Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-17

ElEuLeu lO-Nu y
r For Ethe4 had arisen, cold and still
with no welcome on her white face
and only reproachfu4 sorrow IN he
seNnsg st John Las no reason to b
= delighted to see the woman whose III
she has blasted-whose husband 81
has tempted"
Ethel spokevery deliberately, locke,
, Laura full in the face then she turne'
to her husband, in whose eyes ther
, shone a red CLEAN that Portende'
wrath.
perhaps you willassure your triehe
she IS in the way just now, She sad
81 have only q Plarter Of an hour t
! attend to our business"
And then Ethel consulted her watcl
! with an air of quiet; but, oh, how, IN
der that cold exterior, were her pulses
leapiRg, bounding.
Laura stood mOtionless, with an IN
gloved hand resting on the library Ia
bic, her scarlet lips quiyering as if hei
heart was brokeu-her big Fespiendani
Teyes slowly filling with tears as shs
looked first at Ethel, then Mr.. Vivian
as if to humbly beseech them TO tel
! n9E W Hal II al l4CaAAA- A1AC ~ fGA y
[ beautiful at that mOment, dHd she
thought EdwDd Vivian appreciated il
tothe full; she knew it when he turn
ed towards her.
81 am sure you will pardon US, deaI
! Miss St. John" he said. AT this mo-
ment. Mrs. Vivian is particularly en-
| gagged"
Laura shot him 4 glance from her Ii
quid eyes.
i'But + must come again aud and out
what she means.=I must know why |
am thus accusedr1
Burt her mission was accomplished;
and, with a.thrill Of qualification at her
heart, she bowed to Ethel and grace
fully departed. And Ethel Vivian,
with icyegleaming. eyes, compressed lip
and unfaltering hand, now signed her
name in full under her husbands.
- Aad so it was dOne-or undOne:
-
Two Years-twice a twelvemOntA-
and Laura St. John was standing be-
fore her dressing-table, earnestly peer
ing at the splendid reflection she made,
with her personal beauty heightened
by the chastely~rare bridal attire she
wore, that was faultless from the float
ing tulle veil, fastened by an orange
blossom spray and aglittering dismOnd
aigrette, to the tiny white silken slip
per, with its rosette scintillatiDg with
small Jewels. She was beautiful; she
was triumphant, for she was success
ful; and this, her wedding day, would
crown her success.
+ Sne managed well; according to the
chart she had drawn for herself, from
the hour she first saw and loved EthePs
husband she had marched straight on,
regardless of cost, regardless of any
thing but the ultimate result
Here it was, close at hand-not half
an hour from accomplishment.
Down in the saloon Laura heard low,
musical laughter at intervals; in the
several 'dressing-ro0ms. opposite she
heard the wedding guests preparing to
descend to the festivities, and she smiI-
ed at'her own eyes in the glass, that at
last she would marry Ethelss husband.
And Ethel?
She had dropped suddenly from the
social armament. Like a meteor that
comes flashing in dazzling light across
the sky, and then plunges. into black
deeps of Obseurity, so had. Etha daz-
zled, delighted aud disappointed the
people. Now, after two yeara, she was
to them as if she bad never been.
TO EDWARD Vivian, if memories OF
her haunting eyes and quivering lips
ever came, he never gave sign, but
deliberately Nooed and won Laura St.
John.
Laura St. John herself? In the des-
ert silence Of her chamber, as she stood
drawing on her gloves-for with a
pretty wilfulness that was irresistible,
She had driven her maids from her-a
graceful, ebon-robed woman suddenly,
silently, swiftly glided across the glar~
ing carpet and confronted her, with
upraised veil, and cold clear eyes.
1T is even 1, Miss St. John. Sure
ly you Will not despise my congratu-
lationsr"
EtheI'S sweet low voice it wa, and
Laura, after one slight start of
great surprise, bowed cOnstraInedly,
and waited.
4 will not detain you more than a
moment, as Mr.. Vivian, doubtless, IS
impatient for the moment when he
may call you his wife. Under the pc
cular circumstances, Miss ST. John,
aud to assure you that bear you no
malice, may 1 present you with this?"
/ She quietly reached out a small
rosewood box, that was mounted with
| silver.
"The key is in the lock, you sec,
Miss st. John. Have the pleasure
of knowing you accept it?''
! Ethel set the box on the marble
| bureau-top, and then awaited an an-
swer.
Lama's cheeks were flushing slight
| ly; her hands trembled as she essayed
to button her glove, and busy
/ thoughts were speeding through her
| brain.
What did it mean, this sudden ap-
pearancc of Ethel? Did it augur i'll
or peace as Ethel declared! Dared
/ this stately, calm woman in black at
tack her there alone, anG wreak a dis
carded wife's just vengeance? The
1 thought was natural, and Laura ;
heart beat IN tempestuous thrObs.
Il viii accept it, Miss ElmOre, aud
thank you. And may 1 beg that you
VIII allow me to finish my toilette? /
would not care to be too late"
This, with wonder in her heart if
/ Ethel observed her cowardice.
But Mrs. Ethel-AIiss ElmOre the
( law called her-sIniled.
/ "Assuredly I would not have YOU
| too late. l dislike these words, too
/ late. To the superstitious they sound
/ OminCus. Adieu, Mis-, st. John; you
will be detained no longer by ne, or
you might possibly be too late"
She bowed regally and left Laura
! ghTv-,s.ev,rg vrriFl. = -
! repeated words. 4 moment IRter and
| from her window she saw Ethel going
rapidly down the street, her black
veil huttcring like a death peuant in
the bIi>k breeze.
She drew long breath Of relief
aud then turned To the beautiful lit
tie rosewood box with a Joyous laugh.
( d" Natural curiosity tempts me to
/ she what her present can be. Posi-
/ bly some hoIrid snake bracelet, OF a
| dagger for my shawl or ,omething
equally delightful
she lightly turned the little silver
| KEY, and bent her radiant face over
/ the lid. She saw a tiny vaporOus
/ smoke wreath roll upward for an in
stant, and ther-
The terrible noise OF the explosion
brought the Mortified guests to her
door, and they found her lying in her
burial robes, fresh in her goodness
like beauty, dead.
On the pink velvet carpet, her eyes
/ fixed in a stare that was frozen hor-
ror Edward Vivian bent over her,
and knew for surety what had
wrought ii, though no lip then, or af-
| terwards, even uttered a name in con-
necsion with the diabolical engine,
whose silver key had unlocked the
portals Of deaths domains to Laura
| st. John.
TERRIBLE DREAM E;EALIzED.-Law-
renCeville (Ga.) Herald: "One night
/ last week Mr.. Thomas Allison dreamed
| that his brother, John Allison, had
been murdered and scalped by the In
dams He lives in California a,,1 49,