The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-04-30

clasped hands:
.Malcolm, as you hope for mercy here
and hereafter, return those letters to me.
On my knees I ask it Of you'll
He shook his head with asneering, ex-
ultant laugh.
"Graceful, Rachel, and dramatic, but
Ineffective. No; these letters you do moi
havel" #
She rose again, cold and pale: "Then
do your worstl''
Exactly; I shall proceed to an inter-
view with Mr.. Montpensier-"
.He is not at homel''
mot just now, but be will be. In the
meantime | shall 60 back to my inn-I
believe there's a short cut through the
woods, across that very picturesque little
river-and smoke quiet segar while !
marshal my forces into full line Of battlel
Bon soiri Rachie; pleasant dreams to
you"
He raised his hat jauntily from his
light curls,and disappeared into the woods
where the ire-fies were glowing through
the purple dusk, and the full moon, round
and. beautiful as a shield of quivering
fire, waa rising behind the tree tops.
1t was nearly an hour afterwards, aud
Rachel Piercy was still sitting on the
trunk Of the gnarled, weeping birch-tree,
when tender hand fell ON hers.
HERBERT"
"Then it is yourself, Rachel, and no
wraith2 My dearest, what are you doing
here2'
81 have been walking said Rachel,
with guilty tinge on her cheeks.
"Walkingl and alone2 But that re-.
minds me, Rachel, to warn you against
crossing the bridge over the river in your
various wanderings. Yesterdays violent
storm washed away the supports, the
boards are all displaced, aud for day or
two it will be quite impossible. Ny love,
how pale you arel'
"Paie, am I? Nay, Herbert, it is
nothing more than the effect of the moon
light
"Then the moonlight is very capri
cious artist, for you are rosy enough now,
laughed Montpensier. "Shall we return
to the house now? Ny mother will won.
der what has become of US. Are you not
surprised to see me here to night, instead
of tomorrow morningf"
He had to repeat the question twice
before Rachel seemed to comprehend the
meaning; and even then her answer was
vague and wide of the point.
"She has over-tired herself, my poor
little Rachel" thought Herbert Mont
pensier. 81 must not let her take such
long walks in the future.
IF he could have known the wild, tri
umphant throbbing Of her heart, the ex.
ultant hope that was springing up withir
her
He was to cross the bridge, she thought
he was to cross it in the dusk and shadow
II see the end of my long trials near a
han6!n
| All that evening Rachel's laugh wa:
sweetest and most musical--her eye brigh
and her cheeks flushed with feverisf
bloom. And when, towards midnight, ,sh,
retired to her room, Mrs. Mon.pensie
turned to her sen and exclaimed, admi
ringly:
| How beautiful she isl''
Miss Piercy's maid was sitting, half
asleep, by the shaded lamp as her mis-
tress entered; she started up at the clicl
of the latch.
You need not sit up any longer. Ma
son" said the young lady, pleasantly
81 have letters to write. and when they
are finished, / will brush over my owl
hair y
"Thank you, Miss" said the sleep,
hand maiden, very heartily, and Rachs
Piercy was left alone.
But she never opened her inlaid wri
ting desk. For nearly an hour she sat il
silence, waiting for every sound to die ou
within the house. Thon, when all wa
hushed and still, she rose, and shroudin,
her silk draperies once more in the darl
folds of the black cloak, she stole Nowl
stairs and out garden door, as noiseless
4 ly and light as floating yapor.
| The full moon still rode high in th
IvioAt dark heavens, and the pathwa
down to the woods was nearly as light a
day. In the copse, howeyer.it was mucl
darker, except where the white radianc
Aiekered down through moving leave
and denselg foliated branches, all spark
Hing and dripping with dew. Still sh
kept on, until the silver CLEAN Of tn
lriver flashed between the tree trunks
kept on until she stood close 10 th
treacherous bridge.
| It was as she had thought. One o
two boards had fallen from the flooring
the rail was gone. And leaning over th
llsteep bank, ,Rachel's eager eye caught tn
white, ghastly glesm Of something fs
i below, which was neither white rocK, NO
'lgroup Of water flowers!
i A narrow foot.path wound down th
abrupt declivity--Rachel hurried owe
the wet grass and sharp stones, heedles
Of her trailing dress and kid slippers, un
It'll she reached tho very shore Of the river
/ She was prepared for the CHASTITY sight
i she had known what she was to behold
| yet chill Of icy horror seemed to grasl
her heart as Malcolm Wayne's dead fac
stared up into hers, white and rigid as j
carved in stonel He had been immedi
ately killed by the fall; she knew it b,
the way his arm was doubled up unde
him, and the cruel rocks against which BIZ
head had fallen.
j With hand that quivered like th'
trembling aspen leaves, Rachel stoopet
and drew the fatal letters from his breas
pocket. who're she had seen them placed