Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-02-03

others devotioD-and thegghtest word
the faintest gesture-thFiHd their hearts
as the evening winds Of. a>sly April in the
Sunny South are thrillednnd filled with
the delicious perfumeisof the jesmine' s
sighs. ssf
At this time I anticipssed nothing. I
felt that my future mdss necessarily be
harder than my past; sdE this anticipa-
tion-this foreboding of.coming sorrow
shook out all the sweetness of content
all the calm of happiness fpm my present.
Ny occupation of paintiog became distaste-
fol to me. l was deforned and lame =
But my soul was beau2a0l. was shut
out forever from the inhnse and varied
life for which I had so yearned and of
which I despaired. Bntall this did not
prevent me from rising dsfantly against
the set remuneration Of my joyless days.
and forever slipping baeksinto the desires
and longings that were5iTmortal. 1t has
been said that the bsrpsast women. like
the happiest nations, hivssno histories.
Agatha lived 10 dream. One after
noon. when it was coldi1ad inclement. l
left my studio and wentbs:ow stairs to the
sitting room where cheerful fire was al
ways burning in unpleasant weather.
Opening the door noiselessly-for I was
in one of my silent, meditative moods
when the slightest discordant sound grated
harshly on my nerves. Opening the door
noiselessly-I say entered the room.
It was occupied.
Gilbert Grigsby was there. and alone.
Like a great many persons who lead
solitary lives. be had acquired the habit
of talking aloud.
Over the low marble mantle was sus-
pended mirror and in it / distinctly saw
his features. They were livid and con-
torted as with nameless horror. His ap-
pearance petrified me.
My image too-like dark shadow
with only my pale punched visage clearly
defined was reflected in the great mirror.
20. Spirit" he gasred. Esprit Of
the departed-.haunt me no longer! You
are avenged. Your child pursues me with
her pale sad face. SO like your own. I
punish myself, by the awful penauce Of
keeping her forever nesr me! have
promised to protect your children. Haunt
me not!'
l advanced closer to him to catch his
words more distinctly The blood was
freezing around my The awful
CONVICTION that [ was ine6 aud there to
learn why he repelled me forever with a
nameless horror possessed me.
Why I spoke know not. What I said
1 know not. I only caught the sound of
the last word that crept, criuging and ad-
der-like. over my parched and frantic lips
-"Confess"
That was the word I said and Gilbert
Grigsby fell on bis knees:
"You told me of your fair daughter" :"
he said; 20. Spirit. ! asked her hand
and you denied me. l was not good e.
nough for your child. you thought. i
felt that she was my destiny. | fought
against the desire to possess her; but it
conquered me- and one night!-one nj ght
when the wild winds walled and you sat
sleeping by the fire. l thrust one Of your
knitting needles into your brain. and
thought you would be at rest and that
Agatha would be mine. Agatha!'
''Murdererv' I shrieked. and fell sense
less to the floor. 1t wakened Gilbert Grigs-
by from his trance. and he knew that an
other possessed bis terrible secret! Aud
that other-was the child, the adoring
child, Of the poor old woman he bad 50
fondly murdered.
For long weeks I lav tethered by pain
and weariness, and what | told in my de-
lirum, was accepted as. mad rawlings ac-
counted for by the fever-the opium and
the henbaue that was given me in my ILL.,
ness. w hen was sane and strong again
strong as I could ever hope to bel
summoned Agatha to my room, and l told
what had transpired that afternoon before
fell ill.,
My story gained not her credence. She
pitied me as weak-minded, and perhaps
loved Gilbert Grigsby better to show her
doubt of my accusation. -''MSpoor child. :"
she said, tenderly winding her arms about
me. and looking down on me with her
tender fearful, plying eyes: .s
ut was the fever working in your veins.
You do not know how Gilbert watched
beside you! You do not know how sad.
sorrowful, how patient and gentle he al
ways wasp
l shook my head. Il was sane as
am to-day" l said; but she remained un-
convinced.
And dear Martha" she said at last.
averting her beautiful face, over which
the dushes of love aud memory were steal
ing, you do not know how much I love
Gilbert Grigsby. You do not know that
[ am to become his wife-very-very
soon And that we are to be so happy
You and Gilbert and I!''
bowed my head aud wept.
My conviction that Gilbert Grigsby was
the murderer Of my poor mother was un-
alterable.
But Agatha denied me her credence.
and since she was to become his wife. I
dared not publicly accuse him of a crime
I could not substantiate and thus without
hope of exposition wreck her bright dreams
of happiness!
I could only weep an ! demonstrate. 49,