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

nothing but Jewel-cases one larger than
the rest, caught her eye.
This must be the one Claude, said
she, taking it up and touching the spring
As 1t flew open, great strings Of pearls
slipped from their velvet bed and fell upon
the carpet at her feet 1t was literally
filled with pearls fashioned into ornaments
for the hair, neck, and arms. Seeing an
other spring she touched It and second
lid flew up, revealing to their eager eyes
the mysterious letter.
"Open it, Claude, and read he said you
must know its contents well AS l. But
wait moment, | can not hear 1t Just yet
Oh dread - know not what
My dear Pauline, pray compose your
self | don't think my uncle can have
made any request that will interfere with
your happiness Shall read it now
Yes, go on, suppose the sooner !
know, the better.
He broke the n, and smothed the lei
ter open before "A. 1t was written in
firm, bold hand, and was addressed to.
My daughter, Pauline II was dated
some months back, while Pauline was from
home. In low, clear voice, Claude pro
ceeded to read, while Pauline stood with
the Jewel case III her hand listening. The
letter ran thus
PAULINE-I shall be dead when you
read this, and | wish yuu To read it as
though 1t were my voice from the grave. |
know YOU have often thought me strange
man a cold, unfeetIng one and am 50,
to all but you. love you Paula, as |
never loved any one but one-and she was
-n not your mother In order to explain
all to YOU, must lift the veil from the
past and 60 back e. the days Of my youth
You have been told that my brother George
and myself were educated IN Germany,
and that we returned home t. hnd our
selves orphans. and heirs to a hne estate.
George was younger than myself, and |
loved him devoutly. He was a talr, hand
some boy, very much like our mother, and
as timid and bashful as a woman Perhaps
IL was tor these reasons loved him SO -
don't know oniy know loved him, and
could have made anv sacrifice for him, and.
he repaid me how you shall know. IL
vas the summer We returned home from
Europe. that ! was called from home to
c. county. On some business concerning
our property It was long ride, and
had To- spend the night at the house Of my
lawyer. Mr.. Grey At supper ! was intro
duced to his daughter. Edith. fair, beau
love, Oh first sight Imagine, did | say
All. it vas too true. | loved her then,
/ love and hate her now, dead
though she be, and has been to me for
wears. began to visit her very often,
always giving business AS my excuse for
leaviu. home SO often. Finally, addressed
her, and was accepted. My happiness
seemed complete believed she loved
me as much as | did her, and more could
not ask Preparations for our marriage
were being made It was no longer secret,
and had received the congratulations of
my friends George had never seen my
attiancee until few months before the
tlme appointed for my marriage. He ac-
cnmpanled me to see her after that first
visit. he went almost as often As did but
thought nothing of that, knowing his
loving nature ] was happy III the thought
that he already loved Edith a sister.
Some two months passed III this way,
when | was startled by the receipt Of a
letter from her, telling me our engagement
vas at an end that she could not marry
me no reason was assigned, and hasten
ed to see her, hoping that all might yet he
well, but she positively refused to see me,
only bidding her father tell me she heard
some things from a reliable source derpga-
tory to my reputation. | tried, time and
ayain, to see her | wrote to her, begging
her to yet her father to visit my native
country, and learn there, from those who
, had known me all my life, what my repu
tation was, but she returned my letter un-
opened and at last sent me word that she
was engaged to be married To some one
else Not waiting to learn the name OF
my successful rival | placed all my affairs
III the hands Of Mr.. Leigh, (my present
, lawyer) and returned to Europe. hoping
to forget the treacherous being who had
wrecked my life. In three months
after my arrival there, | received a
letter from George, telling me that he
was married and Filth G.ey could
hardly believe it ; he, who had seemed to
sympathize 50 with me, and had condemn
ed her even more than ! myself, that he
could go far have forgotten what was due
to me and himself to marry that woman.
1t cop,id not be true, / thought, but true
it was, and ere long / learned that be- my
brother. whom had 50 loved, had de
famed me to Edith-had won her heart
! from me and deceived me to the last that
she had been engaged to him a month be
fore | was discarded, and refused to tell
me her informers name, or to see me, at
has request When | heard this, | cursed
them both. and vowed to revenge myself
upon them, but how did not know feared
u return to my native land. | was afraid
of myself knew | should kill them
I, both About that tine met your mother
and married her. We were happy, at least
she was, and died without even know
ing that | did not love her | had heard
ntbip,r fr.un my hp,n.. e., wars ban |
saw my brothers and his wife's death in
the same paper. | then wrote to Mr.
: Leigh to know if they left any children.
and he soon replied, telling me that my
brother had spent all Of his own and wife s
property, and had left one child "a boy),
solely dependent upon his grandmother
(Mr Grey having died two years before),
and that she was very poor then
, thought of the vow Id made years before
to be revenged upon them. The way was
clear and open before me now Thea were
I dead but their child was left. and the 'sins
of the parents should be visited on the
children" | believed myself the instru-
ment through whom this visitation should
come, with no settled plan as to how it
should be carried into execution. re-
turned to America, bringing you with me.
For a time | could not see Claude but
when did see him, all the hatred I'd
borne his parents seemed centred upon
him | determined to have him educated
TO give him every advantage, and when he
should reach manhood to cast adrift in the
world, and to make it the end and aim Of
my life to thwart him in every way. ia
make him suffer even as they had made
me. | cannot tell you what thrill Of
pleasure seized me when | saw that he was
T. learning to love you as something more
than cousin. My plan was being made
D for me the hand of God was, indeed.
helping me Only one thing troubled me,
feared you'd return his love That was
/, why sneered at him to you, and told
3 you he was not worthy of your respect