Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-05-18

me. Hor house was nov : 6risos 10 her
Embitsered by such rs16G6less oppos;-
ton a. this. began to ea61o1er Helen,
~ forever lost to me. snd tliowine the
idle impulse Of tae noae1 6nnstsd apon
q voyage to Earops. VT lEk restless
ly ovef tbs cuuntriss ID = ga World
foris year. st length tet - ! letser
from home, which. amsy 81 eN1bices
spoke ef thesmsrssz = UF- d>sss.-,5--
l smiled bitterly as the name OF the hus-
band caught my eye. The man who was
thus preferred to me was coarse. sensual,
and unre6ned, but wealthy. and therefore
unexceptional to Judge c.. shud-
dercd as thought of her fature-;ghed.
perhaps. at the thought Of the event of
my hopes and expectations-and then res
olutely dismissing the theme from my
mind, commenced my homeward jour
ney.
1t was the very day, if I remember
rightly. subsequent to my return to B..
that l was sitting here in my Office, solita-
Try and alone. had as yet seen hardly
. single one Of my former acquaintances,
! and more utterly wretched and desolate,
if possible. than before my departure, for,
in spite of my utmost ndeavors. my
thoughts were constantly fixed on Helena.
had almost lost all consciousness of ex-
ternal objects, when ligh, rap upon the
door reached me. There had been an
audible step in the passage, and conjec-
turing that my visitant was a woman,
hastened to admit her. vas correct it
was woman, and none other than the
subject Of my thoughts.
Helena stood in the doorway, but how
changed! So altered, was she. that I
could scarcely recognize her; her thin.
prematurely wasted face, marked with
lines Of grief and care, preserved few,
very few vestiges Of beauty which it once
wore. The shock which her unexpected
appearance gave me composed me at once,
and closing the door after her, placed
chair and calmly awaited her pleasure
She. however, was embarrassed and agi-
tated. She remained standing for mo-
ment. slipping ring on and of her fn-
ger, her eyes resting on the floor. Final
ly she said, in trembling voice:
"Do not think i'll of me, Walter, for
coming here. heard Of your return and
wished to see you, if but for moment.
l am very unhappy"
Her last words were addressed rather
TO horself than TO me, and yieiyiing to her
emotion she sank into chair and sobbed
bitterly. Respecting the feeling which
I / hn II -
was momentarily gaining upon me, turn
ed away until she had an opportunity to
compose herself.
"My errand here to-day" she contin-
ued, ''is to return you this ring. You
will remember it, know. There is no
person to whom could entrust it. and
my husband almost daily demands to
know the history of it. And besides,
wished to say farewell. forever. Good
by, Walter"
! Her hand was icy cold. As released
it, she turned toward the door, but in an
instant she tottcred toward me. her face
blanched to the whiteness Of death. Had
not sustained her she must have fallen
to the floor a.
GOOD Heaven, Walter, it is my hus-
bands step on the stairs" she whispered,
in thrilling tone. "You know him :;
his jealousy is always active-I am lost if
he finds me here! Save me from dis
covery, in Gods name Everything de-
pends on it ="
There is that closet" suggested.
She entered it eagerly, and closed the
door.
1T might be left little ajar. for air, ="
l whispered hurriedly.
"No; close it-lock it ~ was excited
ly whispered back. and had hardly with
drawn the key when Helena's husband
entered.
why, what is the matter 9'' were his
first words. "You are pale and agisated;
what has happened p
"Nothing-nothing. assure you. more
than the effects Of travelling" was my re-
ply:
The remark was an unfortunate one.
for my unwelcome visitor Immediately in.
sisted upon hearing detailed account of
my foreign experience. Uneasy and rest
less as was. was compelled TO submit,
and for full hour my tormentor compel
led me to sit and answer his questions
Meanwhile. / was in q perfect agony of
fear and uneasiness l followed every
movement that he made, alarmed lest
some chance clue might bctray the pres
ence Of Helena, and / alternately adopted
and rejected thousand expedients TO rid
myself of him. Ny position at length
grew absolutely intolerable; not the least
among my thoughts was that of the suf-
fcrings of Helena. confined in the sitting
air of that miserable closet, and l was
upon the point Of in.imating TO the tor
mentor that l wished to be alone, when
he exclaimed:
"Ah! let me examine your ring -
And before could make a movement to
prevent him, he had slipped it from my
finger and was inten,ly examining il.
"A pretty ring" he observed. cycling
me sharply. May | ask where you OBJ
tained it!''
"I purchased II some time since" was
nv careless reply.
How | hated The monster for his aues-
ton; how I wished to hurl him headlonr
down the stairs But l fcrbore
..Did you ever give away an ornament
/ like this ?" was his next question.
81 never did" Er
The snswer came emphatic and posi-
tive. and my wrath rose almost beyond
check, Never may have harder strug-
gle to refrain from striking human being
to my feet. Idioti villain he vas mur-
dcring life worth mcrc than thcasaed
of bss ovv ercrv v.o,oaps cf h;S s<av,