The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-12-31


. this time James and | were alone.
Ashley had been obliged to leave.
and for the first time in our acquaint.
ance ] had nor been sorry TO ace bin,
60. lie had been very kind to mc
, and very CHEEKY with James, but T
, shrank from him visibly-- though hc
looked at mo as people d. look at
something seen for the FIRST time, and
seemed almost as if he had fouad NE
cut, after such a long period Of over
looking. AT any other time should
= have been transported with his at
'tention: it would have been my pride,
myny, my heaven, but now-I felt
degraded by: it, as If he wanted to
buy my silence, to make mo an ac-
complico in his crime through my
love. Oh, George, what an awful
thing it was to feel that the ono you
love above all else in life is base and
false
Well! when spoke to James like
this seemed to star;lc him as If from
a dream. .H-.
Yes, Rose, | remember, he said,
getting up and pushing his dark fair
hair from his white face. II will 90
and make it all right with him. Ny
poor little Rose! you have had mas
ty fright, dear, and you are quito
pale and trembling. Never mind
now: it will soon be all right"
lie kissed me tendcrly, aud before
| could stop bin, or even answer
back his loving words, he too had left
the house, and left mo indeed alone.
cannot tell you much more Of
what happened, for only remember
things very confussdly. 1 remember
Mr.. Hawcs coming to the house. and
| remember his loud angry voice aud
furious face; I remember = swarm Of
policemen in the room-the place
seemed filed with them; and I re-
member Ashley's grand bearing and
noLlc look in the mi'lst Of them. He
seemed like beautiful demon to mo
like Luciier: god, but a fallen
one. And then--oh, George, do
not let me think Of it'll remember
a noise, as of mems feet, a tumult Of
voices, and hustling at the door.
and something was. brought in and
laid tcnderly on the bed 1t was my
brothcr--all that was Of him now!-
found dead in lonely part Of Ken.
sington Gardens. with an empty bot
tie Of poison in his hand Proud aud
sensitive as he was, the shock aud
horror had been too much for him.
and chose to brave the wrath Of God
rather than undergo the doubt, tho
accusation Of his fellow men.
After this the newspaper repor.s
can tell you the story better than l.
You know that Ashley was arrested
on suspicion, tried, and acquitted for
want of sufficient evidence-acquittcd
but not cleared; for all that my dear
Jamies death divided the suspicion.
The oldest part Of it was that the
hanaper could not be traced in tho re-
motest way. 1t had apparently van
isEed off the face Of the earth, snd
how it bad gone, or what had become
tof it, was as much q mystery to tho
police as to US. 1t looked as if Ash
ley had taken it-and for my own part
never doubted it; but what had he
done with it? who had he sold it to?
and how was it that the police could
not trace it! And how was it, too.
that Ashley was suddenly so flush Of
money if he had not stolen it? Ho
said an old aunt had died and left him
Il legacy. God forgive me! did not
believe worl of it!
md yet loved him, Geogie! Tn
worthy as | believed him to be, and
the cause Of that poor boys death, I
loved him with my whole heart I
had grown into womanhood loving him
and, If even had wished it, l could
not have cut him out Of my life now.
But | would not marry him. He ask
ed me more than once, and he pleaded
passionatcly-for he suddenly quite
changed toward me. as l have ssid,.
and from utter neglect passed
into the most intense love.
But l was firm. l could
not have married him then! So 10
went away to America, and cams
here to Amblcside, as governess to
the rector children; and here I have
b, en- ever since = two ycars-two lone.
painful, weary years! Aud now am
going to America next week; my pas.
sage is taken, and in fornight's timo
| shall bc standing on the quay 1T
New York, with Ashley Grahan's
hand in mine. If you read this letter
you will see what has changed nv
life, and what has taken me ws pec-
itent to the feet of the man / love,
and have always loved"
She gave me al open lsttc- written
in faint and trembling hand, and
signed \. Tomphson. It said that
1.-THE the writer, being now at lhe
point of death, wished to mako con.
fession, and reparation SO far 40 no
conld, OF the evil he had caused.
For it was he who had taken the han
apcr; and he had it under his large
cloak while he stood by the open door
OF the room, aud nodded, and spoke
to Rose Mamtcll of the weather. Il
was bold stroke. be said, land the
idea occnrre! to him only when he
heard Ashley go out 50 early.
knowirg the habits Of the Mantells.
and their hours, he mad stolen down.
stairs to James S room and found tho
1,-