The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-06-23

overwhelming words of Sybil, th
wronged wife, now suddenly threw u
her hands, and with a low cry fe
from the room.
And Sybil dropped her arm an
her voice at the same instant, an
stood dumb and motionless.
And now, at length, Lyon Berner
spoke again. -
"Sybil!" he said, ''this house O
yours! You must do rs you please
But this l tell you that in the sam
hour which sees that poor and friend
less young creature driven from TIL
shelter of this roof, I leave it too, an,
leave it for everi"
If Lyon Berners really meant this
or thought to bring his fiery-heartet
wife to terms by the threat, he wa.
mistaken in her character. O.! .-r5 r.
oh, go" she answered, bitterly
ego as soon as you like, Lyon Ber
ners. Goodnight, and Goodbye
she said, with wave of her hand she
passed from the room.
He was mad to have spoken as he
did; madder still to let her leave him
so how mad, he was soon to learn.
Lyon Berners remained walking up
and down the room some time longer.
The lights we're AL out, and the ser
wants gone to bed. Yet still he con-
tinued to pace up and down the parlor
floor, until suddenly piercing shrieks
smote his ear. -
In great terror he started forward
and instinctively rushed towards Ro-
sa's room, when the door was sudden
ly thrown open by Rosa herself, pale,
bleeding from a wound in her breast.
e. "Great Heaven ! what is this ?" he
cried, as, aghast with amazement and
sorrow, he supported the ghastly and
dying form, and laid it on the sofa,
and then sunk on his knees beside it.
"Who, who has done thisi" he
wildly demanded, as, almost paralyz-
ed with horror, he knelt beside her,
and tried to staunch the gushing
wound from which her life blood was
fast yelling.
She opened her bloodless lips, now
paling in death, and gasped forth the
words:
"She-Sybil-your wife, I told
you she would do it, and she has done
it. Sybil Berners has murdered me- %
she whispered. Then raising herself
with last dying effort, she cried aloud.
''Hear, ALL Sybil Berners has mur.
dered me-" And with this charge
upon her lips, she fell back DEAD.
Even in that supreme moment Ly.
on Berners' first thought, almost his
only thought, was for his wife. He
looked up to see who was there-who
had heard this awful, this fatal charge.
Al were there! guests and servants,
men and women, drawn there by the
dreadful shrieks. Ali had heard the
horrible accusation. -..-
And all stood panic-stricken, as they
shrank away from one who stood in
their midst.
Itwas she, Sybil, the accused, whose
very aspect accused her more loudly
than the dying woman had done tor
she stood there, still in her fiery mas
querade dress, her face pallid, her
eyes blazing, her wild black hair loose
and streaming, her crimsoned hand
raised and grasping blood-stained
dagger.
90, wretched woman most wretch.
ed woman! What is this that you
have done ?" groaned Lyon Berners1n
unutterable agony-agony not for the
dead beauty before him, but for the
living wife, whom he felt that he had
driven to this deed of desperation.
sIyon Berners, do you believe me
guilty :" she asked.
He locked up, and their eyes met.
If he lad really believed her guilty,
he did not now. He answered briefly
and firmly: ~ r.
"No, SybilI Heaven knows that
1 do not; but explain this horrible
business-if you can! !"
"The explanation is this" she said,
emphatically. And then her voice
arose clear, firm, and distinct, as she
continued:
''I was IN my chamber, which is
Immediately above that occupied by
Mrs. Blondelle. My chamber is ap-
preached by two ways, first by the
front passage and stairs, and secondly
by a narrow staircase running up from
Mrs. Blondelle's room. l do not
know how long had sat there, when
| heard piercing shriek from some
one in the room below. Instinctively
l rushed down the communicating
stairs and into Mrs. Biondelle's room,
and up to her bed, where saw by the
light of the taper she was lying. Her
eyes were closed, and l thought at
first that she had tainted from some
fright until, almost at the same in
slant, l saw this dagger" here Sy-
bill stopped and picked up the dagger
that she had dropped a few minutes
to its haft in her
chest. 1 drew it out. Instantly the
blood from the opened wound spirited
up, covering my hand and sleeve with
the accusing stains you see! With
the flowing of the blood her eyes flew
wildly openl She gazed affrightedly
at me for an instant, and then with
the last effort of her life, for which
terror lent her strength, she started up
and fed shrieking TO this room; 1,
still holding the dagger that L had
drawn from her bosom, followed her
here. And-you know the rest, said
Sybil and overcome with excitement
she sank upon the nearest chair to
rest.
Her story had evidently made a
very great impression upon the COM
pany present. But Lyon Berners
exclaimed
"Good Heavens! that lady's mistak-