The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-05-17

4 100
an hour ago. Come to me :, g."
garden at nine o'clock tonight All
will answer you. But promise me first
to keep away from Mr.. Dent give me
your word not to seek him---to avoid
him if he seeks you. Do you promise =?
| 1t is we'll
lie would have taken her hand, but
she waved him away. In another
moment he heard the swift rustic of her
dress in the hall, the sound Of her feet
upon the stair, the sharp closing of her
bedroom door and all wa quiet,
And even thus quietly the day wore
away, and the night rose slowly from
the valley and oyershadowed the
mountains with purple wings tina;
famed the still air into breeze, until
the moon followed it and lulled every.
thing to rest as with the laying on of
white and bencdctory hands. 1t was
lovely night but Henry Rance, wait
ing impstiently beneath sycamore at
the foot Of the garden, saw no beauty
in earth or air or sky. A thousand
suspicious common to a jealous nature.
a vague superstition of the spot, filed
his mind with distrust and doubt. IT
this should be trick to keep my hands
of that insolcnt pup lie muttered,
but even a. the THOUGHT passed his
tongue, white figure lid from the
shrubbery near the hou'e, glided along
the line Of the picket fence, and then
stopped, midway, motionlcss in the
moonlight.
1t was she. Bat he scarcely recog
nized her in the white drapery that
covered her head and shoulders and
breast. lie approached her with a hur-
ried whisper. Let us withdraw from
the moonlight. Everybody can sec US
here
We have nothing to say that can.
not be said in the moonlight, Henry
Rance she replied, coldly receding
from his profiered hand. She trem.
bled for a moment, as if with a chill
and then suddenly turned upon him A:
Hold up your head and let me look at
you Pye known only what men are !,
let me see what traitor looks like =
lie recoilcd more from her wild face
than her words. lie saw for the first
that her hollow eyes were blazing with
fever. He was no coward, but he
would have fed.
You are i'll, Jenny he said you
had best return to the house. An
other time
Stop she cried, hoarsely, 'moye
from this spot and I'll call help! AT.
tempt to leave me now aud I'll pro.
claim you the assassin that you are ;
1T was a fair fight he said dog,
gedly.
Was it fair fight to creep behind
an unarmed and unsuspectiug man
Was it fair fight to throw suspicion
on some one else? Was it fair fgh
to deceive Inc ? Liar and coward tina
you are "
lie made a stealthy step toward hel
with evil eyes, and wicked hand that
crept within his breast She saw tn,
motion, but it only stuns her to newer
fury.
'Striken she said, with blazing eyes
throwing her hands open before him
Strike Are you afraid of the woman
who dares you?--or do you keep your
knife for the backs Of unsuspectinc
men? Strike l tell you No? Look
then! With a sudden movement sh,
tore from her head and shoulders tn
thick lace shawl that had concealed he
figure aud stood before him. Look
she cried passionately, pointing to tn
bosom and shoulders Of her whit,
dress, darkly streaked with faded stain
aud ominous discoloration. Look
This is the dress ! wore that mornini
when | found him lying harc-here-
bleeding from your cowardly knife
Look Do you see? This is his bloc
my poor boys blood-one drop q
which, dead and faded as it il, is NOR
precious to me than the whole Twin
pulse Of any other mani Look | com
to you tonight christened in his BLOOD
and dare you to strike-dare you t
strike him again through me and min
glo.my blood with his! Strike, | i'm
plore you! Strike, you have any pit
on me--for Gods sakel Strike, if yo
are mani Look! Here lay his hea,
on my shoulder; here | held him t
my breast, where never-so help III
, Gol--anothcr man-Ah'--'
She rceicd against the fence, an,
something that had flashed in Rance
|, hand dropped at her feet, for anothe
, fash and report rolled him over in til
dust, and across his writing body tw
! men strobe aud caught her ere she fell
, She has only tainted said Nj
NcClosky, jimmy, dear, my girl, speaI
to me =
f what is this on her dress 2 sat
f Ridgeway, kneeliug bes le her, an
, lifting her set and colorlcss face. A
the sound Of his voice the color cam
, family back to her check; she opcne
I her eyes and smiled.
| It's only your blood, dear boy sh
said, but look little deeper aud you
find my own
, She put up her two ycarning hand
9 and drew his face and lips down to he
own. When Ridgeway raised his hea
q again her eyes were closed, but he
!, mouth still smiled as with tho manor