The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-29

sible. He bore me to the sofa, and
when L recovered, / found him bend
ing over me. I looked around me.
oh, that shrek, Edouard.'
Hush, darling he whispered;
do not speak of it
''He took both of my cold hands
IN his. | moancd out, 'oh, mv!'
He bent down and kissed me: he
looked pale and troubled.
Go to sleep he said; you need
rest.
"Again l moaned, ooh, my! I
never-never-had felt such crush
ing weight as was then on nv heart.
" My wife, that moan will break
my heart, lie said, III broken tones.
sat up, too restless to lie down. He
took his seat beside me; he encirclel
my waist with his arm; 1 laid nv
head upon his shoulder and slept.
When awoke. the day was breaking:
there VIC had sat all night; he would
not even move, fearful of disturbing
my slumhers. How haggard he
looked, and nay upturncd check was
wet with tears: they had fallen from
'iNNt - oA LIZ jIttSkpttIlN.
''SlN months of married life passed
III alternate bliss and sadness. Mar
riage, instead of decreasing the love
Of my husband, only augmented it.
Save for the horrible Shrek, mine
would have been q life without a
shadow upon It's sunny stream.
Sometimes, when we were wandering
together in the beautiful grounds Of
the chateau, that horrid shrek would
arise. Frequently, when we have
been seated together Of an evening,
1T would sound so long, and so fear
fully loud, that 1 would fly to my
husband and throw my arms around
him imploringly. He never suffered
me to talk to him about it, and the
very silence which he imposed only
tended to make me moro unhappy.
lie himself seemed suffering from this
terrible mysterious visitation. and
for several days after we had heard
the voice he would be restless-al-
sorhcd gloomy. Nothing, then,
seemed TO console him but ny love.
and ho would throw his arms around
me. and Kiss nay cheeks with Il pas
sloh&tc ychcmcncc that was startling:
1t Was 50 unlike his usual quiet and
serene affection.
Tho winter thus passed away.
and WHOM the spring came, we Went
to Italy. The evening that we
reached Naples, as we sat in the bal
cony, looking across the Riviera di
Chiaja, at the beautiful Villa Eeale
III the distance, ] said, involuntarily.
as / placed my hand on my husbands
arm; Thank Heaven! it cannot
reach us here
"'What. Gcrallinc?' he said. With
;tbruptncss.
The voice
"'Thero it is again-acainr /
shcielled rather than said. oh, Ed
Guard, tell me what it is; 1 cannot
stand this any longer; if you know
the meaning of this mysterv-tlis
horrible mystery-and if You love
me, tell it TO me- AS I spoke, an
other loud shrek rent the air; it was
the most unnatural sound have ever
heard. rushed into the apartment.
followed by my husband, who threw
himself on the sofa, and hiding his
face in his hands, groancd aloud. |
fell at his feet and clasped his knees.
L lmplorcd him to tell me what it
meant-to have mercy on me-:mcr-
cy. mercy. my husband, only tell me
what It mcanSr
"He raised me up, and claspcd me
frantlcally to his heart. You shall
not leave me, he said; you are all
have TO love; you must not leave me,
Geraldine.
No, no, | will not, only tell nc
what this means
lie looked ghastly pale; his ewes
wore a singular wierd light DO You
love ME. my wifc?'
49, Ny husband, you know that l
do.
"'Will you always love me, Geral-
dine? he said, in tones of deepest
pathos
II gaspcd out, Forever! forever!'
as chung convulsively to him.
Don't You see blood upon these
hands?' and he held them up.
Il grusped them in mine, and
kissed them passionatcly. NO, no, ;
l said, they ore as white as mine
"He gaspcd out, Natalie. Natalie.
thy blood will never leave these hands.
Oh. my God. my God, thou art =
just God. I did the deed
these hands I slew her. A few hours
afterwards oD1 T 1roc IN D,c;, NJ