The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-08-11

painfully.
'If you would allow me to confde
in you, Miss Wyman," she faltered,
drawing a step or two nearer to the
saxon beauty. "Mr. Fordham has
told me"
1 do not wish to become the re-
pository of your confidence" said
Bertha, with chilling abruptness,
"nor do I care to hear what Mr..
fFordham chooses to tell you. Good
night"
And she motioned Mrs. Raymond
imperatively from her presence.
II should have struck her in an
other moment" she murmured to
herself, tearing the tiny lace frill
away from her throbbing throat, as
if its slight pressure impeded free
respiration. 81 have seen the nurses
shrink away from me, as a child,
when my temper rose. There was
murder in my eyes, they said. l
think murder came into my heart
when 1 stood there facing that
treacherous, black-eyed woman.
Let her beware how she ventures to
come between me and mine"
Unconscious Paul Fordham! Ifhe
could only have known, as he paced
up and down the dewy lawn, the
thoughts that were passing through
the mind Of his betrothed
Bertha" he said, the next after
noon, as they stood together by the
great, spicy, sweet -briar bush, "do
you know l had quite a chat with
Mrs. Raymond last nightY'
81 am aware of it" answered,
Bertha indiferently.
"And, by Jove, Bertha, the little
creature has had the most romantic
life to
81 dare say" said Bertha turning
abruptly away. "The breeze is too
strong out here 1 think 1 will 90 to
the library"
Paul stared at his companion in
uGGer DeWlIderment.
81 suppose that means she doesn't
want to talk any more about Zaidee
Raymond. Well, of all incompre
hensible creatures, a woman is the
most incomprehensible! They are
leagues and leagues beyond my pen
etration-the whole race of them.
supposed she would be interested
and here she snaps my head off be
fore l get out dozen words"
i And Paul followed Bertha to th,
library confused, and not altogethe
pleased at the arbitrary deeisiYenes
of the beautiful blonde.
ItWas about a week aftel ward tha
| Bertha Wyman was coming hom,
from a long walk to distant farm
house, where an old school mate o
hers resided. She had refused Pau
Fordham's escort probably becaus,
she had seen him walking up anC
down the long hall with Mrs. Raw
mond at his side that very morning
and now she felt a little weared
somewhat lonely, and very cross
The sun had been down about al
hour, but the west was still illumin
ated with a belt of orange bright
ness, and the winding river, tangled
along the shore with starry water
lilies, reflected of the sky like
second armament.
AS Bertha descended into a ittI,
hollow, fragrant with wild roses
for she had avoided the thorough
, fare, unfrequented though it was
and chosen instead a shaded by
path-she became conscious tina
two other persons were strollin!
along the road itself, from which shI
was divided by tangled mass o
wild grape vines festooned from tn,
branches Of few silver birches-
two other persons-Paul Fordhan
and Zaidee Raymond.
| The color died away from Bertha
somewhat flushed cheeks as sh,
passed TO listen, for they, too, haC
passed where two roads separated.
"We must not walk any farthe
together" said Paul Fordham'r
voice. ''Nobody is to suspect any
thing yet you know. Well surpris,
them"
And then came Zaidee's soft, hes
itating laugh.
1T seems like a dream, Mr.. Ford
ham,"
"But you will find it, 1 hope,
happy reality" he said, looking ten
derly down upon her bowed head
"You do not regret trusting in meg
"Oh," she said, 81 never dreame,
, that earth could have so much hap
piness in store for me yet? And
owe it all to your
And then Bertha could hear hi
', footsteps dying away in the dis
r tance; she could see Mrs. Raymon
standing motionless for a momen-
! with her tiny hands clasped, an
then gliding on, her scarlet scal
glimmering through the dusk lik
the wing of a Ceylon bird.
"False! faithless!" murmure
Bertha under her breath, with be
q white teeth set closely togethe.
r "Ah shel how dare sheT'
! The storm of hot, unreasonabl
fury that ragged in her breast SCENE
\ to shake her slight frame as a leaf
shaken by the equinoctial gale, an
her eyes literally blazed with blu
I baleful fire. At that instant the1
: was murder in Bertha Wyman
!. heart.
0 She hurried down the twiligl
: glade, the thorns tearing her dres
the briars wounding her delica+
r flesh, but she felt them no more, tbs
if they had been rose petals blow
+ toward her by the evening breez
# Some strong, savage purpose WI
# maturing is her mind-some owe
d mastering passion held her who
J. being in its grasp.
s She knew that to strike into Il
r right path Zaidee must ere long tai
Il the secluded path she herself WI
treading. Her sole aim was to reaC
l. the tiny foot bridge which crosse
O the narrow river first.
y And she succeeded. It was qui
/ dark-the fragrant, starry darkne
I of a midsummer night-when 81
l. hurried down the steep, shelvir
Ie bank.