The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-02-29

pleased SLllle- Lilly, TINS IS q trltnd
70 or mine; Mrs. Marshall, Mrs. CHIT
field.D
ave saw each other sometimes in
the hospitals, year or two ago." sad
, the widow, her voice and smile con
strained, as she spoke to the youIg
wife.
ayes, you can't think how gool
Mrs. Marshall was, Lilly" said ths
General, ''and," +" turning to the widow,
''yOu remember Cap.-pOOr Cap. No
len? What time we had at that
mess-dinner, Ell? and the captured
wine, and the preserves! Wasn't it
jolly? Poor Cap is dead; perhaps you
knew? Died out in Nebraska
"Indeed," responded Mrs. Marshall;
"I was not aware of that. I heard
nothing Of it when was in Nebras-
ka."
"You-you in Nebraskap' He near
ly let his brides arm slip, but lifted it
again. "That's odd; few American
ladies go to that wild region for pas
time. When were you there ?''
"Only three months ago. l was in
-, and stopped at the Montroso
House." Her voice fell; 'It was my
chance to make few acquaintance
there"
Four pairs of eyes were at that mo-
ment cOncentrated'upon the Generals
face-a face that just then could not
be controlled. A glance of horror,
and yet an appeal for secrecy, color
came and went, he could have shot
himself for trembling from head to
foot.
Luckily, an old friend touched
him on the shoulder and he turned
away; but his face was as gray as
ashes.
.How could you, Jlo?" were the
\ first words spoken by Virginia.
! Mrs. Marshall drew long breath.
SIT was my fate / suppose" she
said quietly, ooh, that poor child!"
"Did you notice she changed cOlOr?p
/ inquired Jenny.
"Why, what is it ?' the voice of the
unsuspecting brunette chimed in
"What made you all so queer? Pm
sure the General looks frightened half
to death, and as to his little wife, l
pitied her, without knowing why
| There's nothing wrong, l hope. Do
you know Travelled in company with
/ them for miller ?''s
"I hope there's nothing wrong"
said Mrs. Marshall, quietly, and soon
the trio separated.
Three rapid knocks at the door of
Mrs. Marshal's private parlor. That
| lady reclined in an easy chair, habited
in the most recherche of morning
wrappers, reading a paper, as the
black servant entered at her low
Sgtl1S ISJra re- a small note on a silver SAL
yer, and left the room as soon as the
widow had possessed herself of the
pink morsel.
(which goose, now, I wonder ~
| she smilingly murmured. "Deli-
cious perfume, good taste, whoever
he is" She sprang to sitting pos
ture.
sWhy, I declare it's that poor Ii title
soul ~ Then she read aloud:
"Please come to my room, No. At,
| Immediately. l have something of
great Importance to impart.
LILLY CHATFIELD."
"HOw tremulOus that signaturew
Poor little soul poor little soul ~
There were tears in her fine eyes, as
she slowly rose to her feet, and
quickly put her hair in order, drew a
| silver cord around her waist, and
clasped on a pair of bracelets-sO as
not, she mentally said, to look like a
fright.
Arrived at her room, her heart fail
ed her a little. What was it the child
wanted? What would she demand?
| Her light knock was answered by
! Lilly in person. Lilly she was, for
witness ihe purity: robed in a gossa-
mer muslin, sprinkled with costly
lace and rich with ruffles. Her face
was like marble; the only spots of
! color i'm it were her ewes, heavenly
blue, but even they looked distended
and troubled. She was in an agony of
doubt and fear; any one could see
that.
"My child, are you i'll ~ asked the
widow quickly.
"YOu are an old acquaintance ofmy
l-my-the General" said the little
creature, talking rapidly, as if she
feared her strength would fail her, one
pretty, slender hand touching the
/ widows arm, "tell me the truth as
you would if you were dying''-she
gasped little-"has he wife living
now?p
"My dear child, I cannot say. 1
! cannot tell : you must not"
'I mustI 1 will You shall tell me,
it would be cOwardly TO leave me in
doubt, wicked as MURDER" she cried
| hoarsely. "See here, 1 have a letter
perhaps 1 should not tell you, but who
| have to 20 to? l never opened his
| letters before; but you remember the
/ other night--Oh, how happy I was be-
fore thatW Her fearless eyes and
quivering lips Mrs. Marshall never
forgot. "This letter, need give you
no clue to its contents, except this; 4;
it commences, Dear General and
concludes, Your suffering and neg
lected wife, Oh, what am /? what
am I? Can 1 have been so wOefully
deceived, so terribly wronged ? No, L
will not, l cannot believe itw
| She sprang to her feet, throwing
her arms above her head in anguish I;
| then before the widow could answer
console her she could not-fell
heavily to the floor in a death-like
/ swOon.
At that moment the door was flung
open, and General Chatfield entered, "a
long slip of paper in his hand. He
flung the slip at Mrs. Marshall as he
sprang forward and lifted the bruised
] -
Lilly in his arms.
'AIy God ~ he cried, "what have
you told her?'' He caught sight of
the letter. "What has she seen? ? Too
late, too late For God sake, dOn'tsay
Pm too lateW
Mrs. Marshall read the dispatch
mechanically. General Chatfield's
wife had been dead twelve hours.
"This is too horrible ~ she said ris-
ing. "Oh man, what a wreck you
have made of your life and hers"
HNO, no, she is still mine. Ny adOT-
ed, my darling. Leave us Mrs. Mar
shall. Nv punishment is greater
than I can bear; leave us. She is re-
viving."
What wild words, what promises
were reiterated in that sad room none
ever knew.
Mrs. Marshall was a woman Of good
sense, and kept her own counsel for
that poor broken Lilly's sake. There
was a rumOr Of some kind around
the hotel; everybody seemed to fee
in an obscure way, that there was q
trouble in General Chatfield's quar-
tiers. At all events, his beautiful
young wife was very i'll, and gossip
0OurlSneu.
Then Mrs Marshall, who was the
only lady admitted to the sick room,
circulated the report that now the
Generals wife was gaining strength
slowly, the physician had recommend
ed change Ofair, and she would, there
! fore. return home for a season to hel
: native New England. In the mean
time, at Lilly's request, Mr.. Chatfiel
had written to her father, and he haC
come.
} Few noticed the tall white-haired
clergyman, who stopped at Willard's
for a day; none knew Of the awful in.
: terview that passed between him and
) General Chatfield; only Mrs. Mar
shall saw the shadow Of what haC
come to Washington a few shOrt
} weeks agO-the white cold eOrpse-likt
: face, beautiful as ever, but oh, sc
Observation-Disclosures in a carriage