New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-08
Led slIshtly threwn baek, md the eyes

Mr.. Mentray Is this my answer'n
''WeIl, Monitta, IL Is q far more pleasant \
one than the one you seem determined to |
force from me.7
'sMr. Afontrsy viii please remember that |
Monitta Is my child, and that l. her mother,
demand a straightforward answer to her
questions"
''well really, madam, it does appear to me
that yonr own good sense would have
spared me this. You are certainly aware
that l can not marry an Indian however
captivating she may be-"
"Say rather that 1t should have saved my
pure lovely child frcm your base selhshness.
As for sparing you can see no call for it.
Monitta, we VIM retire as the presence of
Mr. MOntray can no longer be agreeable to
either Of us.n
But as Mrs. Bedford cast her eyes around
and followed.
She looked into her room, but her child
had not entered there. Quickly she stepped
upon the balcony, and saw her flying
wildly down the garden walk as If those
words were pursuing her, and she would
escape them. Mrs. Bedford followed rap
idly.
mother who loves you SO devotedly; stop,
| child, STOP"
The arms were cast wildly up, and
Mother, oh mother !" fell in a broken wall
upon the heart of Mrs. Bedford, who caught
| her in her arms and clasped her convul-
| sively to her heart, with sobs which seemed
| bursting up from a breaking heart. She
prayed God to deal mercitully with her
\ stricken child; then caressed and soothed
her with a mothers tender love until,
| quoted and still, she allowed her mother to
lead her back to her room. No servant
must pry into the grief Of her child, 80 ten.
derby and lovingly she prepared her for bed.
Then quietly folding her arms about her
she lay all night watching the open glazed
eyes, fearing to move lest she should startle
her into consciousness which would
| awaken passionate grief For days Mrs.
Bedford dared not sleep lest on
| waking something dreadful should
have occurred. As days passed slow.
| ly by no tears ever dimmed the
fesrfully brilliant, while a bright scarlet
| spot flushed upon either cheek and the rich
olive complexion paled each day. Not a
| sigh, not a complaint ever escaped her pal.
| lid lips; but she chung closer and closer to
her mother each hour.
Chapter III
| Six short months ago Monitta was beauti-
| full, strangely, wildly beautiful in the full.
ness Of life; now she was very thin, and her
| once elastic step was feeble; yet she was
| beautiful az an angel In the sweet spiritual
| Ivy WHICH was uhlly Stealing over leT. S0e
i had grown cheerful, and but for her rapidly
| increasing love of God and the angels her
/ mother would have believed that her great
love had stayed the hand of death and that
the child Of her heart would be spared to
her.
And Edward Montray. Had her brilliant
image faded from his heart? Far from
it. In every hour of loneliness she was
before him. In the crowded room of fash
ion and fair-faced beauty his heart longed
for the old hours with this child of nature
in all the witchery of her imprisoned love.
And tonight, Of all the nights, her great
liquid black eyes haunted him; for tonight
another was to become his bride, and he
could not silence the cry of his heart for the
only woman he ever loved. And in the
hushed agony OF his soul he almost cursed
himself for the choice he had made. But
now another was involved; that other
would soon be his wife. She, too, must not
fall victim to his selfshness. She must
never suspect the wandering of his heart
from her. So he wore smiling face, and
all thought him happy groom.
The guests had assembled in the spacious
halls OF Norwood home. The scene
was g brilliant one, The bride was a
upon the bridal group as they arranged
themselves before the minister. Just as he
was prOnouncing the first words of the Ger.
/ emory a stir was in the hall, the grouI
parted, the minister paused, and an Indian,
beautiful as vision, entered, cast an ap
pealing look upon the group, tottered for
ward, uttered faint ejaculation, and fell
at the very feet of Montray with the dark
blood gurgling slowly through the pallid
lips.
The bride drew back, but her white slip
pered feet were dabbled with the blood OF
the dying girl, and a slow horror crept
| throughout her heart as Montray sank be
! gi0n the DIVING Indian roieaH bor In, ii
arms pressed passionate kisses upon heI
brow and face, and called on her for love Of
him TO come back to life, and that he would
make her his bride in that very hour.
As he sWore that his heart was hers alone
and that death should not part them, Ellen
Norwood felt that even should the beautiful,
Monitta die, Edward Montray could never
be more to her. From that room she
turned to pray, to struggle, and to conquer.
Monitta never spoke, but as she felt the
passionate kisses of Montray and heard him
swear that it was her alone whom he loved
glad smile broke over her face, her trem
bling hand pointed heavenward, dropped BY
her side, and the pure spirit had taken til
fight.
Edward Montray waved off every helping
hand, raised the lifeless form of her whom
he now knew to be dearer to him than all
the world beside, stepped into the carriage
and babe the man drive rapidly to Mrs.
Bedfords. As he raised the now stiff
fleming form in his arms he STAG
gered under the weight, but nc
other hand save his own and her
mothers should touch the form SC
hallowed by his love. His soul
seemed burning with indignation against
the world, whose fat had induced him 10
break the heart of the only woman he ever
loved.
AS he stood by the dead, hard lines Of
grief settled in his face, and his wretched.
ness was too deep to admit of word of re.
proaeh, even from the mother whose heart
seemed breaking in her woe. Mrs. Bedford
raised one raven lock, severed it, and
dropped 1t in the hand of the stricken, re.
pentant mourner.
g Edward, from tonight we are friends.
Our griefs unite us. God gave, and
ne hath taken, Her pure spirit is in
heaven. know that che awaits us there
your spirit bride and my spirit child Let
itsbe so. II is well.o
No word gave back q response, but the
mouth twitehed, and the hard lines quiz
cred.
Edward Montray left the state the day
after the burial, and never from that night
saw Ellen Norwood; indeed no thought OF
her seemed to enter his mind, but wears
afterwsrd when he heard of her as d ha9py
wife, heavy weight seemed raised from liz
heart, and he became almost cheerful.
Thus it was that the ia ented, wealthy.
l and noble.looking Edward Montray came 10
live and die a bachelor.
General Grant.
We copy the following from the New
| York SssA;
General Grant has been accused Of in