fathers youth He Inherited
ALSO bis sensual nature. his taste and aptitude
for low vices, with, apparently, scarcely . 70.
deeming trait He died, struck down by . VI
eious companion 10 tavern braWl, on he Eory
day that Set Claudius Fletcher free. Thence.
forth, Arnold Fletcher, always Of . gloomy and
satuFnine disposition, shut himself closely into
the privacy Of his own house. He made no a.
tempt 70 welcome 10 perSoh bis long imprisoned
relative; and though be penned . letter Of con.
graduation, IN which he e1prtssed bis on-rs
peated belief In the innocence Of Claudius, be
refused 10 see him. even when bis failing heallh
gave warning Of approaching death.
Two years passed away. The stain II hia
crime was still upon Claudis, and he lived So,
cluded with the two women who had devoted
all their lives 70 him. And then Arnold Fletcher
died. Not IN bis bed. with weeping attendants
around him; as became 80 worthy and Eich .
man but alone IN bis study II the midnight
hour, and interrupted By the unueIcoms mes
ssnger in an employment evidently reserved ~
the last work q BIS lie, but destined never %
Be completed.
"A secret door Of his cabinet, never opened
but By himself in all those thirty years lay oppn
then, within the reach Of the hand that hsd.itG
fened while elutching the mysterious. ne l6f
preserved evidence Of his lile-secrot Shfeds of
. halEbnrned waistcoat smouldered upon he
hearth; in the dead mans hand. half driftod
from their repository, were the remaining aFti-
cles Of . suit Of garments Of long past kshion,
all splashed and stained with dark spois, which.
though time had blaekened them. were unmi-,
takably human gore. And there, belide them.
lay pair Of boots-small as bectmo Fletcher.
with The dark mould still adbefine 10 then, and
not yet, In all these years. erpmbled into dnaf
He had essayed to destroy the last and only
proof Of hhtIong- buried crime for which smother
had 20 patiently suffered but death, sicrn and
enemy, had pfssehled hiIIl
There were young men. nov grown old, who
the murder Of the older Fletcher,
the manly bearinguf Claudi1s and bis unaffected
grief and horror, and conlrasled Il with The mem
ory Of ArnoldS exaggerated sorrow. An a
once bis innocence seemed to shine forth Inini-
nous and clear; while the dark ire Of Arnold
Fletcher, haunted SlFaya By hlstsrTible remoTse,
and the memory Of the gnildols prisoner, seemed
70 them IN that hour grelIeE punishment thhu
the dread and long ordeal Of thoit tfiuon uulli
The Innocence Of Clandins rn-osiablished, many
! CLEAN Of JOY sbone ovef bis late plrrimar6.
His cousins great wealth became bic and VIII
bic wife and sister be went back % dwell ID The
white mansion upon the bill, nov renovated and
restored 70 its pristine beauty.
So pefished iniserkbly lhe wicked man. and ui
the ruins Of his character, bhilt upon nnolhrr's
downfall. that other rose % IN the pub.
lie esteem which might have been crowned 81
nnv uuhlie fenfiruonfal nnf afler an hir nrfIa1.
ingE peace was The only boon be ernyed, and
was The, sweetest Joy Tor him and sar thoee Who
bad 50 truly loved and trusted him through an