Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-12-21

: crept on until the winter, and yet, though
had written to influential friends in New
, Orleans, nothing was made by my discov
cry.
At last | said The secret is yelled from
human eyes forever. | must give up hope
And | was calmer after that.
, My boy was now comfort to me, and
: had gone to housekeeping with a young
sister for my companion She was a beau
: tltul creature, and very much admired. My
house grew gay, for | could not doom her
to dulint SIS, and young voices and laugh
ter and music filled the parlors almost
nightly
Sometimes, however, | was alone there
while she was away amid gay scenes and
merry friends, and then | thought until
thinking was a pain aud the hours seemed
years.
One cold winter night | had been thus
alone when my sister Grace came home.
She was in merry mood, and cast her fur
wrappings from her gleefully as she sat
down by the fire
I've made conquest, my dear" she
said.
Is that any thing new :" asked l.
lie is. What do you say to a million
/ aire p
should ask, what is he besides a mil
/ lionare ~
"Oh Cuban, forty odd, suppose, and
not bit handsome but he adores me al
ready It's no joke, Ella and | always
/ said | would marry a rich man"
/ Not without loving him ?"
/ Bah It's enough if he loves me. How
do love-matches end? Either one dies and
the other is wretched, or they quarrel and
are divorced in a year or two. Better not
love- say l."
| sighed. She was half right after all
He's mystery too" said Grace "No
one knows any thing about him, except
that he's enormously rich. He has bought
the Elms-the finest place here, you know
and they are making great pet of him
all for his money. He saw me home
to the envy Of every girl in the room, and
he probably call tomorrow to ask how |
am. VIII you shut me in my room and
send him away, cruel sister ?"
| tried to smile, and the thought came
upon me that it might be better never to
know the height Of happiness if one must
be plunged from il into the depths of mis-
cry
." | shall not turn the Cuban away if he
is a good man and my sister likes him." |
said and Grace laughed and went to bed
The Cuban did call next day, but |
was out and did not see him. The neigh
boris spoke we'll of him, however and he
had bought the great place called the
Elms," and intended to be a resident of the
town. Ia a wealthy point Of view it seemed
"a good match for my girl, and waited anx-
iously to see the man himself. Three days
after | had the opportunity.
Grace had been to church in the evening;
my boy was i'll, and | had staid away
When it was time for service to be over
sat by the window watching for her The
bedroom was dark, and the moon outside
very bright ; consequently | could see the
garden plainly Soon Grace came up the
path On a maL's arm. At the gate she
bade him good-by, and stopped to say
few words She stood inside, swinging the
gate in her hand. He leaned with both
arms folded on the fence outside
had seen the picture before. Where
With leap my mind went back to the
night before my husbands murder | saw
Jane, the mulatto cook. and her compan-
ION and, oh merciful Heavens the mans
face was the same. This WAS shaded by
fashionable hat-a fashionable collar and
cravat, and an elegant over-coat finished
the costume. while the first face was set off
by ragged and ruffianly garments but the
persons were the same. could have laid
my hand upon the Bible and sworn to that
fact on the spot As / grew positive of
this my senses departed, and my sister, |
when she entered, found me in swoon up
on the floor.
When | recovered l doubted my own
sanity. ! laid what | had seen to the illu- |
sion Of moonlight and distance | argued |.
with myself that until | had again seen this /
Cuban | must regard the whole thing as a
delusion. | waited, not patiently hut 81 |
lently. Soon met him face to face in my
own parlOr. The moment was a terrible |
one. | knew now had made no mistake. |
There had never been the faintest doubt |
IN my mind that this companion Of James |
had been at the bottom Of the dark deed Of
that horrible night There was no doubt |
now that this was the man yet my own |
common-sense told me that to accuse a |
wealthy gentleman on such slight grounds |
as the memory Of a face seen once by moon |
light would be absurd. | should be called |
insane. But if | were, this was a bold, |
bad man, and Grace should have 10 more |
to do with him | told her so that night, |
and she turned on me angrily.
You should have spoken sooner" she |
said. /" 1t has gone too far am half en-
gagged to him. 1t is splendid match for
poor girl and I'll marry him"
"Do you love him p said l.
She laughed "No; but, as | said once |.
before, he loves me That's enough |
shall get used to his ways and looks, no
doubt ; and | shall be mistress of a spen- |
did house, carriage, horses, etc, and shall
enjoy myself Is it only for his ugly face
you hate my Cuban? Don't you remem-
bcr Shakespeare Mislike me not for my
complexion etc To be sure he is suspic- |
iously dark ; but it Is Cuban-no nothing
else"
And changing at once from angry to gay
she kissed me.
d" He has a horrible face" | said but
that is not all Grace, this must not go
on. will tell you secret. The face |
saw over the gate on that awful night talk
ing to Jane. The face Of one come cted, !
am sure, with this murder, was this mans
face and he, Grace, is the man himself"
Grace answered with laugh.
", / Il,