New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-18

! tricks Of voice and manner. What made
this more remarkable was the fact that she
had never seen him.
There's no use, Lucy, in crying any
more" She said, ''fOr l am miserable
scoundrel, and not worth the tears you
shed. You are wrong, too, in negiectlng
Your duty to Willie, the way you Go. nc Is
orr thild. remember, and want you to CON
side. what will be best for his future. IN
stead of mourning for me any longer. You
are altogether too headstronG ana sns-
picious, and won't even listen to the ADVICE
OF NOur friends
| At this point. his dis course was interrupt
| ed lty a sudden stir among the crowd; Mrs.
| Morrison had tainted. The captain and l
| carried her to n sofa, and sprlnkled water
! in her face, but it was some time before she
| re"ained consciousness, and not until alter
| the clairvoyant had come out OF her trance.
| The next morning the boat reached ST.
| Louis put up at the planters, us usual,
and so also did DR.. johnson and his lady
| friends. had several business commissions
| TO attend to. and did not see anything of
| them for several days. But one evening, as
| was going to my room. little Willie came
running along the hall ihe had taken quite
| a fancy to me On the boat, sobbing as II his
hea r.. would break.
Why, what is the matter, Willie - l
said, taking him up in my arms.
All l could make out from his broken
| speech was, that somebody had hurried
! his mamma, and that she was c, wing ''dretfil
hard," and wouldn't even speak 10 him.
A sudden impulse came over me to offer
| NV friendship to Mrs. Morrison. and thwart
| the plans of johnson. if possible. for l felt
| convinced that he had occasioned her tears.
| While was thinking how to do this with
| out wounding her delicacy, she came out
| into the hall looking for Willie. He ran
l. II, l,.,fr Il l
was really shocked at the change in her APP
| pearance. She was thinner and paler than
when had seen her last, and there was a
look in her eyes like that of a hunted AM
mall at bay.
/ can't tell how it was that gained her
confidence so readily, but we hadn't been
talking ten minutes before she began to tell
me OF her troubles. My white hair and
venerable appearance had something 10 do
with it probably Il am not SO old as look,
however,, and then, too, her need OF a
tlidnd was urgent and imperative.
She couldn't get the slightest clue 10 her
husband, it seemed, in ST. Louis. and was
almost ready in her despair to believe every
thing the clairvoyant said. But the idea OF
marrying another man was ;bforren1 TO
hex and Dr. johnson was continually urging
hcf to this step. mingllng threats with per
SUD sion, and alleging the impossibility OF
his remaining her friend otherwise. The
net had been subtly laid. He had placed
her under pcciniary Obligations that CALLED
her womanly spirit and made it the harder
to reject his proposal. She didn't want him
to think her ungrateful. nor could she forget
that he had bciriended her III her time OF
sorest need. True, he was ungenerous
enough to remind her of this fact; but even
| that didn't cancel the objection. Then, too,
| he promised to care for and educate Willie;
! -
the mothers heart.
| johnson was going to Chicago the next
| dar, and was coming IT, her in the morning
| fol d final decision Ii she refused to ac-
| company him thitiler lis his wife. then all
was at an end between them. But what
was she to do in St. Louis, alone and pennl-
| less ! For she was a weak. fragile little
| creature. untitled to battle with the world.
as johnson well knew.
| Yet l didn't hesitate as to the advice |
should give her, although | felt little
! doubtful whether she would follow IT, Tor
| in Spite OF her reluctance to marry john
SON. | could see from the way she told her
! story that lie had gained an influence over
hdr, truly wonderful. l promised, how
ever, to do all I could for her, if she re
! manned in st. Louis and earnestly 5esou@ht
her not to commit the sin OF marry ing this
man from a mistaken sense OF duty.
Stranger as she was, was So much in
terested i'll her fate that / couldn't sleep ior
thinking of it. and it was late the following
morning when l went 10 breakfast. | sat
down opposite traveller, sunburnt and
coarsely attired, but honest aud genial
| looking
We entered into conversation. ami there
was something in his voice and manner that
seemed strangely familiar, although |
couldn't rccolect that | had ever met him
before. But it came over me, like 4 HASH OF
light, when he spoke of having .jusr returned
| from the mountains. that this was the man
whom Sarah White, the cleirvoyant, had
persoIated on the steamer ''DresdeA. /
turned to him, eager and excited.
Pardon me, sir, but isn't your name
Joe Morrison, and didn't You dse 10 live
| in-r
He started to his feet.
| For Gods sake, sir. can YOU tell me any
thing of my wife and child II Is nearly
two years since I've heard a word from
! them.
JOY seldom kills and hadn't the heart to
prolong his suspense.
Yes, yes. they are alive and we'll, an
swered, and are here i'll this very house, i'll
| No. ="
My God! it isn't possible" he cried
| rushing away from the table like a mailman
/ followed leisurely, and found him with
| Willie in his arms. pressed close to his breast
laughing and crying at the same time. and
frightening the child nearly to death. Mrs
| Morrison was not in the room: she had Just
gone out with DR.. johnson, the chamber
maid said. A thrill OF apprehension ran
over me.
| .'Do YOU know where they went ~ asked
But she couldn't tel me anything. except
that the gentleman had said something
| about Squire Jeckos.'
That was enough. rushed down stairs
and through the streets, dragging Morrison
and Willie with me, and didn't stop to see
whether people stared or not. just as we
reached the door of Justice Jecko's office
johnson and Mrs. Morrison came out, and
my heart sank within me- Willie caught a
glimpse of them. and cried out slrilly
Mamma mammal
I She started and turned and Morrison
sprang forward with the child in his arms
but before he could reach her, she had fallen
prone upon the pavement. But she came
to quickly. and the greetings between hus
band and wife were silent, but affecting. A
little later, she returned to the hotel. lean
ing upon Morrison's arm. proud and hap
py woman. My fears were untoundcd: she
had refused to marry johnson. even after he
had decoyed her to the Office OF Justice
Jecko.
As to the mutual explanations that fol
lowed this happy reunion, | have Il tie Il
| say. MORRISON was JnUnUerSf TRICK by tDf
treachery OF Johnson, in whom he hat
placed such implicit confidence as to sent
him several large sums OF money for the use
Of Lucy and the child. And he couldn't
help Mistrusting that their correspondence
had been intercepted, for neither husband
or wife had ever received single one Of al
the letters they had written 10 each other
But he might have been mistaken for We al
know what mail facilities are IN the noun
taj-, l IpI,, hut
heard atterward that he married Mis-,
/ White, the clarvoyant