The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-04-23

] m nENNI UN ENNNIa n A0N1 AIAa -
Week after week passed n;Qnd at length
Victor announced his intention OF leaving
! the seaside. and returning TO his home and
his duties. His health was thoroughly re-
| established; and although n man OF wealth
and p%osition, he had too much intellect to
waste his time in a life Of elegant leisure.
lie was a barrister, and longed TO be back
aunin among his books and papers. But
still he did not 90.
The holiday OF the two. friends was also
dmwiug To q close; aud, indeed, it became
necessary for n or otherto returnto town
nj once: and IL was finally decided that
Miss clarendon should 20 first, to attend
TO the gathering together Of the school
while Miss Montgomery remained to pack
mn and s%uporintend the removal OF certain
articles from their summer retreat.
In the meantime Mabels efforts To pro-
uote the love nfiir Of her friend, and rem
der herself Indifferent ON tho subject OF
Victor lansing. had resulted disastrously
for the whole party. Julia, confident that
she had won Victor. gave up her whole
heart and soul to the enhancing occupation
of idolizing him; Victor, no longer in doubt
as To the state of his feelings, knew that he
ndored Miss Clarendon; while poor Mabel
from h%crconstant schemes 10 avoid Lansing,
and throw him into Julia's society, con
tmctqd such q habit Of thinking Of him that
at last she could do nothing else, aud dis
covered with dismRy that she was hopeless
lv. irr,trievably in love with him hcrself
But Mabel was capable Of heroic self
sacrifice; aud she hailed with delight the
urgent business which called her to Lon
don and her duties. The friends parted
tenderly. promising each other the pleasure
of meeting again in a few days; and Julia
blessed the absence Of Mabel, for now,
she Thought, "Nictor must speak.
And Victor did speak, but in n totally
unlooked-for manner.
On the DAY following Mabels departure
be called on julia: and his hurried and alb
sent manner betrayed the agitation Of his
feelings. He carried a travelling bag in his
hand. and announced that he was on his
wny to- catch the first train for town. Could
he execute amy commands ior Miss Mont
gomeryy
ono" Julia thanked him, '%nothing;" aud
her voice wns scarcely audible.
could she favor him with Miss Claren-
dnn's address q Victor asked. and Julia
gave il with q dreadful sinking If tho heart;
and then. az in q dream, sho heard u great
many cordial expressions of friendly regard,
a kind "good-by, aud she was alone.
She sat quito still, for a long time, just
where he left her; she neither moved nor
! hINhtH HAAt nAHANNl hANNNNAA'AAf - ~ AA'N =
d. long sigh escaped her lips, and she NUT
tered. drenrily, 81 thought ! would die If
/. it ever cnme to this; but Heaven help me J
I hive, and am likely TO live. Oh why am
| so young aud 80 strong that cannot,
cannot dieY'
But this state of feeling passed away and,
instead Of the despair which at first almost
/, tcnumbed the sense of pain she felt, a
/, burning jealousy took possession OF her, an
! Unsuitable desire to be with her rival, 10
! watch the conduct Of the man she loved,
and 10 place some eternal barrier between
, both. As soon lone as thought. On the
! following day, Julia was in the school-room
{ again, and talking over with Mabel the ar
, rival of new scholars and the loss of old
5 ones. while her heart beat wildly at the
| sound Of every step that approached the
door.
/, She had not long TO wait. Toward even
: ing Victor lansing called: and except n few
commonph e remarks toJulia, which stung
, her more Aan utter neglect would have
done, he devoted himself entirely 30 Mabel.
Julia's heart was on fire. IN that enc
evening the friendship of years crumblcd
away in an hour beneath the deyOuring
, jealousy that mcked her Utmost soul Her
} whole nature seemed changed; and while
she watched every look and movement of
Allt AhNtlH WIN " NAAlhs hhANlll'A AdN'f III
I, her heart she cursed and hated both, and
tortured her brain with schemes to accom-
plish their misery and overthrow.
II would he tedious to dwell upon this
painful time. Day by day Victor became
more deeply attached 10 Mabel: aud day
by day the lend within Miss Montgomery's
bosom became more u~nmanageble, although
she still maintained nu outward semhlancc
af unbrokcn serenity. But Mabel noted
! the wild light in her great dark eyes, grown
80 largo and wCird-loOking, and tremblcd
at the thought Of standing toward her in
the light of u rival. So well did Julia COM
/, mand her feelings that Mabel's fears were
lulled, and she even doubted, ut times,
whether her friend had ever loved Victor
! at all, and so allowed herself more and
, more 10 become absorbed in her own love
] for him.
! One night, after Victor lansing had gone,
, Mabel went softly 10 Julia's room, aud seat
I ed herself On u low ottoman ut her feet,
, while she ondeayored TO calm her iluttering
f., heart Sufficiently 10 make the avowal that
, had brought her there. The pickering fire
cast a ruddy glow through the room, max
ing Of the two beautiful women, who sat
! half in shade and half touched by its bright
light, n picture which Rembrant would
/ have l~oyell.to paint.
II puiAAf ntiA AlAh'lf ~ lAnAf II IhNt
something TO tell you"
4 Julia's great dark eyes flashed like living
Goals. Already she knew what was com
ing; but she only placed her cold ant
h troubling hand lightly on the shining coil'
Of Mabels hair. The unsuspecting cir
shuddered ut that touch, without knowing
why; and after a moments hesitation, wen
q on hmriedly, 'You have seen, perhaps
= Julia, that Victor loves me. We are en-
gagged in q few days / shall be his wife =
Ateuible sound, that was neither IL groan
y q cry, nor nm artificial word, burst from
Julia Montgomery. She wTeathed he
rs hand in.the long black hair Of her eompaf
~ ion, and dragging her backward, quick n
I5 lightning inflicted a deadly blow upon he
VI white bosom with some long, sharp knit
lu that had lain on tho table beside her.
y" piercing shrek broke from the wounde
W girl; aud, struggling from the grasp of he
"t companion, she tried b. rush from the room
~ but fell insensible across the threshold
~ Cries ofmRd, demoniac laughter burst froI
20 the lips Of Julia Montgomery, and whe
Barbette and the assistant servant rusha
ip into The room a CHASTITY and appalling sigh
a met their view.
e In n confused heap IN one corner, wit
hair disheveled, liyid face, and glitterin
rst eyes Julia Montgomery sat %griuning, an
ever and anon emitting fearful cries,
Ter hopeless, incnnble madwoman. The
Ter screams soon brought help, aud the mania
lot was with difficulty secured, and born
So shrieking from the room.
at The unfortunate Mabel Clarendon was
by first, thought TO be dead; but her timel
GER swoon had saved her life. The woun,
Ter though deep and dangerous, was not flta
rts and her falling insonsible had preyente
IN much loss of blood. But weeks of patieI
watching went by before she was pronouI
D." eed out Of danger; and to her dying da