Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-05-13

myself. l have no brothers or sisters, yor
have been sister tome. and as my sister
shall inherit my wealth. am sorry thatyou
have loved ANOTHER, dear sister, or / would
ask you to love me, and BE my wife. As tits
we will be the dearest of friends, will we not?
answered, with voice trembling with
en- otion, I will always love you as sister
would love dear brother, Arthur, can dc
no more, for the one wild love Of my life
which must give my husband, is buried with
my unknown lover; Is it. not strange that
should love, and be betrothed to man whose
name know not ?"
"It is strange, ipdeed;" ne answered, and
after that there was silence until Mrs. May
land arose, and shaking out her founces and
ribbons, said it was time to retire. She gave
to each of US lighted taper, remarking that
the gas was not safe to be used in a sleeping
room. Arthur kissed his mothers hand, as
he bade her goodnight, and taking my hand
said, goodnight, sister Aggie," bent down
and kissed my cheek. Iretulned the "good-
night" and hastened to my chamber. l
knelt down and prayed to the Father of Mer-
cies to restore the dear life that was fast eb-
bing away. Prayed that might be taken
instead and he spared to life and happiness.
Blind human eyes! We pray for God to
alter his decree Of wisdom, to suit our views,
forgetting that BE can never err. Yet prayer
elevates the mind, even though it brings no
answer. No prayer ever ascended to Heaven
but some soul was benefited by it: The soul
that-gay it birth.
After Abilene Monilii had seen Agnes Mer
ton, safely away from her doors, she returned
10 her own room, muttering.
"Thank God, that she is removed from my
mind. She lay there like nightmare. She
may work for her bread now what care |,
if she has been rearod in idle luxury? she
has dared to love nv idol, and must be re-
venged. Oh, Clifton would / could gain
your love- No sacrifice would be counted
too great no test too strong. Love me !!
love ME! or die"
The passionate woman sank upon chair,
overcome by the violence Of her emotions.
Presently she arose, and left the room. Cau-
tiously there crept from behind a large screen,
the crooked form of Lorraine, the dwarf. He
listened at the door before venturing into the
passage, end mutte.ed below his breath,
81 can read the mystery now. Abilene
loves the handsome Seymour, the Slender
girl is in her way; and she chances to find
them both inseusiblc, at he burning OF the
Hotel Grande. She takesthem both to her
cwn house, that no one may know OF the res
cue of Agnes; she then hastcns her recove-
ry, and sets her adriit, that the coast may be
clear for her to gain The love of Seymour.
Bah il he knew all, he would loathe her
even as l, Lorraine, the dwarf loathe her.
Count Baronlesso may well thank his stars if
he weds her now. She IS fire mate for hin"
aud lie stole from the room, to the little den
nc called his studio. There was strange
mixture OF artist and bungler here. An ca
sell few pictures, with printing materials,
few musty books, a broken harp, an old
flute, some wax figures and fruit, vase OF
artificial flowers, gun, d fsh-.iae and net
several pairs Of old boots aid slippers, little
daguerrcotype in an oral frame. A woman'S
lace, with dark, passionate features something
like what Abilene Monili's might be, TWEEN
tv years hence little case CT dried herbs,
few bottles of colorlcsi liquid, and square
tin boz, containing human SKULL. Closing
and locking the door behind him, ne opened
tae tin box and grinned as savagely as the
scul within. He touched it with his finger.
ard Kissed through set teeth:
"Dd not swear 10 revenge my injury
uson all tlat remained OF you? She is the
.ony living child, The others all persisted by
my hand, after you lad learned to love them.
You chose the wrong man FOR a toel, when
you thought TO induce Lorraine to do your
DEVILS JOB, and promised him your love in
return. After the rival was dead by my
hald, you married the man you loved. But
sorry life youled. You had thought | would
shrink away, loied and ashamed, when dis
covered your deception. Not SO! I boldly
demanded admitlance to your household, as
an old and valued servant. You suspected
me TO be the cause OF yoar cEildrens' death,
yet you dared not speak. When your hus-
band died suddenl5, you confronted me, and
accused me of tae murder of all but your
babe. did not deny it, gloried in your
misery. The checks you had once given me
to kiss, were fading, but felt no remorSe.
Even while you led me to think your love my
own, and promised to become my bride, af
ter the beautiful Engsh woman was dead,
your heart was burning with love for the man
who was being drawn away from you by her
smiles. Poor fool you nigh! well ask me
to forgive, after my heart was turned to stone.
Had you asked my forgiveness while it was
yet warm and tender with love for, you,
could not have refused. How well manag
cd to secure your writing, to the effect that |
shoald always remain an inmate of this house,
while ] lived Ycu died soon after that.
All even in dying, you protested that the
b!iss(ul Eours of love with the man for whose
love you had periled your soul, repaid you
for all this misery. That turned the last atom
of flesh in my heart to adamant / swore to
be revenged upon the last drop of blood that
ran in human veins, belongiDg;to you. Ath-
lene has inherited your treacherous soul. She
must pay the last Of the debt. will foil her
in every thing she undertakes. Hear me
swear and tho horrid creature lifted the
skull from the box, and takng from beneath
it, wig of long, black, curling hair lie plac-
cd it upon the ghosty thing, then continued
his mad speech:
"Hcar me swear upon every drop of
blood belonging to ycu, will be revehged." !"
lie threw the hair into the box with an
oath /; then withdrew it, and winding the
curls about his bony fingers, caressed them,
and muttered:
"How loved you, Lena! How my heart
thrilled when you swept my cheek with this
silkcn mass. Oh, fool that l was. | be!iev-
cd your words, and worshipped you Do
you think the dwarf could not love? could
not be revengcd Ia! ha hal The walls
echoed the laugh with hollow sound, and the
dwarf thrust the skull into the box, and shut
the lid with an oath, tbenshe drew the COW
ering from painting. 1t was the portrait of
a womap,very muck like ,Athlene. 1t might
have been her mother. You would have
scarcely known the voice of.the. dwarf, it was
so low and sweet, as he murmured: -.
81 loved you when painted this he COW
orod Il onicklv. and tore the covering from