The New Orleans crescent., 1868-09-06

M nau cnsncc OF ecufiie. The most painful
We were TO meet-if. Tor Instance. nad vvoe
do En 70 Craven Court and seen her the very in
STINT received my dismiss ll-she would have
oeen mine AS much as ever.
MY pride would not allow me to stoop 80 lDw.
On near her, could have done anyth ng ia n Q
world with her; and with me by her sids she
would have defed legions of enemies. But was
not near her-hundreds OF miles away, IN fact
and that altered the case very considerably.
nae nothing to do. therefore, but take my
urashinR without murmu-, preferring to allo y
her to take the responsibility of what she had
done and TO pass her unnoticed whenever / saw
her again, and to risk the chance Of fresh hu.
mutation intimately allied it was to the chance
Oh resumption Of our dresm.
They sent her away out of England, AMI she
remsined away for sbont year. When she r, =
Turned met her accidentally IN the street, and
we did not speak.
am not naturally Of revengeful disposition
and have often wondered since how could have
allowed ny. pride TO get the better Of those
stronger and warmer feelings which still clung
round my heart couId have kissed her when
passed her, for loved her still. Another wear
softened me considerably. She and we're still
"a married IL was mere By luck than manage.
ment that had escaped masrimony. Ih.d ofen
medltsted it, but reflection taught me that il
would be terribly unsafe with her still free.
knew must have gone back TO her, and acted in
msglnat on the agony Of reconciliation with her,
and bound to another.
" had often heard her name coupled with mar.
Tiagesble men and at last, by the merest accident
m the world, heard IL in connection with a very
marriageable man indeed-an old widower VITA
four children and large fortune.
IL would have been a sacrifice, of course
friends and foes owned that. She was being bui.
led into the marriage, knew. Wherever she went
II was the rich widower' with a cough: and the
women with good kind husbands at home, who
wanted TO borrow her Carriage when she was sac.
had fka eolIl
lucky girl.
had bnt one thought about the matter.
go Poor darling
IAN accurate study of life and lively imaVina.
non had persuaded me that no carriages or dis
mopds, or wealth, OF magn ficence, or bOnnets or
dinnerparties can compensate for loss of self.re.
spect; ana woman like Lillian. who marres q
man old enough to be her grandfather, loses all
selfTespect.
"Iswore that I would save her from moral der.
radiation if could, and vowed would be recon
eiled to my cousin. We bad never met to speak
10 each Other since we had parted at Craven
Court, and II was determined that we would both
meet and talk.
A rare opportunity favored my enterprise
we met casually at a,pic mic, and, as anticipated
before the day was out we were engaged again. I
was just 10 time. il turned out for she told me
that she was only waiting for the widower to pro.
pose TO her; and further. that she would have
married him. knowing well that she was metaphys.
into her wedding clothes.
my story" said Charley Trevor. getting
strangely excited as he ran on from point to point
dates now from days with which yo1 are only
too familiar.
:" was determined that she should not sin
through my hands this time. and so held her fast.
we were secretly married, as you know, and you
were my best man. A year has passed away
since then-a year of sunshine, dsrkened over,
as thought, with only summer clouds Of thunder.
BIT il seems that was bnd-hopelessly, misera.
bly, blind.
. Heaven knows that all my life long have had
but one OBJECT in view. TO be worthy of the love
Of that one woman. There was nothing in the
world would not have done for her. The study
OF this most anxious, serious year Of my life has
been her happiness. have had no thought but of
her and for her.
" But. my dear boy, have been deceived, as
every man in the world il deceived. IL is woman's
work, womsn's mission, woman's pleasure, | sup
pose, TO destroy us. These are hard words. Bear
with me, the until tell you all.
Knew her danger, poor creature. and her
critical condition. Most cheerfully would have
suffered for her If could II is useless to tell Won
of the mental anguish suffered.
can remember well sitting here 10 this chair,
IN this very room, and seeing the door suddenly
open. His face-the doctors face-told me ALL
| would have strangled him had he told me she
was dead.
"So. like wise fellow, he said nothing.
:" But that cruel, cold face of his without a sign
Of hope or comfort in it, Knocked me, and tainted
away.
1t was only last night that awoke from nv
'tupor and was then seized with an intense and
sudden longing TO see her again. When recov
cred was alone, and down here, and even then
did not quite know what to believe.
VIII go and see for myself said.
II was dark in the dead of night but knew
!; ere would be some one watching o. stairs. How
trem bled! | CROPPED my way up stairs in the
lark, and crept noiselessly into the room. The
lurse was asleep, and the candle was burning
iown In its socket.
"' Shall / die if see her I thought.
drew the curtains aside and stretched out nv |
land.
20 Heaven how cold With one loud shrek |
rushed across the room TO seize the end of the |
xpiring candle. But the nurse woke and stopped |
ne. Stopped mel No, she tried 10 do go. with |
plsintive Irish howl and caught at the caadle |
which had snatched up. |
80 SIR Sir For mercy's sake don't look
herer
mo power on earth, no entreaiy in the world, |
ould have prevented my looking then. Again |
rev back the curtains and this time, with tue
andle 10 my hand, gazed, horribly fascinated.
I the features Of my dead wife. Bat il was not
he cold, dead face alone that fascinated me.
here was something else.
" Around her neck, bound by a piece OF pale,
lue crumpled ribbon, hung plain gold locket-
locket had never seen before.
a. Who put this there | said.
Down went the nurse upon her knees, implor.
,g for mercy.
80, sir. she begged so hard! couldn't cross
er az such time. She died so peaceably when
be locket rested there |
II didn't-couldn't kiss her after that, and
lere the locket remains on the neck of my dead
ife. |
There il will remain till the judgment.day. for
'e will be buried with il on her heart"
This was Trevor's story.
BE told me afterwards whose likeness the locket
and, with the big tears rolling down
s cheeks, was telling me how he had once loved
e man, and what friend he had been to him,
hen the door opened, and the nurse came and
sced is infant in his arms.
GROCERIES. WINES. ETC.
II H. HENNING a. CO