The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-07-07

conscience, but there came also the con-
viction of her truth.
"It is all mad dream, Catharine, tell
me SO with your own lips-say that all he
told me was black falsehood."
William, that man has been my evil
destiny, he made my life torture, then
thrust himself between my heart and
yours p
'iThat man, Catharine-he is my father,
Oh, it is not true-he was not--you never
loved him Never by your own weakness
gave him this terrible power over u.s."
She started from his embrace and stood
there erect and still. Suddenly she flung
out her arms with a wild gesture.
"It is all maze-I can understand
nothing-your father, he your fatherP And
he has told you that 1 loved himp Once
he dared breathe words in my ear, from
which a wife turns with Indignation
never but once, though their memory has
lain on my soul like degradation. I stand
in the world nameless, disgraced, forsaken;
but the bitterest pang Of all has been to
know that breathed in the same sphere
with that man-yet God forgive what l
say, he is your father. Let us never think
of it again You are ill-you can hardly
stand. Come with me-Janet and ] will
nurse you've will go South, far away to
bright Italy happiness will follow us
there Oh, William, l could not answer
HyOi bot Hau xrhon unt p1aaIaI for
single evidence of my love, but tell you
now that even death itself shall not sepa-
rate us"
"Oh, my God had known this sooner"
"Forget this past, William, we will find
new life beyond We have suffered so
much, struggled so long, but remember
nothing of it now-the sister they tore
from my arms is in heaven and watches
over us in this hour"
Sister, your sister?"
My sister-my own darling My hus-
band died before no could revoke his
terrible will-they took my sister from me
i hurried to Europe in search of her
worked, toiled only to regain her-but she
died, yes, and now am thankful for it
you are left me STILL"
"Your name, tell me your name w
81 am Catharine Lennox, and she was
my little Nellie"
"Nellie Stop-do not approach me-
curse me-kill me--that girl is my wife"
She comprehended nothing-gazing in
his face with horrible fear that the suf-
fering of those weeks had made him mad.
''She is dead, William, little Nellie is
dead p'
"She lives-it was only a lie like the
rest-she lives, and have married her."
Nellie lives, and is your wife,"
She sank upon the ground, clasping her
forehead with her hands.
"Tell me everything, William, make me
understand all clearly at present am like
one struck blind with the sound of an ap-
preaching torrent in his ear"
There he stood and related the history of
the past weeks, speaking in cold, hard
tone, and his burning eyes fixed upon the
snowy peaks, beyond whence phantom
hands seemed to beckon him aw ay to death.
Now, what is left us, Catharine
Don't sit there, neither seeing nor hearing;
what remains to be done?"
Nothing, nothing Go your way--there
is heaven-a God; we shall meet here
after"
She rose dreamily and moved away, never
once looking back till his agonized voice
broke through the mist which enveloped
her senses.
"Stop, Catharine, stop You shall not
go-you cannot Is there heaven-a here
after? then let us seek it--I will not lose
you, let me rush to death clasping you in
my arms p
"It is not you who speak, William you
will be yourself when the shock is over.
Go-you must stay no longer-go at once"
She wruug her hands in strong anguish
for the first time the great tears streamed
over her face, and her whole frame wIithed
and shook with despair
fou cannot endure this, Catharine,you
will 90 mad too %
"No shall die, thank God-I shall
die"
"Die, and leave me alone? Promise that
you will not Letahe feel that you are at
least on earth Oh, Catharine, do not heed
these scruples of narrow minds; we are free,
each morally free, or, at least the law that
bound me can give liberty"
ga divorce-consent to that mockery--
divorce granted by man that might
wed my sisters husband p
"True, true, had forgotten Oh, for
some hope, some way of release !"
"Never here, William, there is none;
but the life beyond, trust in that p
"And if we fail TO meet in that hereafter
If we find ourselves strangers beyond the
stars. ] cannot believe, | will not wait
You shall go with me, Catharine, | will
not lose you now"
Tempted, and sorely tried but her pure
soul never yielded. She stood there and
prayed aloud, till he covered beneath a
sense of his own weakness and DEGRADATION.