The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-09-02

Annette's ho,nc as often as | pleased.
s.One night I called upon her. / had
been drinking freely, and was not sensi-
| ble of my situation or would have shot
myself before I had ventured into her
presence. She never looked more beau
tiful What said or did that night I
| never knew, distinctly. / remember her
Wild look of affright-her hands pushing
me frantically from her-her springing
away and my chasing her--fina!ly her
locking herself in her room, while made
fruitless endeayors to enter, then my leav-
ing the house with all the doors open. and
then comes blank -
The next morning dawned upon me in
the chamber of a friend. As looked
up with aching brain, noble face bent
over me--;he face of one who had been a
fellow collegian, and who was studying
for the ministry"
Il asked feebly where was"
g. Horace and found you PROSTATE in
the street few rods from here. You
were utterly helpless. We lifted you up
against your most imprecating struggles
you cursed US with every breath, but we
finally brought you here, and here you
have slept till now. 1t wants quarter OF
eleven I closed the blinds that you might
sleepit off,"
l did not ask what he meant by it. l
was ashamed /; too much ashamed to look
at him."
.I hinted at the effects of Southern
fever, but from under my nearly closed
lids saw something like sneer on his
! face"
"He sat down by my bedside, and he
pleaded with me for an hour. For Gods
sake, he besought me to break from this
ruinous habit. He held up the flame of
hell till l shuddered. Then he spoke of
Annette, aud knew by the tremor of his
lips, the huskincss of his voice, that he
too loved my darling. l ad suspected
it before, but now | was certain, and it
aroused the widest feelings of jealousy.
Madly I boasted of her unconquerable
attachment, fool that | was! With a
, coarse. unskillful hand | barred his own
heart to view, till he shrunk from ME in
agony. Then | arose, forgetting all graf
} itude for his great favor in bearing me,
scnseless, disgusting as | was from the
clutches of the police or watchman
Saving me the shame of opening my eyes
in station house, and having my name
bruited about in the public prints"
II went to the dwelling of Annette.
, was ushered into side-parlor, where she
, lay upon lounge, her checks as colorless
as the dead, her large eyes shining fitful-
; ly, and looking as if they had never been
closed in Sleep"
'.As bent over her, she said softly
"'Plcase don't come near me, Mr..
t Islington; | am ill.,
Il started at that as if had been shot.
: Mr.. Islington.'
Il repeated my own name, looking at
her with wondering glance.
''Oh! if could believe it was not
: you, but some other,' she said, signing in
, a weary way, and shutting hereyes tightly
: though not SO as to prevent the tears that
would ooze through"
: ".What can you mean?' asked and
my look of extreme incredulity must
have astonished her."
. "sOh Richard, Richard, YOU don'i
know what YOU said last night she cried
t convulsively, passiona;ely. You don't
cannot know what you did. Oh Richard
j the very recollection crazes me; indeed
s | can't bear it, The recollection-oh
n terrible, serriblev
s.For God S sake, Annette, what did
r say what did do /? Tell me that / may
l ask your pardon on my knees, and then
u will leave you forever.
"Oh Richard, Richard she moancd
C Then she caught my hand with impulsivs
IS tenderness, drew me toward her, laid h
d head on my arm, as she said in tons
d that haunts me yet"
y 81 will tell you little, and then 70,
# must go. 1t will be the best for us both
1t mag break my heart; but it would b.
It broken some time you know. Richard
|. | cannot say in words what you said t
d me. Now, it twouid kill me to hear them
IT Oh never thought it would happen
after all l have said-all have telt 70
of you. Richard, you revealed some horri
BILE things to me. Oh! were you s
s. wicked in that foreign country? Did yo
1 love and deceive that poor Spanish girl
ID Oh God help you, poor Richard-Go
E. help you if you did,
to Il sat upifed-pale with horror. Sh
is looked once 10 my face, and shuddcred q
she said, brokenly-"
)" 81 could forgive all but that"
al 81 felt lIke condemned criminal. Fo
1t a while sat there struggling for voic
and then l told her that, however wicke
, / had been, l had never deceived
is woman"
ID s.Oh, am SO glad" she said, sinki q
re from my arm to the pillow of the loung
ut but Richard, how can forget last nigh
Don't get down to me that way, kne
then you were not yourself; and for th
:. reason, because yon will not conquer th
- - fatal habit, we must part. Don't sa
.n another word, my dear; weak and yieit
~ ing as seem, can be firm. Rememb'
- that your hand has thrown the cup fro
=. your lips. / have tried to believe,"-
al her voice grew broken and sobbing-s
have tried so hard to believe that ye
were everything good and worthy. VI
60 don't know how have idolized you lookir
70 :, ON you as the savior Of my life. That is h
al !, have said so often when they reason.
with me-Father, he saved the life
in your child; how can help loving him
az o yes, they all know it, and everybot
as knew how loved you. I never too
~ on pains to conceal it; but bow-now
~. must
oa l walked that floor in anguish of boz
VI and spirit Then went tn her and said