Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-07-14
THE LOST BRIDE, OR STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING.


"My good woman, it strikes me that
all this theatrical ranting and entreaty /
is quite out of place. am not to blame
because you are poor. | am not respon-
sible because you cannot keep the rent
paid. 1t is very natural that | should
want my money, and have already
borne with you longer than most land
lords would do"
Mr.. Carlyon stood there straight and
stately with features as accurate as If
cut in cameo, and cold, sparkling blue
eyes, in whose depth fingered no gleam
of mercy or forbearance, while diamond
studs shone in his spotless linen, and a
great ring of brilliants caught the after
noon sunshine in its countless facets.
"But is it true, sir, faltered the wild
ow Bryan, ''what your agent says-that
the little bits of furniture, and the bed
my Michael died on, is to be seized for
the thrife O. rent %
81 do not know what you call trl-
fe," said Mr.. Carlyon. ''It is more
than year since you paid anything,
and what my agent says fully sanction
and uphold.
.'And my Nelly fadin' into the grave
with yon wearyin' cough and the little
fatherless child-her cryin' out for the
bit and sup 1 haven't got to give her ?
Mr. Carlyon, you're rich gentleman,
wild land and wild money, and they say
you're to marry the fairest lady that
ever the sun shone on-have mercy on
us, as you'd ask the Good Father to have
mercy on you in time of trouble. Wait
just bit O time longer; sure I'll work
night and day To-"
He shook his head coldly, as he sprang
on the milk white horse that had been
impatiently paving the ground and
tossing its snowy name, while the alter
cation had been going on.
81 have waited too long," he said.
Further delay I am convinced would
be worse than useless. D
; Mrs. Ryan shook her fist after him as
he trotted away down the le-path.
already obscured by the gathering gloom
t of an impending thunder storm.
She looked not unlike some avenging
S fury, with her iron-gray hair blowing
about her wrinkled face, and the fierce
!. light of anger glowing in her eyes. while
with one hand she held the folds of 9
picturesque scarlet shawl about her bent
$ and aged form. With the moan of the
y rising wind among the trees, and ths
e patter of big raindrops on the LEAKAGE O.
the dense summer woods, came the echo
e es of her shrill voice:
y "Aye, ride on, with your gay whit
horse, and your diamonds, Clarence Car
e lyon; but Heavens curses will folloy
i ye. Ye can't ride away from them, sir
t. not if ye put thousand spurs into hi
sleek sides, nor the curses of widow
the curses of a dying girl, that can't di
in peace for you and yours. It's thru
'. that we're poor, and have no friends
is but Heaven sees it all. Yes, ye're rid
lg ing straight on to its vengeance
'e can see it, though you can't"
Instinctively Mr.. Carlyon shook hi
bride rein, and shuddered. The win
d. was chilly, and Selim, shying to on
lb side at sudden blue white CLEAN {
ut lightning, seemed as glad as his mastt
to get out of reach of the sound of tt
ng old woman's infuriated execrations. M
n n Carlyon resolutely put all unpleasan
Mt ness out of his mind. and began to thin
of Antoinette Dupergue, the beaueifi
G. young French heiress whom he was tt
as next week to we'd
- IN Miss Dupergue was staying at Hol
mt head Hall, few miles beyond, whe
the wedding was to take place amor
he her friends and relations-for Anto
en nette was herself an orphan, with
'n- settled home Artists raved about b
Ia pure, Madonna like beauty, poets sal
lyrics in her praise. Even sober bus
tb ness men lost their balance when expo
ith ed to the wondrous witcheries of b
ted melting, black-velvet eyes, and lustrou
To- jetty hair, and skin like the cream
.oJ chalice of an Eastern lily. Claren
Carlyon had won her away from the
ide all. No wonder that his meditatio
or were very bright as he trotted on
OF Holyhead Hall. No wonder that nett
sas s1 er thunder nor lightning nor drivil
h, rain had power to chill the warmth
m his happy lover heart.
i've AS he approached gloomy spot
the road-where it took sudden a
ian abrupt turn among gloomy cedar cops
u :, and dark green thiekets of laurel-s
She lin SHE'D again, so suddenly this til
md as nearly to unseat the rider In t
Ind same instant Mr.. Carlyon, looking abe
1e ( to discover, through the gloom Of sto,
his and tempest and overarching WOO
led. what it was that had so startled
les usual trustworthy steed, fancied for 9
'eo. second that Antoinette Dupergue ste
IN at the turn of the road, all in viii
had with floating jetty curls, and stalk
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