Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-01-24

| Will IeJ ule NAV Z OllS IOOh, one WOEu
at the very last-I must, I will"
She hesitated, my face, perhaps
warned not to tax submission toe
far. ''You will promise me, then
to make no attempt to change my
resolution, OF to keep any hold on
me? for Heaven, that knows all
have borne, and all | could not
bear, in the old life. Heaven is my
witness, that would return to it
sooner than-I have your word,
then?"
"You have my word" 1 answered
perceiving by the determination in
her features that any hesitation
would be worse than useless.
"Come again in an hour, then, and
you will find me ready. My prep
arations, like my friends, are few"
she said, with another of those bit
ter smiles; and With that we sepa-
rated.
l walked through the streets like
one in a dream, seeing nothing before
me but what l had left behind-the
woman l loved passionately, and III
one little hours time was to lose for
ever. But, with all the passion and
will that was in me, vowed that
would not lose her thus. l would
fulfill the letter of my promise to
her. | would not seek, by word or
act to sway her from her conscience;
but l would keep myself informed of
her movements, and cOntrive, some
how, sooner or later, 30 be near her;
| would wait for her till death, if
need were; but let her pass wholly
and forever out of my life, l nei-
ther conld nor would.
On reaching the railway station,
even my preoccupatiOn became aware
of some unusual excitement. l join
ed a knot of takers, and learned that
there had been an accident to a pas
senger on one of the Eastern trains
Just in. The stranger, who accord
ing to general testimony, had ap-
peared to be in a singular hurry and
excitement, had jumped off the train
before it was fairly stationary-had
somehow slipped and fallen, and
had been taken up for dead.
| Imade my way to where the body
was lying. 1t was that of man of
some 80 years of age, evidently be-
longing to the wealthier classes.
The face, which was disfgured, was
handsome, in spite of the traces of
passion and dissipation. He was
quite dead; they had given up at
tempting to restore him, and were
searching the body forldentifcation.
One of them, as 1 approached, had
just opened pocket-boOk filled with
papers and marked inside with
name. l read the name over his
it was James Huntley!
Strange chapter III the strange ro-
nance interviewer with my life! |
This mans death, so sudden, so lit
tie to be looked for, had come to cut |
the knot of all the doubts, the diff
cultes, the despair which else might |
have enveloped the whole future of |
two lives! 1t. seemed to me that, if |
ever l saw the finger of destiny in |
any human event, l saw it there.
l only waited long enough to
make sure there was no mistake, and |
then hurried back to Miss Knowles
to Miss Knowles?-that is, to Mrs. |
Yes, for the first time,
realized that it was a husbands
dreadful death that | was fastening
10 communicate to his newly-made
widow, and shrunk from my task.
l knocked gently at her door.
She opened it, and, seeing me, look
ID at me for a moment in silent sur
Prise; then, putting the natural in
of her own absorbing
hought on my return, so much be-
ore the time set, she cried out, Il
I'M too late, then, after all? He is
lere already"
"Yo on have nothing more to fear
rom him." l said, gravely, trying
o break the shock to her by degrees.
But she did not understand.
"Nothing to fear, do you mean,
rom-from my husband?" she said,
lowly, with perplexed look in my
ace.
''You have nothing more to fear
rom the man who was your hus-
,and," | repeated distinctly. This
ime she caught my meaning. She
rev white and her lips trembled so
hat she could scarcely articulate the
words. "Tell me"
gave her the briefest and most
oftened outline possible of what
ad happened She stood like a
tone, only her face showing that
he heard. l never saw in any hu-
nan countenance such an expression
$ that in hers while she listened
ity, relief, awe, all struggling to-
ether. Then she moved her liPs
ut l heard nothing; suddenly she I
ropped to the floor and buried her
ace in the soft cushions, while a I
oice should not have known for I
ers, said: "Go-leave me alOne!"
I had no words for such emotions l
s hers in that moment, | could only {
hey her in silence.
As | walked away, my mind GO
10 over all that had occurred, l ;
oHld not help recalling the old say {
lg, that man proposes and God dis
oseS. This scheme of WebSter's, {
lid with such malice and treachery {
we had reason afterward to think I
nat he had had access to her writ I
10 desk, and so discovered her Sc
plot, l say, on which he t
ad counted % crush her utterly, 5
ad been the instrument, in the |
ands of mysterious Providence, S
{ working her deliverance; working 4
after terrible manner, it is true, |
ut not the less freeing her future
.om its lifelong shadow.
l pass all the history of those sad !.
ays, days of sadness if not of mourn =
lg-the months of Seclusiou and
time when | could
Iaim her for my own before the :
yes of the world, and call my neigh
or, my friend, by the dearest name