Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-07-19


DEAR Mr.. HARMS FL hope you will
forgive Fred. What he did was for my
happiness We have long been attached,
and secretly engaged but my uncle was
SO obdurate and so vigilant, that an elope-
ment was our only refuge. and but for your
assistance, could not have been effected.
Trusting soon to receive from your own
lips pardon for a harmless stratagem, be-
lieve me yours, (by the time you receive
thls),
"BELLA CLAYTON EFFING."
please, sir, Mr. Merrick wishes to speak
with you" "
The door Of my room was vide open,
and on its threshold stood the 9ld Dutler,
grave and severe of aspect: l followed
him silently. too full of bitterness for
words, but solacing myself Will the renee
ton that in my host l should find tho
rough sympathizer in my oYerwn 1'7
anger and Indignation. ....a1 A.;
[ was ushered into small sitting roo ON,
where I'M Merriek, in g flaming red dress
ing gown, and absolutely purple with Jury,
was pacing up and down like a wild beast
in cage. Before could open my lips,
he urned sharply round on me, roared
out -"Se, sir, do you know l have sent
for the poiiceY Do you know you can be
taken up for this conspiracy? L see 1t all
now,-the infamous plot, and the part you
were brought here to play. Fool that l
was!" "But Mr. Merrick," began.
Silence!" he exclaimed. "Do you
dare to taunt mes Have | not forbidden
Frederick Clayton this house scores OF
timess and, in letting Bella ask him here
for a few days, could / refuse her first re-
quest on coming of age2 Could turn a
guest, though unlimited, out of house
that was not my own9 A guest, indeed
swindler, a blackguard, probably paid to
amuse the uncle, and keep him OF the
scent.
His voice rose higher and higher as he
proceeded; at the end he actually shrieked.
But this was unbearable. My own temper
had been severely tried, and endure more
could not. :. ii.4
"Mr. Merrick," I said, hotly, " such Ian
guage, even under the circumstances" :,
"Can't you leave off acting even now?.'
he burst in s"Confound your gaping look
of innocencei Do you see this 2" he
cried, exhibiting crushed letter which he
| kept clenched IN his hand. N"They are
! married by this time, and your villany has
thus far succeeded; but the triumph shall
not last long. / will hunt the scoundrel
and his contemplate accomplice--yes,you
through every law court IN Europe; i
will publish his infamy in every newspa'
per, and proclaim it throughout the civil
lied worldl You shall not escape me-,
you shall not!" "a
The mailman shook his fist in my face,
and glared at me like tiger; but, stagger-
cd as was by such revelations and accu'
sations, I nevertheless made one more at
tempt at q protest. Your nephew"
began. T.
"My nephew be yelled, "doyou think
that reptile is my nephew No, my fine
keeper, | am no longer your dupe; L can
see now your shallow shamming, and or
der you to leave my house. Do you hear
leave it instantly or | will order my ser
want to kick you out" he cried, pointing
| to the door as he spoke. " ggE ai
| / hesitated Fate seemed too cruel.
| felt that the smallest justification or ex-
| PLANTATION would lessen my misery; but
before sound could pass my lips, he had
raised his hand with a savage menace -
zone word more and / give the order"
| & There was nothing for me but to retreat;
and retreat accordingly did from the room
and from the house, leaving Instructions
| with the servants to send my belongings
! to the railway station,-that station form
which / had driven only few days before
with such pleasurable emotions and ambi-
tious hopes.
Mr.. Merrlck's unexpected reading of the
case had indeed brought my wrongs to q
climax. 1t was not enough to have been
the tool, the dupe, the catspaW OF one l
believed my best friend was also to be
stigmatized as the confederate, the paid
agent of plot of which was the princi-
pal victim. Truly had reached the sum
NIT Of human wretchedness
The whole Of the scheme which Miss or
(Mrs) Bella SO obligingly called charm
less stratagem," unfolded itself by degrees
to my minds eye; and, struggle as
would, / could not Danish the thought of
how the designing pair must have chuck
led over my credulity, and watched with
malicious amusement my unremitting de
votion to the avuncular conquest. The
la2t drop of bitterness had been poured
into my cup; lifetime of experience had
been crowded into the spaceof few days,
and swallowing my humiliation as best |
could, returned to London,-a wiser, if
not better man.
1t is scarcely necessary to add that long
before the return of the bride and bride
groom, Mr.. Merrick had resigned himself
to submit peaceably to the inevitable and
nothing more was heard of the terrible
vengeance destined to ovsrtake Fred. Clay
ton and his guilty accomplice.