Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-06-12

the A GRAND !
r PICNIC,
% md
q eyahe 10Th day of June,
explained to me that you consented tC
do 80 as soon as you heard that a son o.
O Mother Church needed your heIp;D but
some subtle power must have conveyed
q to him the knowledge that something
S inimical had approached him, for he
V suddenly seemed to. struggle with some
: deadly oppression, and sinking back, he
1 muTmured:
e 'ToO late! 1 fear that [ shall die be-
fOre@ ear say what l wished. l must
confess-must have dissolution, for |
have sinned. But / have suffered-how
bitter a cup Ihave drained in atonement
of the act of my life which brought
: unhappiness to u who thought She
y! had the right to avenge herself upon
NEIL
In a voice scarcely above a whisper,
Mrs. Blake said:
| 'My son, forgive as you hope TO be
, forgiven, and all will be well with O -
; All. l4ldN Is MudG 1 CdlAlOL 40. IOT
there is n sin and one sinner that |
have not forgiven. But for that l could
die in peace"
twas the wrong against you so IN
merited, that you feel thus bitterlv2''
"UnmeritedI Yes; l assert that, and
I believe it. She who committed it was
one l do not love, though I was tricked
into a marriage with her"
In a faltering voice Mrs. Blake said:
"You did not lOUe her! Are you quite
sure of that?n
Landry was too deeply absorbed in his
own thoughts to notice the menancing
tone that thrilled through the mutf1ed
voice of the speaker.
mo, l never loved her"
"Is it just to lay all the blame upon
the woman who risked so much to gain
a legal claim upon you? To those who
have loved truly, much should be for
given; and she, you say, loved you"
81 gave her all that she had a right to
claim at my hands-and had she so
willed it, l would have sent her from
me as free from reprOach as in the hour
Of u first unfortunate meeting. But
she would not go. l was very young. 1
loved the childs she gave me, and through
her the mother hoped, if l were free
again, to win me back, and-and-. l
cannot tell you what she did in return
for the ~forbearance l had shown toward
her. 1t is her secret, and l will not re-
veal it even in this hour, but it is that
which 1 now find it impossible to for
give. If you can give me dissolution,
knowing that, l will accept it gladly at
your hands, although you are not n of
the accredited ministers of our Holy
Church."
The heart Of Mrs. Blake hardened as
she listened. She felt the blood ,surging
through her veins with fiery swiftness,
and all the passion of her tropical nature
burst forth.
She tore the s%hrouding folds from her
head and face, and started to her feet,
standing over him as a menacing fate,
as she mockingly said:
"Such consolation as I can give, you
are welcome to, Armand Landry.
Whether it will facilitate your entrance
to the Paradise in which your lost Eli
nor dwells, or into the Hades in which I
shall hereafter claim you, Ileave you to
imagine. Look at the woman you cast
off so lightly-the woman who believed
that you loved her-and cover before
her glance as you sOOn will shrink before
lAA1h VI AAAC OLAAhABOAEAAL EALA wiz W /
Judge between us.n
"You-yOu herep' he exclaimed, in a
loud, harsh voice. "How dare you APP
proach mel How dare you profane the
sacred character you have assumed for
the purpose of intruding upon a pres
ence that was forbidden you? Hagar
Blake, you have been the curse of my
life, and in death you prosecute me still.
Go! 1 command you to leave this room
unpolluted by the presence of a murder
esq.,
"You are in no position noJ0 to enforce
your will. You are in my power, not l
in yours, and / intend to pay you back,
drop for drop, for all the bitterness you
have poured into my cup and forced me
TO drink
The features of Landry were blanched
to the hue of death, and his black eyes
cleaned fiercely from their pallid set
ting. as he hoarsely asked:
"By whose connivance were you per-
mitted to enter here? If Hester or her
betrothed husband aided you, it will be
the worse for them, for in that case /
viii give her nothing. The "a 1
caused her TO write this morning will be
valueless unless it is signed and wit
messed, and now 1 viii do neither"
ooh, you threaten me with conse-
quenees, do yOu?n she mOckingly
asked; but let me assure you that it is
a matter of indifference to me, and also
TO my daughter, whether that paper is
valueless or not. We have settled our
plans, and rave against them as you
may, you will be powerless to prevent
them from being carried into effect.
Hester will not accept the patty pro-
vision you have so magnanimOusly made
for her; she will claim what is hers, in
Justice ut least-the half of the estate
is now held by your other chill
dren.n
"Woman! what do you mean by
that? All. my God! have l fallen into
a den of thieves? Is there no one to
help me?"
His voice broke suddenly, and he fell
back upon his pillows gasping for breath.
tINo onepi repeated Mrs. Blake, with
emphasis, "You are in this soli-
tary country house, entirely at my mer-
and that of those who are willing to
do all that 1 wish. The darling
daughter on whom you have lavished so
much indulgence lies stricken into
idiocy by the injuries her head has re-
She will never more walk the
in pride, looking down in scorn
upon the sister whom you have be-
Iueathed to her compassion. In place
that l have decreed that the two shall
change places, and the child of your 1
adored Ellinor shall stay with me, while
daughter assumes the station of the
and wears the honors of her
house. The two sisters are so ]
much alike that no one will ever be able
o distinguish the true one from her
counterfeit.
The listner felt hat the shock of this I
announcement had shortened his brief c
pan of life; he knew that the death :
dutch was already on his vitals; but he r
allied his last remaining strength and
aid, with solemn emphasis:
"If you consummate this ~wickedness,
leave to you, and to the imposter who I
will take the place Of my darling, my 4
Indying malediction. God is over all,
md he viii not permit such villainy to 3
20 UNPUBLISHED, even in this world"
Mrs. Blake Enclosed her lips to reply, c
'ut Landry raised his hands appealing =
y, a change passed over his sunken
ace, and with a prayer on his lips in G
'ehalf of his favorite child he passed
way.
Hester arrayed herself i'm a black dress g
Which she found in Estelle's trunk, and
ssuming the name and character of her