The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-07-21

1tOF ItlaitilcT.
There was moments embarrassed
| pause. y
"May l ask" said Rosaltha,7 then
"to what l owe the pleasure of this
visit ?'
"Oh, yes, certainly" replied the
Quakeress, with emphasis "My name
my maiden name, that isis Dor.
othy Dilworth." f,..,
Rosaltha half rose from her chair,
the blood startingto her cheek. Then
she checked the impulse, with a hall
smile at her jealous credulity, and re-
seating herself quickly, said:
~ have heard that name before"
"From Elleray, perhaps" !"
"From Mr. Trafiord y' asked Rosal.
tina, with spirit. No; from his sister,
Miss Dilworth." H.s......
The next moment she regretted
having spoken in harsh tone, for her
visitor began to show very evident
marks of agitation. Her fine blue
eyes filed with tears, her exquisite red
lips trembled, and pulling forth her
pocket handkerchief, she hid her face
therein for few moments.
A wild, indefinate suspicion sprang
into Rosaltha's heart, and she trem-
bled with the violence of her feelings.
She constrained herself to rise, how
ever, to bend over her weeping Wis
itor, and inquire, with some appear
ance of sympathy, what was the mat
ter. For some time the young girl
refused to be comiorted. At length
she raised her head, more lovely
through her tears, thought Rosaltha,
than when her features had been com
posed-and looking with great effort
into Rosaltha's face, exclaimed
"How can / tell you 7"
"Tell me what !" exclaimed Rosal-
tha. For Heavens sake, don't tor
ture me. Anythingis is better than this
suspense. What is there, Miss Dill
worth, that you have got to tell me
that ought To know 2"
"You ought to know that this is not
my name any longer. You bear the
name that have a better right to,
and that is"
"What 2" exclaimed Rosaltha, in
Mortified tones.
tTraiord.n
Rosaltha withdrew the hand she
had laid upon the girls shoulder. The
contact seemed to sting her with fire.
She reflected intensely for a minute or
two, and then her courage returned.
"You must be insane" she said.
"Why do you come here when my
husband is out Why do you bring
me such a tale as this You dare not
confront him with it. 1t is all false
hood"
''Do I look as though were acting
a falsehoodg ?" asked the pretty Qnak-
eress, raising her tear-stained eyes TO
Rosaltha's face. mo, Mrs. Trafford"
and her exquisite lips trembled
again-"what l say is too true. / had
no opportunity to warn you before, or
| should have warned. saw your ar
rival in the morning papers and came
on at once, at the risk of meeting him.
Forgive me if / make you miserable;
but perhaps my grief has made me
selfish / have been miserable myself
for the last year-ever since he made
me his wife,"
"His wife y repeated Rosaltha- 1t
seemed as slough the heavens would
burst or the ground open at her feet.
II swear to you | am his wife-his
true and lawful wife," continued the
visitor. 1T is nearly one year ago
since we were married. | do believe
that once. when / was innocent Do
rothy Div orsh, he really loved me-
After our marriage we lived together
happily just one week. From that
hour TO this / have never laid eyes
upon Elleray Trafford; but l should
know him anywhere-anywhere at all. !"
She stopped, noticing the change
that had overspread Rosaltha's face.
1t had become very pale, and she
swayed backward as though she would
have fallen. In an instant the arms of
the other were around her, and the
visitor would have touched her lips to
her cheek. But Rosaltha, recovering
herself, pushed her coldly away.
"You have had your satisfaction" )"
said Rosaltha. "You have taken your
revenge. Leave me. If it is any sat
isfaction for you to know that you
have ruined my peace forever, enjoy
that satisfaction, but leave me; that is
all ask"
A moments compunction over
shadowed the fair face of Dorothy.
"Do not let us part as enemies" she
said, stretching forth her hand. "See,
/ would even have kissed you, if you
would have let me. l bear you no
i'll will. | owe you no grudge. !
have taken no revenge. Only l could
not bear my load of misery any longer
alone, and wrong as it was, in order to
make you sharer in it / have made
you miserable. Forgive me. Let us
part as friends, never to see each other
more. Let us be as sisters. But as
| for that man"
"Hush p said Rosaltha, raising her
hand; "nota word against him, though
he has treated us both shamefully. He
is your husband. You have the best
right to him. Do you think l could
live with him after this ? Never. He
is to me no more from this moment
so far as anything more than remem-
bering him goes, than if he had never
been. To love and to live with him
longer would be crime ir the sight
of heaven and man. Do not go You
must stay until he returns. Then
together, we will confront him I'
Even while she was speaking, steps
were heard in the corridor, and the
nextmoment Elleray Traford entered
! the room.
The sight hemet there was strange