The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-01-23

ger.
Why go on with the miserable
story? Isabel wac, cannot say,
ialse to me. for we were under no
engagement. | see now that she
would have dropped me at any mo.
ment for more desirable parti. |
was her bird in hand, but she knew
that there were better in the bush.
and she threw me away the moment
she felt suro of one of them.
1t is true that Arthur was a better
match than |. His position, already
good, was assured for the future,
with the prospect of more than
was likely to gain by an eminence
in my profession. He was my sn
perior, also as a society mau; more
ready, more brilliant and dstin.
guished. | forgave Arthur; but |
could not be witness to his happi
ness. | could not forgive Isabel. =
A month before their marriage,
was on the steamer bound for Now
York. '
heard from home sometimes du-
ring my absence Arthur did not
write. He would have been glad to
have done go; but he could not in
trude even the offices OF friendship
upon the misery that had driven me
to the wild solitudes beyond the
Mississippi A lady, who knew
and pitied my suffcrings wrote to me.
At first che said very little of Ar.
thur and his wife. Then there came
stories-idle gossip, hoped-of ia
discretions, estrangements, jealous.
les and even of scandal. | could
not believe that Isabel, false as she
had befn to me = hesrtless and
worldly as | thought her-could ev.
81 be guilty of worse than vanity and
ambition. Admiration was no doubt
necessary of li'c to her. Size
might annoy Arthur; but could
not believe that she would iniure
him more deeply. But the storm
grew worse and worse; and | could
not bnt confess that | had been saved
from O greater misery than had
endured, and that il Arthur had
wrongt me, he had been sufficient.
ly punished. confess also that
sometimes thought that had Isabel
not yielded to the temptations OF
ambition, and had married one che
truly loved, oil might have been
well; but this was a momensary
vanity. Arthur WAS a man to make
any good woman happy. He would
never have married label had he
not felt certain that her heart was
irretrievable his own. He could
not rob mo OF what | did not pos.
seas.
Suddenly | was taken, as have
said, with q longing to return to
England, 1t did not seem a home
sickness, such as attacks the Swiss
in foreign lands. The English, love
home as they may, can stay away
from it. They have the power OF
colonzing the world, and may yet
cover it all over with their conquer
ing races. But | felt n q hurry to
return. | took the shortest route;
first to st. Paul's, on the upper Mis-.
sissippi; then down the river, to the
first line OF railway which would
take me to the Atlantic. looked
for the fastest boat and the most
rapid trains. | made DO stop in
large cities. My curiosity to see
American lilo had fled, and ldasbe d
along the Southern shore of the
great lakes, and through the mount
aims to New York, just in time to
embark on one OF the heetest steam
ers OF the Cunard line, which in lees
than ten days. landed me safe IT,
Liverpool, With the same feeling
OF hurry | took the first express train
to London, and did not lose an hour
before driving to Brompton, and call
ing on the lady, a distant relative
aud an old friend, who had been my
correspondent.
When my name was announced
abe sprang toward me, kissed my
cheek and exclaimed:
"Then you got nv ietter!"
"NO; | have had no letter from
you for months. | have been away
in the wilderness, where they could
not reach me; and | did not stop
for them on my way. But whas lie
itp Has anything happenedp
lyon have not heard about poor
Arthur"
mot word. Isabel has not run
off with Russian princes"
"Oh. worss than thst-that is
but no matter. Harry, Isabel i,
dead" .gf
felt the blood settlo back upon
my hesrt-my eyes were dim the
room turned round. | believe |
should have fallen, had not my
friend helped me to the sofa. am
not q woman TO faint away; but the
shock was sudden, and it hurt me
more than shopld have thought il
could. A glass of wine was given
me, and was myself again.
"Poor Arthu,l" said 1 "how does
he bear ita"
"Poor Arthur, indeed! You may
well cay poor Arthur! What ha,
not that woman made him sufferl-
And now he is charged with hyl
murder!'
b. nMurdar ~