Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-01-08
IRASBURGH. VERMONT, FRIDAY, JANUARY g. 1864

ming, after a laughing dispute about som,
matrimonial arrangements, Honor sud
denly remarked; By the way, Philip
what was the nature of that promise yot
made your late wife? ? l have received {
curious anonymous letter about you which
I suppose ougbtto show you
Philips face grew white he was moi
able to affect unconcern, the onset was SC
unexpected and SO deadly. lie remained
silent, breathing hurriedly ike man in
pain.
Honor was rather startled vixen she
observed the effects produced by hei
words, and said 4 am sorry, dear Phil.
ip, if ! have grieved you by my ques
lion, but have indeed received a letter
containing some vague accusation or otn-
er against you. | give not the slightest
credence to it, however; neither do / ask
you to explain anything, if to do SO would
be disagreeablo to you. can trust you,
Philip
You have trusted me, Honor, more
than I Deserve, said Philip; Iet me look
at the letter.
She handed it to him; it contained
but few words, penned evidently by an
iIlilerale person, and ran thus; You
are about to be married to Philip Stou-
ton, l hear. You have no right to him
Ask him about the promise, the oath he
took TO his wife who is dead. God will
visit you both
There was no signature. Philip read
it twice, and fingered over it, as though
TO take some resolution in
his own mind. He looked at Honor, at
last, and said could you marry me Hon
or, # you knew l had broken a promise
such as the letter mentions ?
Honor trembled little, hut after
pause smilipgIy said; We'll, perhaps l
coald, provided it were not very bad
,ase.'
A death.bed promise--an OATH said
Philip.
The lady was sient for a moment, and
Ter eyes began to fill win tears. What
lave you been doing Philip? What do
you mean? Must you break an oath by
marry ing me:'
! must, groaned Philip. 1 promised
ny wife on her dealh-ded not to marry
,gain. She had no rieht---I feel it now
to impose such a burden upon me. /
lad no right to pledge myself but l did.
Il is irreyocable; 10 one can relieve me
fiji
Il will not marry a man who has per-
ured HIMSELF said Honor. You have
een cruel to tempt me so far for this. ]
annot marry you now, Philip she re-
eated and covering her face with her
ands, she sobbed bitterly, and left the
oom. Philip, to9, stole away, crushed
nd miserable, in his own ewes, bopeiess-
= dishonored.
Truth, loyalty, self-respect, you are
ut thin shades dwelling in a human
reast, lightly esteemed, seemingly Of lit
e power, but when you depart, the pill
lrs Of the world seem to have fallen in,
0 weak and desolate are our lives with
ut you.
II Philip had been less scrupulously
onorable, if in his heart he had attached
S little weight to the promise made to
is wife as his recent course implied, he
eed not have seen his hopes fall in ruins
bout him as they now appeared to do.
t was not that he lacked the ingenuity
, avert it. 1t had crossed his mind, Of
purse, 10 deny the vague accusation con-
lined in that miserable scrawl to impnte
lalce and falsehood to tue writer. Who
as to know what traDspired between him
nd his wife at such an hour? And Hon
r Westwood would have been a lenient
dge, although in her secret heart she
ld believed him guilty but when con-
onted with bis offence, conscience re>as-
rted itself, and constrained him to ad-
it the truth.
Philip went straight home to bis study
ID there sat down. BY and by be got a,
, hastily, unlocked secretary, and drew
It something that glittered in the dull
,ht of the lamp. 1t was a pistol, He
aced it on the table at his elbow, and ,
rned his pale cheek and absent eyes
wards the fire. Did he see faces there,
we all do occasionally, when imagina-
IN is busy and judgment in allegiance ?
erhaps he did. The gentle face, it may :
, of his dead wife, earnest, loving, dep
eating the evil deed he meditated, The
ces, perchance, Of his children, touched
th dread and wonder, appealing to him
t to leave them helpless to the seant
Grey of the world. However that
sht be, a change came over his face }