Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1867-04-18

But she never opened her inlaid Wri-
ting desk. For nearly an hour she sal
in silence, waiting for every sound to die
out within the house. Then, when ell
was hushed and still, shs rose and
shrouding her silk draperiss once more
in the dark folds of tho black cloak, she
stole down stairs and out at a garden
door, as nOislossIy and light as q floating
VspOF.
The full moon still rode high in the
viOlet.dark heavens, and the pathway
down to the woods was nearly as light as
day. In the cOpse, however, it was much
darker, except where the whitO radiance
aiokersd down through moving leaves
and denSly fOliated branches, all spark
ling and dripping with diew. Still she
kept on, until the silver CLEAN of the
river flashed between the tree -trun nks--
kept on until ShO stood close to the
treaChOrouS bridge.
1t was ss she had thought. One or
two boards had fallen from the flooring
the rail was gone. And leaning over
tie steep bank, Rachsl's eager eye caught
the white, CHASTITY gleAm Of something
far below, which was neither white rock,
nor group Of water-aOWers
A narrow foOt.path wound down the
abrupt dsclivity-RaChel hurried over
the wet grass and sharp sloues, needless
of her trailing dress and light kid slip.
pers, until she reached The very shore Of
Of the river.
She was prepared for the ghaStly sight;
she had known what she was to behold I;
yet chill Of icy horror seemed to grasp
her heart as MalcOm Wayne's dead face
stared up into hers, white and rigid as if
carved in stone He had been immedi-
ately killed by the fall she knew it by
the way his arm was doubled up under
him, and the cruel rocks against which
his head had fallenl
With hand that trembled like the
quivering aspin leaves, Rachel stopped
aud drew the fatal letters from his breast
pocket, where she had seen them placed
the evening before.
1 am not robbing the dsad-I am but
recovering my own + she repeated shud-
deringly to herself, as with one last look
at tie evil, handsome face that had once
been so dear to her--a face where the
sneer seemed yet to linger in its rigidity
she fitted away, with the letters OlaSped
close to her heart
The light burned quietly beneath itG
shade as she once more entered her
room. She walked straight to the lamp,
removed its globe, and held the yellow
letters above the white spire Of fame
held them until the last burning frag-
ment acOrched her lovely, slender fingers
And then, when all that was left Of them
was few feathery tufts of ashes, Rachel
threw herself on the sofa with a wild
burst Of tears and sObs--the frst tears
she had shed for weeksI
Free tree at lastI' she walled, with
her face buried in the pillows, and her
heart thrObbing with inezpressible thank
fulness.
She was very pale the next morning,
when they told her at the breakfast ta-
BILE, of the dreadful fate that had over
taken some unknown traveller, who had
unwarily undertaken to cross the dan
gerouS bridge
is it not dreadful said Mrs. Mont,
pensier.
YES, it is,' said Herbert, but am
sorry you told her, mother; l don't want
the least shadow to cloud my Rachel's
face the day before our weddingl'
| But Rachel looked at him with dsWy
sparkle in her eyes, that answered the
happiness in his own heart q sufficient
guarantee that the coming day would be
the brightest and the happisst of oil hel
life
Tho cloud had passed away, and
Raeheps sky was clear again
| ul1uu