The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-31

fiit W arnos;ta side of the hearth Wh,ie !,
y. lI' J;s S table, pretended to ne readns,
at d "i ali the while my fathers parting
.no .5. rem rcpeating themselves over again
VII ,r,;nd and danced before me on the
". yn,, ,n,ist accept Mr.. Lomax before my
turn ,t the end of the week. Beatrice,
,har. must and shall be no further delay,
else YOU will remain no longer in my mouse.
Those were the fatal words that would give
me no rest. looked across at Mr.. Lotl ia .
Accent him be his wife? belong TO nun
the wife of man Of lnorose and gloomy Ten, !,
ncr whom / instiuctively feared as wen ~
hated. whose touch ] shuddered al, WHO'S
Glance seemed to blight me? because n 1e
was rich and / poor was l, theleioiui 49, ~
sacrifice my young lilef Never coii'' "i''
might! peot,;ce ),
came from the distance my sleplilI'nno o; :
silvcrv. insinccre voice. seelhs sn"S IL, IN
tated. She crossed quickly over anu ntsseu ~
nv ear "Come, no nonsense w 10 ,ou 81
lid Instantly. or you go TO your iooiI'.
without more ado l went 70 Tue p.;nU'
found song that re..ie''ipc1 1,'. AN i''
larlv disliked, aud sung lt---oaaiy. o,.,t,,,t,
npr,lIy. Beatrice, cannot congratulate !;
a;.hcr an YOUR song or your voice, said
,Eu Eyur for once forgetting her role OF
ani,,,;jry. pray sing something that VIII
,t;,." -. some little pleasure to listen to-"
7HW Mr. Lomax here joined in: "fes, Miss
prnl: Won seem to forget that the last time
ro,, s,ir that song expressed my dislike 10
so. thought I, "evcn before nave
oorooI n marry YOU, you d;Tc ccnsrc me
| ,ynlrlI he after"
However, I took piece ana playee II
u,ror,,rh inst asst was finished found MI
Lomax at my elbow. , ~ MIR.
m,red and suddenly cncirclinS me Win Ills
nr,,,s iisscd me two or three times.
I st,TIrnlcd madly to free myself; 1ullPeu
,,,1 md I:,shcd out of the door: not, now
ever till | heard Mrs. Byng's voice say my,
soothirgly, "don't be disnayed, Mr. LohlaA }
t,,o 'Icar ,'iyl will come round i'll day OF
two: will answer for H. >,
81 come round! She would answer for 1t"
Hail rrazcd. I lied up the stairs, rushed to
nv room and locked The door; then plunged
nv t:,cn into il basin full OF water to wash
awav. if possible, every trace Of those hated
li.sr2 Yes: nc had certainly made mas
tnrIy stroke then--hc had made me realize
how utterly hated him, and how impossi-
lie if was that could ever marry him. !
fell sccrc!led, polluted by his touch. :,
And nv father lad said by his return il
was to lie settled thing. Mrs. Byns, OF
course, had forced him to say that; she
wanted me gone that her child might reign
supreme. Why, not content with forcing
this hated marriage upon me, she had even
That very day heapcd other indignilies upon
me: [ bed to do servants work. 0, what
Was to do? My father lad said should not
remain with him. Tien | must marry Mr..
Lomax! No; never! Rather would beg.
Iiwhtning-like, thought flashed through
nv mind. Was itpossiblc? had rc>tlcoSly
;riccd tho room, now stood still. put ny
hand to INV head to still its throbbinS>. lcS,
I would do it; would save item all from
further trouble. would disappear, Again
batllcd my face, but this time 10 clear MY
brain. looked at my watch--S O'Clock. i
| remembered suddenly that the London nial1
Stonpcd at 4 small station where we were
| hardly known, about three miles distant, at
miduicht-plenty OF time TO catch It.
Mvrcsolution was taken. ! had five pounds
| in nv drcssing-casc, given Inc only icW
DAYS previously for allowance. ltook II oul
and began my arrangements. FIRST packed
up Il small hand-baS, into which also pun
several of ny best ornaments, ana then goi
myself ready for the walk.
The sounds i'll the house eIadi#iiit cc;Scu'
I heard Mr. LomaX so. heard h>t step
mother 90 to her room, and the usual Jock
ing up take place, and then all was quiet.
Half IN hour elapsed.
Now or never thought. crept down
stairs, went into the dinins-room and took q
.-lass Of wine, and putting into my rocke'
11Ft ipl y. I IL
oDencd the French window and stepped out
OF tie terrace.
free, As lightly as possible ] gliacd,
more tIan walked, past the front OF the house,
without deigning cue farewell glance 1t tue
place that. until Mrs. Byng's advent, had
been happy home for Me. but that lately
mad been worse than prison, and with
sirl of relief found myself beyond the
rates. with the long stretch Of road before
me.
How solitary it looked. Hitherto had
ac,cd in sort OF haze: but tho cold night
mir, in reviying. also brought lie back to the
prrscm moment. Should | ever be able tc
wall; those dreadful three miles alone? Look
ing uDsudGenlv, / SAW afar the light GUNNER
in; from tirs. Byny's window; that decluec
my fate. | ran swiftly on.
Snow was lying on the ground; every Dllsl
and twig stood sharply out against the Sky
clearly defined. AS passed under belt
fir trees the slight noise of my own footstel
stlrticd me, and l glanced behind TO b'
seized with fear at my own shadow. TuInln!
the corner OF 4 road, 4 dark, moving thing
c,1nc toward nc. What could it BE: NJ,
feet seemed rooted to the ground, else mus
have turned and fed backward. However
nc it came nearer it proved to be only hors'
with a clog on its lee. Taking courage,
rushed past it. and leaving the road, crossed
two fields. and began to skirt the river, tha
being short cut to the station.
How dark and cold it looked as it glidct
on, But vet it iasinatcd me, and [ stopped t
naze at il for moment. What evil spiri
Was il tlmt possessed me that second? Wit
sludder | sprang forward and ran on ~
way airesh, nor did slacken speed until tn
station-lights came in view. Not one human
being had met me; so flu l might hope llIs
| had gained my liberty.
Putting OH q thick veil, I entered and too
nv ticket for London, only just in time, 10
the train came up the next minute. HOY
thankful was I to be even i'll such haven c
refuge! Sinking back into the first seat,
found | was not alone, gentleman sat III III
opnosite side Of the carriage we had nc
cone far when lie offered me his rug, which
Gladly accepted, for it was dreadiully cole
+ and then he seemed to sleep.
During that night I underwent fier
ordeal OF doubt and fear. No sleep visite
my eyes; my future plans had to be made
: Init chaos rcimled supreme in my mind, an
anxious NIX questioning as to whether, afteralI;
: had acted rightly would perplex me. Woul
, fhe shock harm my father. who, until Mr.
Byns entered the house, had invariably bee
+ Kind tonne. But no! He had been so hars
: lately because I had declared 1 could not d
-. ~, r,i,Lad with reSpect TO Mr. IomaI