St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-12-24

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that same look off hatred and. revenge
had been turned upon her, and with a
sickening' heart she recognized the
fierce eyes, Bthe! lowering ,bbewa; and
Knew at last xhat that look ,nsant,-
She did not ,start Or cry. Her. pulses
throbbed wildly, her very blood was
| chilled; but she sat on, calmly; quiet
ly. She had trembled. at the bare
thought of peril TO- her husband, :, but
now in her own fearful danger she vas
IN to;e$ ;sS ass e. B4sSt III Ill., nfsa S
eyes were bont v.cantly upon the dy-
ing; ;embfrs,; and there was: no outward
sign IF # al al the tpmpitr within; !, and YET
she knew and understood all. Mars
ton was there close by her., His night
journey had been butt a. ffeint: To- hide
his deadly purpose and screen himself.
He had stolen back: in the darkness,
and q hidden i1f there TO wait for her, apdrr.
murder her: And he might murder
hey. Here alone in this locked i5ili Sooiht,, !,
how could She escape him IF She. fed
tshe could even gain the ,gallor,y out
side, it would, avail her little. Long,
long before she could pass those desert
! ed rooms, before her voice could sum
mon any one to hef aid, he would be
upon her, his fingers at her throat
And there came Y ,,across her: strange
memory Of how one summer, day, she
had seen him standing on, the garden
terrace twisting in his hands piece Of
rope-how he wound it round and
round until the strained 6bres were
stiff and rigid, and how then his iron
6hgers were, bent for one more effort,
and when the last turn was given, the
rope was lett hanging idly on his arm.
A strange thing to recall at such a
time as this, stranger still that she
should almost shudder in RECALLING it
What, if rising from her chair, she
| wrre to 60 straight to that Window, and
drawing buck the curtain, confront
him there, and in her husbands, in his
masters, name, appesl to him for pity :?
! Ah, no; that name from her lips would
but inaamc his jealousy and hate. She
raised her eyes and they rested on
something bright and glitteriug, some.
thing which just then seemed almost
friend; for there above. the chimney
piece, within reach Of her hand, Hung
her husbands rapier:' She might seize
it. and with one E;'A - ashh h;;:!Lalf; ;:L f,om
| {hpsa c6hcealiog folds; but her vo-
! man soul shrank from that decd even
in this her dire extremity. In that
upward glance, another thought had
come into her mind-her DRESSING
room' The door stood open, not ten
PAGES from her. Once locked in there
but alas. there was neither bolt nor
bar, and the key turned on the outside.
! Her heart almost sank within her. AL
ready she seemed to hear stealthy steps
on the Aoor behind, around her, to feel
his hot breath. upon her, cheek ;. anu
still she sat on quietly. Was there no
escape for her? Once again her. eyes
fell upon the,open door Of the dressing
room. :'lc - Gt::i = A.. >.,: .,.i..','
b; There arc moments of life when ey-
cry power of the. mind is unnaturally
strained; and when ideas and plans
which at another time mig ght' be the
work of weary hours were formed in
one short instant. Such moment came
to lady Courthopet now.:: AS she look
ed ON the dressing peom door and the
key on, the outside, a. scheme flashed
across her mind, bringing, back. the life
blood to her cheek, sending fresh hope
to her heart. IF she could but decoy
him into that room decoy him as she
had seen birds and dogs decoyed by
some tempting bait. She has a4ha;t. = +
He has come for bis revenge, but she
knows there is another passion strong
in him, and that: passion is avarice.-
Often has seen his eyes brighten at the
touch Of gold; often has Sir Richard
laughingly said that: the one fault Of his
old and. faithful servant was the leve, Of
money and now, if through that love
she can bcguile him first to the dress.
(ing-room, she may yet be saved: The
.part before her was hard and perilous,
but she could trust herself to play it.
She knew that her nerve once failed,
her doom, was! sealed, but; the brave
young heart did not quail. Slowly and
deliberately she fastened up her HAIR
i chen rising from her scat, threw fresh
logs upon oths fire.; aud crossing the
room laid her brush uron the dressing.
table, ,<Some books were lying there;
sha took up one Of them. turned The
fleAyss ;rarelessly, thsh throwing it down
exclaimed ina, low tone: FToo tired t.
4 read, and yet not tired enough I'd, g. te
sleep; + wish thu hight; were over
| She yawncd YEARLY, waited moment
as though in doubt, then muttcred
"Bythe!bye, btbese emeralds," took .
J, bunch Of keys from f. the table, and,veut
towards a ,spdns ebony cabinet ..inlaid
with silver ,whieh,i stood near the fire
place. Her voice had not faltered.- =
4 No tone could have betrayed .that sht
had 'seerahe1 ctcuchfng fgurte, and thai
| hnr uAs,d fr~oros an<,loo Eor thoso l;sfon