Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-06-30

that thronged upon him.
They all sheer at me-" muttered he ;
''how, If | have been too secure ? Ha!
Use to me-to me who have loved her so
dearly ?"
No man is suddenly abandoned to his
own evil passions the shocks of the m r.
al earthquake are distinct and separate,
though they may rapidly succeed each
other
While he stood solloquizing under a
lamp, his figure was recognized by two
. bacchanals, who were staggering no me
from debauch.
That's the husband Of the pretty Great
ure you were talking to this afternoon, y
said one ;, ''let's banter him. Halo |!
JOHN, how is it with you, man :"
He started at this unexpected address
but perceiying in the speaker gentleman
who had formerly served Kim, lie respect
fully saluted them, and observing their
condition, would have passed on, but
they obstructed his path.
Il say, John how's your wife ?"
Ere he could reply. the other chime d
in "Look ye, John, I'll bet you a
guinea I'll tell you the color of your wife S
gar er. What say you, eh ?"
In those days the lower orders were ac-
customed to look up to their superiors in
rank with reverence unknown to their
more literally educated descendants
Smothering his resentments, the husband
replied, in Uninterrupted merriment
':That would be audible bet sir, as
don't remember ever having noticed it
myself"
''Say you SO. my lad Then look
here" And with an air of triumph, he
drew forth and displayed the lost garter.
''For shame p said his companion,
snatching the fancied prize, and thrusting
it, as he thought, into his pocket ''nev-
err kiss and tell"
Then with. loud laugh, they reelsd
off, hiccupping. "Good night John"
The garter had fallen unuoticed, save
by the unhappy husband. who remained
for some minutes riveted to the spot; his
faculties were paralyzsd. Suddenly be
started, hastily picked up the unlucky
relic, gazed at it 70 "a momeut-it was red
and fed toward home
It was the first whisper of the fend
that startled him !
He let himself in, and proceeding to
his chamber, found his wife wrapt in q
peaceful slumber. A pensive sadness
was visible in her countenance, and her
long silken lashes were still wet with the
tear of cont ition-the weather was warm
her swan like neck was exposed, and
one snowy arm supported her head upon
the pillow. As he gazed upon her beauty
and the traces of recent sorrow. the mem
DRY of mutual fond endea-ment softened
his heart, and dispeled. for moment,
all doubt of her innocence. Slowly he ap-
preached the bed, to kiss away the repent
ant tear that fingered on the lid, as if to
claim on his return renewed love aad con-
ilence. when he trod on something, ana
looking down, perceived the slippers and
stockings of his wife. The fend prompt
ed him to look for her carriers. He Gid
so there was but one, and the color of
that one was red
At that moment hell was busy in the
little chamber
Again he turned his eyes toward the
bed, but now his thoughts were "goads,
thorns, nettles, tails, of wasps;" and
hurrying from the house he did no. r etu II
until the morning light was family visible
i'll the eastern sky. The interval had
been passed in dreadful occupation! On
the hill behind Sham Castle a grave had
been prepared. He had toiled hard (to
use the words in his comics sion) "to make
it deep. before the morning broke" The
demons to whom he had resigned himself
lent him supernatural strength. "Muder
was in his heart, Death in his hand Blood
and revenge were hamm ering at his
brain p
His wife was still asleep when he re-
turned, and daylight was rapidly increas-
ing.
MARY" said he, shaking her. "you
must get up"
"Jobn," said she, rubbing her eyes,
''but just returned 7 Where have you
been all night ?"
/. "No matter"
"Why so Early p asked she.
MAY, It's passed four"
He then stated some reason, which, if
it did not satisfy her, p ut an end to
further questions. She was soon dressed
and ready to follow him.
1t is needless to attend them in their
rapid progress to the goal of his unhallow-
ed labors their haste. precluded all
attempt. at conversation, though Mary
frequently essayed, in vain, to learn their
destination Her belief in the unbound
ed affection of her huband forbade her to
suppose that he could, for one instant,
mediate mischief against her, but she
knew not the dreadful revulsion that had
thaken place.
Tired by the smart walk up the ascent,
on their arrival at the small gateway of
the castle, she asked whittier they were
going, and receiving no reply, declared,
pettishly, she would 60 no further.
AS he turned round, she remarked the
frightful change in his sountenance. The
expression she there beheld called up all
her fears, and, with stiied cry of horror,
she fell upon her knees before him.
Everything conspircd against her-the
tremors of terror were mistaken for the
confusion oe guilt AS she watched in
agony the sciutillating glances of bis eye.
he displayed the ia tai ribbon, and demand"
ed in voice o. unearthly meaning, hollow
and deep.
"Where did you lose this garter r
Ina moment she saw the mistake.
Dear John, hear me = and she