Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-03-26

her.
"Sho had not been married long before
she awoke TO a full sense Of the great
wrong she had committed to the fullest
revelation Of the misery she had entailed
upon her husband aud herself. And such
husband Although Of no. so warm
nature as hers, he loved her 10 his strong,
tender way, TO devotion revered the very
ground upon which she trod bore with
her faults and coldness as no other man
would have done, and considered himself
supremely blest if in retura he had sue.
ceedcd in winning but faint smile Of ap.
probation.
She saw all this when ii was too late,
and then began to try, at least, to do her
duty TO him as poor return Of his affec.
ton. Ia this she partially succeeded
might have done so completely had not her
old lover returned With specious tales and
tender words, praying for a word Of for.
giveuess as coward might pray for an
hour of life.
" You remember | told you she was but
child in years as well as experience, and
IT you blame her you must blame her now,
for as the false lover kneeled at her feet, all
the passionate yearning of the old love re.
turned with terrible earnestness.
81 love you still !" she cried. IL love
you God forgive me for what have
done !"
Seeing the advantage thus gained, he
urged her to give him some proof Of her
lovc--to forsake her husband and hy With
him wherever fate might lead. Oh, that
hour Of terrible temptation All a fond
lovers eloquence pleading that she should
but follow her own hearts desire. In her
grish weakness aud despair the tempter
conquered, aud she consented to forsake
her husband. The time was favorable.
As he was absent on business, the next
night was appointed, and it was agreed
that he should be in waiting for her, hav-
ing made arrangements to leave the coun-
try.
"The morning of that terrible day dawn
ed, every moment seemed an hour to her
agonized soul. She talked aud smiled with
those around her, and tried to chain her
wandering thoughts, but they would stray
with dim and dark forebodings far out into
the moonlight night, where she was by her
own act to seal her destiny forever. His
las. words were continually ringing in her
ears.
90 will be here, said he. If cannot
come alive, will come a corpse
1t was past the hour of noon, and she
had retired to her own room to endeavor to
drown the agony of her thoughts by sleep,
when she observed a great commotion on
the street, and finally some apparently life.
less object was broaght into the house.
Urged by mad impulse, she rushed down
stairs. The servants gathered in awe-struck
groups, told her that dying man had been
brought to the house man who had been
crushed by passing train. The rich car.
pet was spotted with great drops of blood
that dripped from the covered form torn by
tons Of iron from all resemblance Of hu.
manity.
=" She stood beside the form, struck with
fierce terror, listening in silence to the drip
of the life current as it ebbcd away, gazing
with fixed eyes at the fair hair matted with
blood; at the shapely hand extended from
beneath the covering, as if waiting to clasp
hers-thc marble hand, with her ring upon
its fingers.
:" 1t seemed to her that she watched for
hours. He had said that he would come to
her, alive or dead, aud he had come. At
last she became conscious Of the presence
of her husband.
"Come away, darling said he, taking
her hand. Poor fellow | wonder who
he is2'
"She did not move, but withdrew her
hand from his, and pointing to the cold and
lifeless form, said, slowly and without any
sign Of feeling -
This is the man | love; the only man
whom have ever loved. For whom |
would have sacrificed life itself The man
for whose dear sake the day be cursed that
made you my husband
A slight movement at my side caused
me to turn, and saw that Dicks eyes
we're open and iutently fixed upon the wo.
mans face. She stopped moment, as if
to collect strength, and then went on -
"a weaker man would have spurned her
for this avowal; harsher man would have
hated her, but no was neither weak nor
harsh. Even in this hour, when the heart
strings Of his affection were so ruthlessly
sundered, did his noble soul remain true to
itself. She saw the bitter pain creep up
into his eyes. but he did not finch under it.
Emily, my darling said he, and have
| SO wronged you 2
"ln his own brave strength of pity, he
took the burthen upon himself. He did
not say, You have wronged and deceived
me- Nay. more than all this. Holding
the dead mans hand. standing by the crush.
ed mass of deiormed humanity, sho told
him the whole story, concealing nothing.
and even then he did not reproaeh her.
He gave up his claim to her with tender
prayer upon his lips for her happiness, and
the sharp sting Of misery in his heart. then
left her, false and cruel as she was. never
to return"
There was another pause. Her eyes
seemed riveted upon my brother with an
that was painful to behold. At
length she went on, slowly:
- have wondered whether the rest Of
this story would DO trusted. Be that a.
it may, | must 60 on. After he had left
her, and she had realized that he was gone,
never to return, she found what . treasure
she had ruthlessly cast aside--lsarued to
see the contrast between the man who
would have drawn her to sin and shame,
and the man who would sacrifice life and
aud love for her. Slowly ii grew upon her.
Slowly the truth broke in upon her mind.
In the silent watches Of the night she saw
that all his thoughts had been for her.
hat while she had wronged and tortured
MIN, be had lived but for her happiness.
"ln her dreams he stood before her,
brave and loyal as of old, in the daytime
,e haunted her in every room, in every
passage. Every hour she longed for that
lindly smile which Of old greeted her pres
but one of the loving oaresses hs
lad lavished upon her. Starting from her
lumbers, she would sob out his name when
he thought Of him, and then scrap Of
lis writing was dimmed with her tears and
worn with her passionate kisses.
" For more than year this went on
hen the agony became too great. She would
20 and look for him, search for him every
where, If, when she found him, she might
'nly be near him, be his servant, only bs
permitted to see and touch him For Q