The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-05-28

| Ca1ld, let me look at this ring.
The wondering boy placed in her
hand the trinket, which she had not
the slightest doubt of having seen years
before IN London.
"Who gave you this, my child o.
she asked.
" My papa"
d" Your papa what is your name p
Sidney"
"What else ?" she asked, impetu-
ously.
''Sidney Warren Milton"
Thank God But how came you
to be named so? There is some mys,
terry in this-a mystery that mist soon
be solved now, Where were you born,
dear little Sydney?"
In Calcutta
"What is your age, child ?"
Next year shall be seven years
old"
Seven-how strange it is that you
have the name you bear ?"
1t is my papa's," said the boy with
little proud irritability of manner.
"Where did yonr papa live before
he came TO Calcutta ?"
81 don't known many places
soldiers always do"
"He is a soldier 9''
My papa is Major Milton, and lives
in the environments of Meerut."
g a little time, shall know all, re-
piled poor Constance, caressing the boy
with great tenderness.
On arriving at Meerut, however, she
found herself ill-faint and 1everish, so
that for days she was confined to her
bed, watching the red fire, flies flashing
about the green ialousies and full of
strange, wild dreams by day. She had
but one keen and burning desire-to
see Major Milton, and to learn from
his lips the fate of her husband On
the evening OF the fifth dqy-the even
ing of the 10th of May-she was lying
ON her pillow, watching the red sun
shine fading on the ruined MOSQUE, and
Abu's stately tomb, when just as the
sunset gun psaIed over the can
card, inscribed, Major Milton Staff
Corps"
Desire the Major to come to me ,
said Constance, in a broken voice, and
terribly convulsed by emotion; for now
she was on the eve of knowing all.
Here to the mehm sahib's bed
side ?" asked the astonished ayah.
Here instantly-go-go !"
Endowed with new strength, as the
woman withdrew, she sprang from her
bed, put on her slippers threw round
her an ample cashmere dressing robe,
and seated herself III a bamboo chair,
trembling in every fibre. In a mirror
opposite she could see that her face
was as white as snow. The door was
opened.
Major Milton" said a voice that
made her tremble, and attired in
undress uniform. with hemlet in hand,
her husband, looking scarcely a day
older, stood gazing at her in utter be-
wilderment. He gave one conclusive
start, and then stood rooted to the
spot but no expression or glance of
tenderness escaped him. His whole
aspect bore the impress of terror.
Years had elapsed as a dream, and
they were again face to face, those two,
whom no man might put asunder.
Softness, sorrow, reproach faded from
the face of Constance. Her broad, low
forehead became stern; her deep-set,
dark eyes sparkled perilously, her full
lips became set and her chin seemed to
express more than ever resolution.
"Oh Constance-Constanc he fall
tered, 81 know not what to say ~
cit may be we'll so, Sidney" (and at
the utterance of his name her lips quiz
ered) $50 you are Major Milton, and
the supposed husband of Miss Dash
woOd?"
There was a long pause, after which
she said: 81 ask not the cause of your
most cruel desertion but whence this
name OF Milton %
GA property was left me-and-but
of course you have long since ceased to
love me, Constance ?''~
"You actually dare to take an up
braiding tone to me - she exclaimed,
her black eyes flashing fire. Then
looking upward, appealngly, she said,
ooh, my God my God and this Is the
man for whom, during these bitter
years, [ have been eating MY own
heart !"
"Pardon me, Constance you may
now learn that there is no gauge to
measure the treachery of which the
human heart in its weakness is capable.
Yet there has been a worm in mine that
has never died"
She wrung her hands, and then said,
with something of her old softness of
manner: "You surely loved me once,
Sidney?"
CT did" He drew nearer, but she
recoiled from him.
"Then whence This cruel change? ?"
"Does not some one write, we love,
and think we love truly, and yet find
another to whom one will cling as if it
required these two hearts to make a
perfect whole ?"
"MOst accursed sOphistry But if
you have no pity, have you not fear ?"
81 have great fear" said he in
broken voice; "thus, Constance, by
the love You once bore me, | beseech
you to have pity, not Oh me, but on my
little boy and MS poor mOther-preserge
their happiness"
"Aud sacrifice my own?" said she in
a hollow voice.
"Spare and not expose me-my COM
missionary position here"
Neither shall be lost through me, p"
she replied, in voice that grew more
and more weak "but leave me-leave
me-the air is suffocating-t light has
left my eyes. Farewell, Sidney-kiss
your chilli, for my sake.
He drew near to take her hand, but
she repulsed him with a wild gesture of
despair, and throwing up her arms fell
back in her seat with a gurgle in her
throat, her head on one side and her
Jaw fallen.
Dead--quite dead ?" was his first
exclamation, and his terror was blended
with certain selfish emotion of salts
faction and. relief at his escape. The
blood again flowed freely in his veins,
and was aroused by the cantonment OF
the ghurries changing they hour of 8.
Help-help !" cried he; but no
help came, and he hurried away, the
sudden din of musket shots. Of shrieks
and yells, announced that the great re-
volt had began at Meerut, and that the
expected massacre of the Europeans
had commenced. In that butchery those
he loved most on earth persisted, and
midnight saw him, wifeless and child
less, lurking in misery and alone IN
mango top on the road to kurnaui.
While listening to the narrative of
my friend Sidney, whom l mad always
known as Warren, rather than Milton,
the clock on the mantelpiece struck 9,
and be said IN a broken voice
lit was at this very hour, twelve
months ago, that my boy and his mother
we're murdered by the Sd cavalry, at