Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-10-20
She and | were unmarried. 1t was
more by luck than management that [
had aScaned mo trimnnu

the interest dCCluonC III the WOIlU,
heard it in connection with a very
marriageable man indeed-an old
widower with four children and al
large fortune.
II would have been a sacrifice of
course; friends and foes owned that
She was being bullied into the mar
riage. [ knew. Wherever she went
it was the rich widower, with a
cough; and the woman, who had good.
kind husbands at home, and who want
ed to borrow her carriage when she
was sacrificed, had the effrontery to
tell hor that she was lncky girl.
But had only one thought about
the matter:
Poor darlingr
An accurate study of life and a live
ly imagination had persuaded me that
no carriage, or diamonds, or wealth.
or magnifcence, or bonnets, or dinner
parties, can compensate for the loss of
self-respect; and woman like Lillian
Lee. who marrieS a man old enough
to be her grandfather loses all self
respect.
Iswore that | would save her from
all moral degradation if | could, and
vowed that would be reconciled to
my cousin.
We had never met to speak to each
other since we had parted at Craven
Court, and | was determined that we
should both meet and talk.
A rare opportunity favored my en-
terprise. We met casually at a pic
mic, and as | anticipated, before the
day was out we engaged again.
| was just in time, as it turned out,
for she told me that she was only
waiting for the widower to propose
to her; and further that she would
have married him, knowing well that
she was, metaphysically speaking,
stepping into her grave instead of her
wedding clothes.
/ My story" said Charles Trevor,
getting strangely excited, as he ran
from point to point, dates now from
the days with which you are only too
familiar.
| was determined that she should
not slip through my hands again 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, darkened over,
as | then thought. with only summer
clouds OF thunder.
But it seems that | was blind
nOpeiesSly, mlSerably bind.
t Heaven knows that all my life long
! | have had but one object in view, to
. h. worthy of the love Of that one wo.
t man. 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 happi-
, ness. have had no thought but of
| her and for her.
But, my dear boy, have been de-
celved as every man in the world is
deceived. 1t is woman's work, wo-
mans mission, woman's pleasure, to
destroy us all
These are hard words. Bear with
me then, until | tell you all.
l knew her danger, poor creature,
t and her critical condition. Most
chcerfulIy would | have suffered for
her if could.
1t is useless to tell you the mental
anguish | suffered.
| can remember well setting here
in 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 saio moth.
t ing.
But that cruel, cold face of his, with
out sign of hope or comfort in it,
mocked me, and | tainted away.
1t was only last night that | awoke
from my stupor, and | was then seiz
+ ed with an intense and sudden long
} ing to see her again.
r When | recovered | was alone, and
t down here, and even then | did not
know what to believe.
/ Nothing on earth could have pre-
vented me from going up there.
. Once again drew back the curtains
, and as | stood with the candle in my
hand, l grew terribly fascinated, al
, the features of my dead wife.
But it was not the cold, dead face
] alone that fascinated me. There was
something else.
} Around her neck, bound by a piece
of pale blue crimpled ribbon, hung a
i plain gold locket-a locket | had nev
e er seen before.
/. Who put it there? | said.
Down went the nurse upon he1
| knees, imploring for mercy.
"Oh, sir, she begged so hard
+ couldn't cross her at such time. She
died SO peacefully when the locket
rested there" 80
l didn't-couldn't kiss her after
that, and there the locket remains on
the neck of my dead wife.
! There it will remain till the judg-
ment day, for she will be buried with
it upon her heart" m
) This was Charley Trevor's story.
He told me afterwards whose like
ness the locket contained, and, with
/ the big tears rolling down his cheeks,
was telling me how he had once loved
, the man, and what friend he had
been to him, when the door opened,