Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-02-23


j. splendid S..e was an LIiress in her UW
Uglt-she Was beautiful and scccmrli-hc.
Deayons what a voice was hcrs-ruI,
clear, sweet, rayi-hing. wac charmed en
and Sic was pleased with me. Aia- | m-
hcr too oi,cn. J. her prestnce forgot d.
gentle Lucy She magneizJc. tlr,llel me
Il was a triumph o. feel that So beautiful
gifted, ami wealthy a woman loved mc-Iuo
who had been brought up IN the puri.ous o
city who lad known misery ana cllruI
tion al tie first years of my life.
Gradually broke of my intimacy Will
. Lucy. / received no token from her-sl0
was toe proud. Bat that cheek grew pale
that heavenly eye languid-and though
/ seldom met Ter, know In my heart tla
/ r.e was suffering, and branded mysclt .
villain.
Al las; she knew with certainty t'ltl
/ Was b marry Mis- Bollair She scat me a
letter, a touching letter, not one wl!d oi
uPhraidiHg, not one r,grctl Oh, what q
noble soul | wounded And size could c,.ui-
ly wish ue joy, though the effort raIa ,.-
heart bleed | knew il did.
tried however, 10 iJrgc- har, hut c.ui!
not. Even at tie TIL, ID ny magnificent
wedding, when my b.id- stool before me
radiant in Iich I-oucs AID g.i-tcE.us dr-
mon1s, tie Whitc face OF poor Lucy -IL,d
IN between, AID made NY heart ,hI,h .ul.-
lily.
Oh,how rich / grew Year after year add
cd to nly gold. My IaI-,.ly DISPOSITION ie-au
20 manifest Itst.i coon alter ny marriage. !
carried my gold fI>. to tLc iauk-, and th.n
O. my own sales. put constr iat ou my
LII ...
hCr whole fortune % m.-auI begin TO
grumIie at expenses. n 1e auF living -l
IIu-7l tlat she demonstrated. all l.a.iy ran
up aIse bills Whc!e and wien 81 c IIa-oL.
Against this ] protested. and We Isi ,r.u
q.arrcls more ttan once. Ny ci.t.ts .r,w
shabby, ! could To, ah.sI D.. bay L,0 yn,-.
although tie ial,I,-I %. ny I-st.im. .at- Wl.
more han c1ali possibly -ltll i.rraiouai
living.
grow finally J.--iti-f.d "a with o,,-yjling
but my money. ] lt-l ,t-I my wi.r. and
grew careless Of her society. S-vlal e.u-e
men came % Iay house, anon. tH,u would
te author and celebrity. H. c.uc, I
thought, too often i,r nay good name. and
ordered my wi.c 90 discontinue bis company
Size refused, anu locked her up ia I,r
room. How sac managed 6. seq hlr-.. il..
1 never knew; but iu llc evening. wien
returned, she was gone from Ilc hos
ilat caused me some uuc.-iH,s-. NOT luul
ius was soon -b,.Ia,. boo ,s.Hg ac.ouu.
ui ny gains ], w-s I..al- lIl. u lDc
evening. 1 bad JUS u -,4 -1 tEa Ir o.
PAPER ier nlmtnt. CD -el- .lt I'- basin. s-
details. when thc door opened. and u eHm-
my Wi!u. ul.s=,l I,witcau.i., ash. Jas.
lsHm au evening concert. followed .F ta-
moas.acl,d celebrity.
''G..I evening. ms dear. 3D., and iu Ire
e oi,sr way imaginable, aul placed 3D. D.air .
Tor Hcr lriyuo.
sop" Ic.ieJ, my jealousy aroused /
''t..-J Ilau -i,s usl down u lly house.
"Ilai man gentleman ami uy friend .
shl.I sit here, % pl,a-,, sand my VII. .
firmly.
Ny passion vas excited tl,u .- 10 never .
was b-.Orc. and l c-l.are4 the se5.I4ltl. lie .
Na- uiy match bat, God of heaven. my
VIE o.olly put dirk knife tua- -ae drew
from O. came into his hand. anu Ore stabbed .
me- / tainted. and remembered ultliu-
none. .uil ! found myself ou a bed iu ms own
chamber watched over by my A0U-,kc,lcr .
~ lclc-ar arc-tLcy3 | sasUtI.
..G.u.. was all she said
l. occurred to mc then like a lash ei
IEutuing that nobody was near me at the
Iluc was wounded, that nv keys were
.0ut my person, and tAa ! had been rob-
et perhaps of al my available property.
a, thought throw me into au agony VI
,ir. / ordered ny clothes to be brought
umc the keys were tLoIe. Taking one
d lA,m out, told Nh. Hale, IaY house
,,yt,r. e. 20 % my saic and bring me the
N.r.-
acc white with terror, 10 say there was
iothlug there, and all the little cOoI5 were
,lcn.
.Robbcii robbed l'' yelled, with curses
ud 'mTr,cations, and again my senses de-
erted me.
Brain fever ensucd. For weeks lay de-
rived Of reason, literally trladIng the
.cr.e OF the grave. One morning / was
.Onsc.Jus only Of "a sinking, dcatliy, feeling
Is opened my eyes. Was it au angel /
aw Standing before me, her soft eyes ycilCd
,itn pity looking down upon Ine with the
most commissioning gentlencss? Tor O. mo-
nent thought ! might be in hcayen-but
.o-I reasoned with myself, 1 loved money
90 we'll Nv treasure was OF the earth,
agthly. Again | opened my DIM eyes. The
isilu seemed WayorIug DOW, but, but,
ld II not wear the saIuted beauty Oi sweet
.ucy Manning 4 quiet, unUttcrablo peace
ook possession Of my entire being. 1 tor-
.Jt wealth. health, everything. My past
he seemed blJtted out, and 1 was once
gain innocont, untouched by the grlpins
land vi ayarice, true, loving, and loved
mi Lucy Manning was my idol
But recovered slowly, and at last. as my
length surely returned, missed her. As
5on as she saw could be lett with safety
he had lett me-, and oh, the hlank-thc
.readful blank.
| wandered around my room, now TO de
5hte, and saw many evidences OF my mis-
rable habits. know not why, bat towards
Nv wife my feelings seemed to have under
,6nc revulsion. fear / hated her. She
iad nearly beggare1 me, had deceived me,
shattered my health, destroyed ny hopes.
Months passed before l was able to esti-
nate the damage that bad been done to me.
Every means that could be put forth were
Ised for the recovery Of my money, but all
n VAIN.
One night sat 10y tie FIRE a cherries,
disappointed. and lonely man. | had been
linking thoughts that only burned ny brain
1ut did not purify my heart.
4
aid again and again, ''all this had not been
o.
Nv houeekeeper came in with letteT-au
unusually large package II was-and as 1t
bore foreign postmark opened 1t with
trembling hand. What was tbat2 \ rust
ing. crumbling bank note Another and
mother came forth, until there laid upon
nv knees twenty bills Of the largest denom-
nation. A few trembling lines accompanied
them:
My husband, Il am dying my disease
there is no need Of telling you. Forgive
me, and accept this enclosed as a ialnt effort
toward restitution. 1t is not much over
half that We took from the safe. Inc rest
isl know not where. lam deserted. Fare
well, for ever"
An icy chill thrilled me. Ii seemed as
ii her spectral presence was near me.
shucdeTed as / rolled the bills together, and /
threw them across the room.
Lie there, cursed Of ny s1ul, cried.
Lie there tll have conquered myseif-ay, |
If the victory is NOT Won tiH vou are rot