, 1864-02-13

mitted ID see him since the day Of the in.
qdest His pairing injunction, wrung by a
sudden agony from his paralyzcd breast, had
made me firm to maintain my ground as a
sort of guardian over the girl, in defiance
Of the whole meddlesome neighborhood.
Their disappointment, that my presence in
the house on the morning Of the murder
had not been deemed of sufficient impor-
tance to warrant my arrest, was SO great,
that they contemplated hanging me in effgy.
The physician, my only friend, had given
me leave this morning to introduce to his
patient the hitherto interdicted subject.
was sitting at her bedside, holding one Of
her pale, thin hands in mine. She had
learned to look on me as brother
"Leila," said, gently, you are engaged
to my friend Robert ?"
"Certainly l am"-the faintest line Of
pink stole into her check" and we were
to have been married as soon as he graduated.
But now, o merciful Heaven, what a
changew
She was too weak for any intensity Of
emotion, but the silent tears crept slowly
from beneath her dropping lashes. She
remembered everything, and knew the peril
of her lover, though she had lain on that
bed, like statue, through it all. l waited
till she was quiet again, and then added:
This arrangement was made with your
mothers full cOnsent!'
"Truly, it was she who wrote the letter,
cntreating Robert to come back to us-we
could not live without him. o, you do not
know Robert, if your acquaintance COM
menced only with his entrance at college.
He told me that night, he was never the
same after he left us"
"Was there ever any misunderstanding
or unkind feelings between your mother
and him ?"
"Oncc, only. Next to me, she loved
Robert best ON earth she regarded him as
her son, and my brother-though Of course
We were in no way related-and when she
discovered that he loved me as no sister was
ever loved, she was nearly distracted. Poor
mother! she had seen world of trouble
had been peculiarly unfortunate in her
marriages, and could not at first bear the
thought Of her little Leila ever becoming a
wife. That was u year agO-she came to
feel very different afterwards. His long
absence showed her how dear he was. Do
you not remember how glad she was to see
him, and how happy we all were? o, my
dear, innocent Robert! God will have you
rightcd in this-I know he will ~
"Do you know any person who could
have been supposed to cherish against her
an enmity so deadly"
"Do you know any person who could
have been supposed to cherish against her
an enmity so deadly!"
81 do not think my mother had an enemy
on the earth-save one; but he cannot be
in this part Of the country"
This reference, made so undcsigncdly,
transfxcd me-cut my breath, and set my
heart throbbing, ms in that morning hush.
| dared not trust my voice, for some seconds.
1t must have been whisper, in which l
asked his name. .
"Mr. Rislo.h-hcr late husband. 1t is
secret here. Mother never made much
acquaintance with our country neighbors,
though she has already lived on friendly
terms with them. She bought this retired
place, Immediately after the death Of my
father, who took his own life from fear Of
coming to want, while in the possession Of
abundant wealth. lie was an old man, and
my mother was unduly urged to marry him.
lie made his will on my birthday, dividing
his property equally between us. lie did
not live week after this act. Her mar
riagc to Mr.. Burslcy took place when was
FIVE years old, and robert ten.
"This union, too, was brief one, though
| think happy. | eau scarcely remember
my stcp-father, as he died Of consumption
in less than two years. Then, for n long
time, the old farmhouse was shut up, and
the land TILED by our nearest neighbor.
Robert was sent away to school, and my
mother established herself in the vicinity
Of young ladies' seminary, for my espe-
cial benefit. There, in the course Of few
years, she became acquainted with Mr.. Ris-
10th, and married him. always disliked
him, and could not call him father. shall
ever think my dear mother was under de-
gree Of halldcihation, or she would have
scOrncd such person. He made her life
utterly miserable, besides robbing her of
everything in the form Of property that he
could get into his hands, Finally, driven
to desperation, she purchased his absence
during the remainder Of her natural exist
ence, in consideration Of will which she
made, giving him her entire estate at her
decease. lie proposed this, as the sole con-
dition on which he would rid her Of his
presence, and ! seconded it, with all my
childish fervor. Ihad enough for us all to
live in comfort, and l wouldeven have sacri-
feed that; and become poor, rather than
have lived over again these three years !!
Indeed, my mother apd must soon have
been divided, but for this lucky deliverance.
We came back to our quiet vale, happy and
at rest. One year ago, the crisis in the H.
nancial world swept away my little fortune.
In opposition to my wishes, my mother
wrote to Risloth, telling him the fact, and
her sense Of the injustice she had done her
child, announcing her determination to re
tract the wrong, come what might. Then
she made new will, in my favor. Moth
ing has been heard from him since, and
therefore VIC have no cause for suspecting
foul play on his part. Her death certainly
could bring him no gain
"Where is the wiil!" I asked it as
quietly and carelessly as possible. l saw
she was becoming seriously fatigued.