Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-03-04

friendship; though in every way decencJ
would allow she told him her preference fol
him to all her admirers. Finding all at
tempts to win him to herself fruitless, hel
dislike for Berc;e was transformed into IN
tense hatred yet over it was worn a MASK
of love and smiles Gazing upon them the
last night of Arlie's stay, she determined
that even though she lost her soul in the
effort to prevent it, they should never mar
y. : < 3 * x .
For a year after Arlie Zerrilon's depar-
ture Bercie had long, hopeful, very aztec
Tomato letters from him. bidding'her not to
grievc for him, for before a great while he
would be with her again. sd7
At last they suddenly ceased, Not once
doubling him, she thought sickness or death
had prevented her hearing from him, and
again and again wrote him, receiving no
answer Then such darkness settled upon
her, she wondered where all earth's bright
ness had departed. Very soon she learned
he yet lived. CHANGING over q paper her
eyes fell upon a glowing account of a new,
startling, truly grand book by the brilliant
American poet, Arlie Zerrilon, then in
Rome, All! then she thought him false,
and felt that the heaviest Of life's burdens
had fallen upon her. Though no murmur
escaped her c~olorless lips. and day after day
she was gentle and kind, the unnatural
brightness Of the eyes was startling, and the
hectic flush told how deeply she was suffer-
ing.
In the early days of their engagements
Arlie had given her a likeness of himself
encased in mother of pearl, set in magnif-
cent diamonds Over this she shed the Bit
terest tears that can come from a woman
heart-tears for the unfaithfulness of one
she deemed Interchangeable.
* x X 13 x x x X X
ga letter for you, Miss" said the grin
ming little messenger boy, some months sub
scquent, Listlessly Bercie broke the seal,
for nothing excited her much now The
letter was thus:
"Mass Zadrion-You will pardon the
liberty I have taken, when l tell the motive
which induces me to write you.
"At the--hotel, in this city, the
celebrated young writer, Arlie Zerrilon. is
dying Of yellow fever. He was en- route for
the Southern States, when he was suddenly
taken violently i'll. Day and night, his
rawlings are Of you. A few moments since,
he became rational a little while, and implor-
ed me to beseech you, by the love you once
bore him, to come to him in his dying hour.
He saws the Dark Valley will not seem ter
rible to him if YOU will smile on him before
he goes.
"In the name of humanity, I entreat you
to come, and oh hasten.
every respectfully,
A "AnfHUR DEANS.
esNew York, Nov. IS, 18-."
"Dying Arlie, my darling! Oh! can it
be that you yet care for me? What mystery
is this ? by the love I once cherished for
you. Beloved, do you not know that that
love is immortal ? Go to you | would wade
through fire to do so. May God prevent
my being too late +"
"Bercie, beautiful, worshiped one my
c%hildhood's, boyhood's, and manhood's low
er!-why did you wound me SO cruelty p
Have you not told me I was dearer than
life? Would I not have given my soul for
yours? [ soon would have returned to claim
you as my peerless bride, when you sent me
that awful letter, accompanied by my picture
I had given you, saying you had ceased to
care for me. You have broken my heart.
Ber-' @
Then, for a moment, the rawlings ceased,
and uneasy sleep fitted over the great, wild
moprnful eyes Of the speaker.
Kneeling beside the beautiful, wan suf-
ferer, very tenderly raising the curly head
and resting it upon her throbbing heart, and
fraught with great joy and deep anguish,
Bercie showered passionate kisses upon the
white brow and ~colorless lips, murmuring Z;
Garlic, my light, my life, you are true to
me! God could grant me no richer boon,
and for it [ thank Him ! oh, [ thank him
Speak to me, mine own. Tell me what
heartless wretch has caused this agony to us
both 2"
Then, lifting those wonderous pleading
eyes above, her very soul went out in the
humble, fervent wall: s'Father, now that
thou hast given me this cup Of almost un-
earthly sweetness, take, oh! take it not a.
way Spare him, or let me die, too, All
Morciful one ("
Throughout the night that devoted girl,
her brother, who had accompanied her, and
the noble old physician-he who wrote to
her, Of Arlie's sickness-kept watch beside
the Invalid, whose every movement was
watched with hreathless interest yet he
knew them not.
Sobbingly she called him by every en-
dearing name, SO tenderly smoothing the
lustrous tangled hair, and gazed yearningly
into the classic, pure face.
As the morning light entered the apart
ment, SO did that of reasonable mind Of
Arlie Zerrilon. Enclosing those matchless
c%erulean eyes, they fell upon the bowed fig
ure, and a smile like that methinks he will
wear when her greets her in the 'city which
is to COME" illumined his features with
happiness almost too great for earth, and
a long. wild cry Of ''Bercie, my idol"
clasped her convulsively TO his breast.
1.-THE crisis is past: he lives, thank God!'
exclaimed the physician.
"And more than words can tell, l thank
thee, oh, my Creator! Dedicate us fully to
Thy service, I implore thee !" said the sweet
voice of the fathomlessly grateful woman.
We, reader, friend, will leave them now.
until the day they arrive at Bercie's home.
Vainly had they sought to enlighten them
selves on the strange subject Of how Arlie
received a letter in chirography just like
Bercie's hurting at him his plighted troth,
together with the picture of himself he had
given her. the former telling him neyer a.
uain to addreas her. while Rercie meyer