The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-21

To ueAr Olly -Anu whose COnIenCS III
dicated that correspondence had been
going on these years between his partner
and that woman.
His blood had run fire in his veins ever
since. The first impulse Of his outraged
soul was to seize pistol and shoot Oliver
Dyas dead dead And then there had
come to his heart revelation that palsled
his hand and made him cowardly He
shrank from himself He could not all at
once tear out the strong love that had been
SO constant ever since he had first known
Oliver He could not deny that the voice
Of Bessy Rickson was sweeter to his ear
than the sweetest music He was torn by
contending desires, agonies and fears.
Bessy had fingered long at the door,
grieved at the harsh voice that forbade
her to enter, and hoping he might relent.
A lovely little figure, all i'll spotless white,
only one crimson wild rose shining against
the rich gold of her hair, with eyes as
blue as heaven, and lips pure AS those
Of al angel with only one desire in her
heart comfort the man she had seen
enter the house but little while before,
the sorrow Of his soul legibly written on
his face.
But the summons came not. Slowly,
oh, So slowl y pausing more than once,
one pearly hand throwing back the beau
tlfu curls, she retreated towards the stair
case, and quietly wended her way to a
sitting room on the first floor cool, shad-
ed, and charming III its decorations. She
crossed the wide, matted hall, and paused
on the threshold Johns wife was lOung-
ing in a superb w-footed easy chair, the
crimson glow of which added lustre to her
dark beauty. In one hand she held a
book in the other fine golden chain
which she had just unwound from her
1 wrist
Here, Bess, put this on the stand for
me, she said, languidly. Well, did you
find your master -
Bessy shook her head She loved to
hear him called her master, ever since he
had supeTintended her studies in French.
Something i'll her plant nature answered
to his imperial soul. Perhaps she came
remotely from a race easy to subjugate
and willing to be ruled.
:" He's in one Of his black moods, | sup
pose. have encountered them once OF
twice in my life He could be human
tiger, | think
Aura, don't say that, Bessy cried,
with panied look. Since the child had
attained her present stature Mrs. Rickson
had never allowed her to call her mother.
E" I'm glad you think so well Of him,
responded the woman, with light laugh.
- You may love HIM all you wish. for all
/ / care Do you hear A. she added, an
evil light in her black eyes you NAV
love him all you wish
| Bessy looked steadily at her md sho at
U R.SaVy thtnE aV.r.,Y.al th.a
| that the girls pure eyes neither fell nor
faltered in their glance that the soft color
Of her cheeks never deepened, as she ans
/ wered -
III don't think could love him better
than do, Aura.
- Pshaw - cried the woman, under her
breath, frOwning, = | believe you are both
fools Suddenly she caught up her book;
something had struck her vision. She
opened it at a certain place and saw, with
CONSERVATION, the folded half Of a note
lying snugly ensconced between the pages
Presently, looking through the book, she
grew pale, started to her feet, whirled
aside the long train of her gossamer dress,
pushed the chair away with such energy
that it slid almost to the door, knelt to the
floor searching with wild glances.
''What have you lost II Bessy asked,
looking round from the table where she
had deposited the chain.
Nothing a bit Of paper, a memorsnd
um. Go into the dining-room, Bessy
quick, quick Run out into the arbOr |
was there All hour ago. Bring me a scrap
Of paper with writing on it-a torn note
here like this
Bessy hurried 20 search the halls, the
stairs, the dining room, the arbor, but
came back with nothing Aurelia had
meantime been iii the upper hall; had lis
tened with throbbing pulses to the heavy,
measured tread within. Her own words
came back to her and made her sick at
heart -'' He could be human tiger, |
think
She went back Bessy met her at the
foot Of the stairs sweet vision, as near
angelic as any creature Of human mould
could be and, for the first time Aura
felt the divine power Of innocence as she
saw the lovely face upturned to hers.
Z | can't find it-anything | hunted
everywhere. There was a newspaper in
the arbor, and this little stud-perhaps it
is papa s-but nothing else"
Aura seized the stud She knew whose
it was-not John's-than tiny, shining,
diamond pointed trife and Bessy noticed
that her firm, white hand trembled as she
took it.
WAS it very important n she asked
anXiously, wondering at the strained, col
orless face. g Can do anything more T.
" No, child it was nothing but a-list
Of things. Keep still about this stud !;
John don't like to confess to carelessness;
and with this lie on her lips she went into
the sitting g-rooR, and nervOusly looked
over the pages of the book again.
And, overhead tramp, tramp, tramp
What was the matter with John Could
there have been a quarrel-could John
have found e. She stood still, suddenly,
in her walk to the window, clenched her
hands and turned deadly pale.
There was no help for it.
FOol-fOol p she muttered, "copy the
letter. never did such thing III my life
before and to think again she gave a
hurried glance about, again unfolded the
half of the note then resolutely crushing
it, thrust it into her pocket, turned and
walked dehantly up stairs.
1t would not do to falter, but she shook
from hand to foot as she touched the door
knob.
John, let me in | want something, "
she said, bravely.
The lock was turned, the door thrown
wide open, and the face of her husband,
terrible in its dark, fixed anger, confronted
her.
But she went in, assuming an air of un-
concern. He shut the door after her; then
he spoke =
Aura, she knew by his voice what to
expect, and half turned. He, Of sudden,
caught both her hauds and prisoned them
in one of his. For the life of her she could
not help shrinking from the glare Of his
eye.
so it seems l have been your fool, and
Oliver your dupe," he said, through his
shut teeth, as he drew her toward the win
dow, she struggling but family. Then he
, held m the verV half Of the note which