The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-21


my duty. That young man who came
here to night is your beau, l suppose.
" You can't know anything about him
that's not good" l said.
"You like him, l suppose? - said Char
lotte
81 am engaged to him. l answered.
81 wont listen to any lie about him.
She came across and took nue. by the
hands in sisterly fashion not usual with
her.
Nannie,' she said, &" I'm going to tell
you heavens truth that / swear. / see
that man every day when and where he
ought to blush to be seen, especially if he s
engaged to good young girl like you y
woman lives opposite us-a woman whose
husband has gone away, you know. She
has one little hoy, and she is very hand
some. He comes 20 see her every day: he
gives her money; he kisses her, I've seen
both things. It's been disgusting to me
before, and now-oh, Mamie, when l see
what he is to you, l turn sick. 1t must be
when the engine comes in and is waiting at
the station. Once or twice he has stayed
longer, but not often, only on Sundays, and
its heavens truth.
My heart gave great leap. Duke did
not often spend Sunday in the city. /
never thought of asking why. But yet |
said
81 don't beli$e it, won't. You think
it is Duke, l know; but it is some other
man. Why, Id as soon doubt myself as
him."
But l began to cry, notwithstanding.
mamie" said Charlotte, 81 don't ask
you to take my word. Run down to the
city with me. Come into my workroom,
and peep through the shutters, and you
will see for yourself"
81 will" said I; and I'll see some man
I never saw before in my life"
And I tried to believe this through all
the hours of the night before she left me,
and all through the early journey to the
city next day.
went up into the work room of Char
lotte's house and we two knelt down at
the open window, pceping through the
green blinds. Over the way was a tiny
little house, and at the window sat a young
woman very pretty, as Charlotte had said.
"That's her," my cousin whispered.
And | felt my blood begin to boil.
knew how hate felt at last, and no one
need want to know think l could have
killed some one then. 1t seemed all true
when l saw how pretty she was though |
could never understand the reason for that.
| couldn't say word. | just looked
and looked. At last l heard Charlotte
whisper, There he is"
And there he was indeed, | saw limit
was no one else-go up the steps of that
little house and ring the bell. The woman
ran out to meet him; so did the child; and
he kissed them both. That was the last
knew for some time. | tainted away.
white with rage and sorrow, and Charlotte
had time with me and thought for a
while that | would die.
But | lived and went home with my
cousin, who said felt quite i'll and must
go to bed.
So ! did. And l begged Charlotte to
tell no one yet, but ask mother to say that
| was too i'll to see any one who came.
l awoke next day as people do awake
when trouble is new to them. First it was
|, Mamie Hunt, to whom life was so bright
and full of hope. Then it was some one
else, whom l hardly knew, who seemed to
be | and | sat up, and put back my hair,
and wondered how could bear the change.
One thing must be done, and it could not
be done too soon. I must part myself from
Duke Osborne. And took all his little
gifts his letters, the lock of his black hair,
and my little ring, and made 4 package of
Them and sealed it close, and then | wrote
this note:
"Duke Osborne, l send you back the
gifts took, as thought from true man.
You know why, and | shall not say
ANYTHING more than l have been to the
city, at my cousins house in - street.
send these things | have treasured so.
back to you, and forbid you ever to speak
to me again. All | can wish is, never
more in all my life to hear your voice or
see your face.
loved you, or would not have prom
sed to be your wife, but I hate you now.
and with that hate bid you goodbye for
ever. MAMIE HUNT"
Then I sealed the note, and directed it.
and resolved that when the Warrior came
in that day at three l would send 1t to
him.
/ sat at the window at the usual time,
waiting for that chip, chip, chip, down the
| road-wating as prisoners that are SEN
fenced to death may wait for the hour of
doom.
But by and by people began to come ont
and look up the road. | saw men look at
their watches. l looked at mine. The
| Warrior was overdue by ten minutes; soon
by fifteen, by half an hour, by three quar-
tiers. Then Il little engine, with some men
| on board, went off to look for her, and the
crowd grew larger and the faces morc seri-
! GUS.
AS for me, had forgotten all my wrath
all my reason for wrath also. l only
knew that Warrior was nearly an hour
behindhand, and that Duke was her engin-
eer.
"Chip, chip chip slowly. horribly -
| She turned the corner of the road-not the
| Warrior, no one hoped that-only the lit
| tie engine that had gone after her. She
brought two coaches with her-four were
due-and the red flag lluttered from the
engine, and the end of one of the car
riages was battered and broken.
| | was out of the room, and with the
! crowd of men and women in the street
now. l saw others helped out, with band
aged arms and heads. There had been a
collision; we already knew that; but
they were bringing something out on a
board-something wrapped in sheet,
sopped and dripping with blood. Four
men carried it toward the station.
A tall man, blackened with smoke and
dust, followed it. | caught his arm.
" Who's that :. Who is that >" | ask