The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-05-10

my hand and there Is but one plan Tor NE
now 1t is this I've made my will, leav
ing euery cent Of my property to an Asylum
in New Orleans if you marry your cousin,
Claude St Clair If you do not marry
him, it Is yours, and my blessing with it.
You are young, and have been raised IN
affiuence and ease Marry anyone else bit
him, and all this shall still be yours
marry him, an life Of drudgery, hard
ship and disgrace awaits you, with my
curse upon you both And to you, Claude
St Claire You know now trhy I've ha-
ted you, and yoa, who are poor and know
the sting of povery, if you will let selfish
motives induce you to plunge Pauline INTO
such life as your wife must lead, II you
love her enough to do this, you are son
worthy of your parents. Curses upon
them and you. dare say Pauline will
wish to relinquish her property, and marry
you, for she knows no better. | shall
know nothing Of her sorrows, for | shall
be in my grave, but can you bear t. see
the woman you love condemned 70 life Of
toll I've no more to say. luu both
have life Of poverty together, one of
wealth and ease to Pauline, and To loneh-
ness and misery to you (as | intended.
Apart choose which you will take To
you, wherever, or whatever, the clrcum-
stances be. my curse be upon you.
HUBERT st. CLAIRE.
Claudes voice ceased The letter was
ended, and they were 50 stunned by its con
tents, that for several moments neither
spoke Pauline seemed watching Claudes
countenance.
e He is with his God. we will not Judge
him, he said at last There could have
been no surer way for him to wreak his
vengeance upon me than to take YOU from
me-
" All. Claude, he, nor any one else, cen
take me from YOU As he anticipated, !
,rH give up all claim to the property; what
would all this wealth be to me without
you
\. Pauline, he said, " 90 you suppose
could marry you after tins What he said
Is too true; ! am worth nothing. Even
the clothes | wear he gave me All the ed
ucation have owe to HIM. Think you DO
not love YOU too we'll to wed you % life Of
drudgery No, no Pauline, | must gu
away from you. dare not stay with you,
or my resolution might give way
The casket fell from her hands to the
floor. its rich contents crushed beneath H.
With low wall Of anguish the glrl fell At
his feet, her jetty hair escaping from its
Jew wtled comb, and falling To the floor IA
glossy waves, mingling there with the
broken, cleaning pearls.
~ Leave me, Claude, she cried, you
dare not leave ne after what you've told
me tonight
But, Pauline, am poor have moth
Wba+ t.-,.,,Il | IA, u-itb won ,,y lar
hng All it is infinitely harder for me tu
leave YOU than it is for you To he left. You
AZ not. cannot, know how much you have
been t. me, and now to see All of my
bright dreams blasted, it is to hard
f" There IS only one way, Pauline. said
he
And what is that ii she cried; "Oh,
tcll me. I'll do anything you say.
W 1t is this. If you viii continue tU live
here until can earn means ~ support you
| Nil return, and Ne Viii uf you still love
mel be married VIII You Wait for me,
Pauline n
i Until my life shall cease will ! love
and wait for YOU, Claude Here, N my
home, Will live with my faithful dolnes-
ties | will see no one else | care for no
one but you, and | viii try to he contented
with my lot But you will come back very
soon, Claude Remember, ! shall not care
for much A simple home shared With
you is all | ask
He remained with her until the funeral
Of her father, and then bidding her long
farewell he started for the far vest 10 earn
a support for her and himself Months
would pass without bringing Pauline let
ter but her faith III Claude never wavcred
one instant. Five years passed away
she d heard nothing from Claude for sew
eral months Ii was the anniversary nf
her fathers death, she was standing by
the wardrobe, the letter her father had
written in her hand, Poor Papa, she
said, " know now how he must have suf-
fered to be treated So by the woman he
loved What should do if Clauke never
came back to me If he should marry
some one else But will not doubt him
! promised him | would not and know
he loves me. 1t seems 50 hard that
he should be made to suffer for what Heg
did f"
Is it not the way Of the world we are
made to bear burdens because of the wrong
doing of Others Alas that it should he
50. for in his prld Of sorrow the troubles
laid upon us il d ed seem greater than We
can bear Some take them quietly, wait
ing patiently for the summons Come up
higher, while others, weary, storm-tOssed
souls, fling aside all thoughts Of the "to
come" and plunge either into reckless dis
sipation, or with their own hand end the
strife with life and fate.
But to return to our story. Pauline had
embodied the letter, placed it in the casket,
and, with a smile Of childish pleasure, had
adorned herself with the old rare Jewels
her mother had worn; inexpressibly beau
tiful she looked, the rich ruby velvet dress
falling in graceful folds around her mag
nitcent figure the queenly head has gilt
tering diamonds and cleaning pearls en-
twned among the braids Of lefty hair;
diamonds and pearls enclrcle the polished
throat aud arms, with casket containing
rubes and carbuncles in her hand, she is
debating whether she shall put them al
on and call Martha to look at her,
when step III the hall attracts her atten-
ton One moment she stands listening
then with low cry Of joy watches the
opening door. Five years have passed
since she heard that step, but she had not
forgotten 1t, and knew before she saw him
that Claude had me-knew that he had
gained that which he sought for; he sand
he would never return until he could lay
his hand, heart and fortune at her feet.
We will not attempt to describe the joyful
meeting between these two.
I've a snug little home in the West for
you, Pauline" Claude said, ''and let US
hasten to it, for this very place seems
cursed to me Do you think you can give
up all this luxury for log cabin on the
prairie T.
"Give it up, yes, gladly am 50 sick
and weary Of all this empty life I've been
I leading; We been 50 lonely here that |,
I too. long to be gone.
\ They we're married in few days and left
for their Western home, taking Martha
\ with them. Clairsville" was sold, and
the money sent to the Asylum as Hu-
bert st. Claire had willed it. The unhap-
4 DIV mans curse did not seem to follow