Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-06-13


he never asked me 10 marry him. H
knew that his proud old father woul,
lookwith scorn on the daughter Of sucl
man as my father was.
My father swore that Armand shoult
yet be my husband, and for that pur
pose he obtained divorce for me from
Beltot. was so infatuated that ] cared
little by what means Armand was to be
ensnared, provided / became his wife
entered into his plans, shameful al
they were, and allowed myself to b,
united to man who had been lureC
again to our house, and when incapabl,
of acting for himself, was pronounced
my husband by missionary who haC
been so short a time in the country tha
he knew nothing of the wreng he wal
helping to carry into effect. He wal
brought to the house a few moments
before the ceremony was performed, anC
left Immediately afterward.
A time had been chosen when the
elder Landry was absent from home.
believed that Armand loved me as truly
as did him. MIa fsaa
1t was several weeks before he re
covered all the natural energy of his
mind, and began once to fear that he
would be permanently injured by the
drug | had permitted to be administered
to him, But the time came when he
fully understood the position in which
he was placed, and then-such scenes
as passed between US | cannot describe
He fiercely resented the part | had ta
ken in entrapping him into a marriage
that would be odious to his proud father,
and declared that he could never forgive
me. BtFs0i 3 IA4tlfif4 tils >
Vainly tried all my powers of fas.
cination to enthrall him, and win for.
giveness from him.
AS soon as he was well enough to
leave the house, he went eff in search
of his father, in spite Of all could do
to detain him. His father instituted
proceedings for divorce, after sending
Armand to Europe to make a tour, in
company with Mr.. Russell and his two
daughters. ffl NN DN4n 4t|
when / heard that, Twas devoured
with jealousy; for Ellinor Russell was
the young lady who had been chosen by
Mr.. Landry for his sons wife, and re-
port said that she was both rich and
charming. | afterward learned he was
betrothed to Miss Russell. t
when this happened you were but a
few weeks old, and was left withyou to
take care of, and little enough to do it
with.
"Ahl how / hated that fair beauty
who had caused me so much woel Many
a night after you were asleep, have
stolen from my cottage, and made my
way to the stately home in which that
woman dwelt, surrounded by loving care
that of right belonged to me. Concealed
in the shrubbery, have listened to his
voice speaking to- her in accents Of
deeper tenderness than he had ever used
to me, and vowed within my soul that
/ would find means to blight the happi-
ness they seemed to find in each other
They were married. lJ9 IIk smi. =.
My hate eliminated when a daughter
was born who was destined to. fill the
place in your fathers house of which
you had been defrauded.
Your half.sister is two years younger
than you, and in your childhood you
were so much alike that but for the diff
ference in size you might have been
taken for twins
Armand's joy in his new treasure
was soon turned to sadness for the
health of his wife began to fail. She
faded slowly away with mysterious dis
ease. Everything was tried that prom
ised relief, but the spell of an evil eye
was upon her, and there was no help for
her. .9IGgC CQUGq
THE doctors said it was the. climate
that did not suit her, but / knew better
than that.
{ ''She was taken away for change of
air, but Zelma, the woman that went
with her as nurse, was one of the slaves
that had belonged to my father, and was
devoted to me.
Mrs. Landry fingered for many
months, but she at last died, when you
were Eve years old,
The years passed on, and Armand
was travelling in Europe, rarely writing
home, and never sending me a line.
AfiYou we're ten years old when he
came back. Zelma was dead, and l
felt safe now that the only one who
could accuse me Of instigating the death
OF Ellinor Russell was gone.
But all my hopes were fearfully
dashed to the earth, for he brought with
him a young wife, cousin Of Ellinor 8,
and also an heiress. They stopped in
New Orleans, and from there Armand
wrote to me the following lines:
NEw ORLEANS, October SOth, 1S-.
81 write to you, Hagar, to say that no
option will be allowed you as to your re-
moval from the vicinity Of me and mine. |
/ came back to my native land, bring |
ing with me a cousin of my lost one as
my wife, the resemblance in person and |
character between the two attracting me
irresistibly to Helen.
might have taken her to lie Bocage |
TO meet the same terrible fate, had | not
here encountered the priest who attended
Ielma in her last illness, and receiDed
her confession
Ah my heart, / cannot write i'll
Go far away-take your daughter.
am not rich in my own right, but
when she is old enough to marry, will
give her suitable dover. This is all |
,an, or will do. ilI.u t-lIslH
tf ARMAND LANDRY"
/ had nothing TO do but obey Ar
napds command" continued Mrs.
Blake, " and so ] came hither with you,
where we have lived till now. This is
ny history"
CuA pTEp TT