The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-10-16
With wild cry of anguish Constance

With Wild cry of anguish Constance
started to her feet.
30 Pauline I" she exclaimed, show
| could yog be 80 cruel !'
"Because he tempted me-he, Sir
| Richard Ashford, the mai loved, who
swore he would make me his wife-fool
that | was. to believe Uninterrupted me
with false oaths and deceitfuI promises to
destroy Captain Stapleton's letters. He
told me that be hated him. that he want
ed to ruin him with you, and ! lent N.Y.
self to Tic scheme"
90 you sinful, wicked woman !" moan
ed the wretched Constance "you know
not what you have done"
Yes, do" replied Pauline; shut I
did not care. | would have broken all
tho hearts in England if it were in my
power, and be had bid me do it.
would haze killed my own sister for himg'
she hissed. ''I'ut | was justly served
lie loves you, Constance Power, and
would marry you if he could Shall
tell you what be did 10 me : He kicked
me oat into the streets, and sank lower
and lower down till came to this"
Her voice faded away again but Con- =
stance vas not needing her--her hands
clagpcd. her beautiful face csnyulsed with
agony, she was striving TO realize all her
own terrible sorrow.
20 Fictor7 she murmured, 20 my
dear lost love. And J seut you away,
/ sent you to India 70 die I"
forgive, forgive :" moancd the dying
woman.
II cannot for=ive you. You have ru-
incd my life. God may forgive you, but
| cannot"
They were bitter words; but they were
wrung from young hearts terrible ag-
ony.
Pauline lay motionless; she had faint
ed Constance thought she vas dying,
aud flung hersel; by the side of the bed.
Pauline. Pauline - she cried, Il did
not know what vas saying. It was
very cruel; but | iorgive--ycs forgive"
She rubbed her hands. those hands
which had SO ruthiessly destroyed her
happiness; she wiped the death-swcat
of the palIid brow, sobbing as il her
heart would break
at last Pauline spoke again. "Say it
again, she muFnured; Il want to hear
you say it again"
"Can / be so obstinate when my Lord
iorgivcs 2" replied Constance. % Pau
line il Is His pardoa ycu must seek,
not mine"
4 faint smile stole over the dying wo-
mans face ''Ilome-I am going home"
she inut'cred there IS rest for the Wea-
~, peace for evcrmore -
Again long aud painful silence. Her
breath grew shorter every moment
Constance kncIt down beside the bed tc
pray.
Captain Victor" murmured Pauliu
-'hc has como back. saw him-tha
that evening at the club"
Constance clasped her hand. "Wht
was that yoa said p she cried wildly
He has come back 2"
..Yes il is true. quite true"
"Too late, too late - walled the erl.
buryius her face n her hands. "He te-
lieved ne false he will never"
With violent effort Pauline raiset
herself on the pillow. Il did what l
could, she said family. Il wrote to
him too-H told him ALI could not die
unless--forgigcn."
And he is here.' exclaimed manly
voice, as the tall form of stranger
emerged from behind the screen, and
clasped the trembling Constance in his
arms
% Constance, my darsng, how could I
ever have doubted your truth and love? !?
Urged By this poor woman's letter, /
reached here some few minutes ago, and
hearing gou speaking, could not resist
/ the temptation of listening to what you
said. see my blindness and follow now.
Can you forget it 2"
She iay in his arms. The sudden JOY
had taken away all power of speech her
soft hair swept his face. the hair that he
covered with passionate kisses.
''Yietor. Victor r she .murmured at
last. her eyes meeting his in their pure,
trusting love.
Never to part again, darlingw he
said. The long, sad years forever goneS
/ onlY peace and joy for evernoro."
The gray morning light stole in at tho
narrow easement window, causing the
candle to grow dim, and bringing ont in
strange relief the actors in this little
drama It fell upon the white and pur-
pie fowers-on the miserable truckle- bed
lon the girl who stood there in her
shimmering silken robes-the man for
whom new existence had begun in
dingy, wretehed garret beside the Shiny
! Thames.
So absorbed were they in each other,
that they forgot the woman to whom they
owed their glad present and their bitter
past, the woman from whom earth, with
all its misery and all its sin, was slipping
fast with every ebb Of tho tide. And
when they turned and looked, she was
lying calm and still, with a smile on her
lips they had never worn in life, and a
light and peace on the poor pale face that,
could never be taken away.
/ A Missourian informed traveller, who
IL - IL