Evening star., 1866-08-27
THE EVENING STAR.
WITHIN An INCH OF MARRIAGE.
ICON ETINU RD.1

fam 10 be conLeEI. In two days her brother
came 10 her
''Oi course 1 Will Oh, am so glad; I've
hardly dared 10 move, in case I bothered you,
ar came in your way. And so il. all rIght,
and Beatrice will have yoU4"
Hsrsey smiled. i've not asked her yet; but
III haN her If can get her,
STORY and all!'' sad Mrs. Masters, mis-
Shievously. dark frown. followed oy look
of ain, came over Heryey's face.
'.TCn't say that again, Mary; or hint AZ such
n thing i was a fcol 10 say AZ 10 yo1; fJol
10 let Dch absurd suspicious enter nv head;
and Ia De " or.e than a fool IL suffer any
,ueb childish fancy 10 come between me and
sueh an angel "a sne is.
Put in spite of Major Heryey assertions, he
DID think of his first impressions; and. in very
orsad kst he should be tempted = give way
IN any greater degree 20 what he told himself
4 crusIaD unwarrantable prejudice. he
Enormously avoided any reference 10 her life
IN England.
In spite Ofthe approval CT the Colonel asd
E.atrIce's aunt, the MAJORS wooiug made but
Glow progress. Beatrice was ine1plicable
Every now and then she would brighten up.
and Heryey for a brief hour or two would
1hink hmselfin the an te- chamber of Paradise
itself then change would come. and she
would shrink back, as If afraid of trusting
herself or her happiness. Again and again
she refused 10 marry MN; and again and
again, growing desperate, he begged her to
tell him her reason. untIl, worn out by his
passion and the expostulatiens of her father
and amt, she at length consented to become
hss wife.
Anxious 20 rouse Beatrice, Heryey had ex-
erred himself TO make the wedding a gala day
Tor The station; he had consulted her in all his
arrangements and plans, and only seemed TO
bye TO give her pleasure and homage but still
there was the old, sad, rightened lsok, and
sometimes, even, he fancied IL grew more in
tense, so that bright and Joyous the wedding
day was TO others. many wonder looks were
rast npon the pale monrnful bride-Iooks
~hich could not escape Hervey's notice. and
reused n feeling almost approaching to anger
against her he had won. IN spite Of herself
The mail came in as the wedding party were
assembled AT breakfast; anu bringing three or
Jour letters 10 Beatrice, her aunt laughingly
advised her 20 read them before leaving as She
hsd right TO call herself .'miss'' when she
started life as amarried woman. But Beatrice
thrEst them into her pocket saying she wouId
read them on the journey, which, having to be
accomplished by palanquiH was necessarily to
he a lonely ore.
the journey being complete. Beatrice was
placed IN her palanquIn. Hervey got into mis-
and they started for the unga3ow ahou;
Evening is but a short perIod in India. n,ph,
follows day al a rapid pace; and almost I'M
mediaiely after a gorgeous sunset, DARKNESS
torches carried by the bearers, were all thai
LIT The road.
Inside Bea,r'ce's psIsnquin was on Oil Iamp.
and by the light of this she took out her let
ters. The first was from school friend ana
she put h1t aside; the second was like unto II
and thIs, TOO. might wait; the third Law with
Y.
spasm contracted her hand. oh, my God, too
late" wv
For a long time she lay there, staring with
borror-sirIcken eyes at the well known
writing though the poor wild eyes saw nothing
there, but were looking away into the past and
on INTO the sinful, terrible future She had
fought against THE; she had feared 1T hourly:
until, led on by weakness and despair he had
strIyen against conscience. In its turn con
science had ceased 10 speak, and she had al
most forgotten what 1t meant, until the super.
nj no h4c NJ ,F rhal latte
AT length she broke the seal There was a
bopg letter inside, and she read il slowly
through, pausing now and then to repeat a
passage, as II the meaning would not enter in
10 her brain clearly enough. At last il was AIN
read, and a strange change had come over the
glrfs face. There was no fear, no doubt, no
nncerta Inty there now: only a hard. desnera,s
sete1pressIon, and feverish sparkle in the
full eyes.
There is not minute TO lose. she said. az
ii nspeaklng 10 herself, and stopping the bear
ers, she called the head man to her He came
FORWARD and listened with immoyahle foo
lures, as In low, eager voice she urged some
thing long and earnestly she spoke. but there
came forward no sign until she dragged for
ward dresslng-case, and pulling out a hand
ih lni OF entering Jewels, tn ust them forward
obey" VIII
Then he spoke to the other man, and Tho
palanquln proceed about half a mile Here
they stopped again, AZ the man pointed outa
hut.
Il can conceal you there for a day or two
out, as l dare not 60 back 10 Meerut won
mus. take me with you 1 will see von "a "a 70
taIcutta; the Shahib Will know how 10 re
ward such service
CHAPTER III.
"hen Heryeys palanquIn stopped a. the
bungalow, he looked in vain for the lights OF
that containing his bride. The plain was COW
er'd by jungle, so perhaps they were .nly hid
den, and for some little time no feeling of ap-
prehension entered his mind; but having
VI rfr halt fan hNr
appearing he grew anxious, and ordering his
mtn 10 accompany him, went back Presently
anaiive came up, his turban off, his clothes
toIn and stained with blood falling upon his
knees, he howled out horrible story how
they had been set upon by robbers, who had
slam the good bearer while attempting 10 de-
fend the lady. and how. after much lighting
and rivers of blood, be (the wretched speaxer1
only escaped 10 tell the tale
Half-maddened with horror, Hervey dashed
back The palanQuin lay at the roadside.
completely sacked-the very lining ripped IN
IN search OF hidden treasure, and With the
marks OF bloody fingers everywhere.
There was nothing TO be done but 10 hasten
back 10 Canionments with the tale, the horror
and mystery of which paralyzed the little
place The country was diligently searched;
several natives were taken up on suspicion,
but nothing transpired: no traces ofthe bodies
OF eitte the head bearer or Beatrice could be
discovered, and shocking whisper got
atIodd That they must have been eaten by IL
gers the jungle being Just then full of these
animals As long as even the vainest hope re-
NAMED or any clue beng discovered to eluct-
date the mystery or bring the perpetrators 10
1nsiIce, MAJOR Hrryey seemed neryed for any
amount of suffering or work: but when sever
al months had gone by. wheL the country had
been thoroughly searched. and the enormous
rewards offered for tIdIngs OF the crime re =
manned uncla med, hope deserted hirn He had
long interview with Bastrice's father and
ih'E LETT lnGla forever, taking home with him
his hOy.
Whsn Hervey was gone. the sad story grad.
uaIiy ceased 10 he spoken OF. save now and
then a. one OF the tragedies thai cast a blight
upon the face of society, and attach a horrible
Interest 20 some locality or family
Hervey did not stay in Ia gland. There was
bO rest Tor one such IS h-. and TO- nearly ten
years he wandered he face of the earth-I,u
sEOo'lng IN AfGCf, seal spearing among the
tsquimaux. and buffalo hunting on the vida
pIatries OF America: and then. " hen ten years
Ead rIsen W bet ween bin and his last love
ne came back TO CivIiizaiiCn n A wiser and Tar
more earnest n not better maa
tTo EK CoSTINUKD.l
DUbLIC LAND SALES IN wrSroNs,N