The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-10

old thing seemed to have no Other
thought but stMiss Relia." She was
the only one who had the slightest in.
tiuence over Aurelia and I asked
her one morning to try and persuade
: her to take some medicine which
thought would be benefit to her as
q tonic. But she shook her head and
sand, in her slow, dolorous tones,
"Medicine never cafe Miss Relia,
Missns." y,f7. 80 793i.,. g.. .s
And the next day Aurelia was seiz-
ed with burning fever-a brain fever
OF the most violent type; and the
physician who was called in imme-
diately pronounced her case extreme
| ly critical. Weeks of terrible suffer
ling followed, which she bore with
saint-like patience, never murmur
escaping her lips, save in her wild de-
lirium and her gentleness and SUBJ
mission were touching because it
seemed SO much unlike her old self.
But in those terrible nights while I
watched by her bedside, something
was revealed to me which 1 shudder
to remember. Aurelia told her own
dreadful story in those wild delirious
rayings-a story which made old Pat
ra quake and shiver! And all the
dark, solemn hours, while Patra was
mumbling over her prayers, this pic
ture haunted me with vivid distinct
| ness.
/ saw the sea, blue and still in the
summer day; background of ver-
dant hills flushed with tropic bloom,
and basking in tropic sunlight; a pic
turesque old pier, jutting into the
clear water, and a fair young girl
standing near its edge gazing dreami-
ly out over the sea, where the white
sails float in the purple distance. The
sunlight glints in her golden hair, and
lies in her pleased, dreamy eyes. A
scarlet bird folds its wings on cliff
above, and startles the happy silence
with happy song. and the wind losses
the waves into little whisper of mel
ody. But she is lost in her own sweet
dream, and neither hears nor sees,
though her eyes are fixed on far-away
sunny track in the sea- Suddenly,
from little path through the cliffs;
appears another figure, that of young
girl with a dark, passionate face, and
eyes glowing with strange, intense
light. A football steals up behind the
dreamer, as soundless as snow an arm
terrible in its relentless pun pose, is
stretched forth; there is a splash in
the clear sunny water, a startled cry
for hel lp-then all is still again-and
the dark girl steals away up the path
again, as nofselessly as she came. And
the, sweet face, with its framework of
gofdee 7fIafr has vanished in the sea
This was the story framed from
Aurelia's broken and incoherent sen
tences. This was the mystery that
had showed her life so darkly. 1 saw
it all now. She loved Alice's lover,
Geofrey Leith, and had murdered her
sister, who stood between her and her
happiness. And was sure now that
Geofrey Leith had his own vague sus-
picions, though the old black servant,
Patra, and myself were the sole pos
SCISSORS of the unhappy secret.
The fever left Aurelia at last; for
a little time she was herself again,
and we had faint glimmer of hope
for her final recovery. She laid very
tranquil and calm, with closed eyes,
not sleeping, but she seemed to be
meditatirg peacefully; but towards
night she grew rapidly worse, and in
the early morning we knew that she
was dying. She had been lying in
sort ofstupor for q long time, but SEEM
ed conscious now, though unable to
speak.
Old Patra rocked herself to and fro
in the widest sorrow, and bending
suddenly over the poor, pallid face,
she exclaimed in tone ofterror, "Oh,
Miss Relia, haven't you anything to
confess before you die ?"
And Aurelia lifted her eyes, with
something of their old flash, to the old
womsn's face, and she was silent again.
When the first sunlight stole into the
room with its golden brightness, Au-
relia was dead; and 1 parted the bed
curtains to let it fall over her as she
liked to have it when living.
Poor Aurelia how serene and plac-
i'd she looked, as ifthankful for great
peace which had come at last and
believe that only the face of one who
had been forgiven could have worn
that sweet peaceful look of repose in
its last sleep. There was not trace
of pain or passion on the smooth
brow; and the old bitter look had
melted into sweetness on the dead
lsps. Let us hope that after all her
suffering she was listening in heaven
to tender, forgiving words, and that
the two sisters were united there as
they never had been on earth.