The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-10-03


ences; became more and more silent and grave
in his demeanor; was proud of me, and of our
boy, the only child vouchsafedto us, but never
tender. This, however, I ascribed to his out
side life, and never once thought of escribing
to want of love. But a crisis came, whom all
the secrets of the past entered into my posses
sion, and I could then find no stay for my
grief-I, who had leaned on the world for my
staff of life!
ut was terrible revelation, and yet it
came about very simply. Holding poor Ethel's
locket in my hand, one day, as was arranging
aJeWel case where kept it, I happened to
drop 1t on the aoor. 1t was broken in several
pieces, and folded paper lay revealed in q
secret compartment thus exposed. picked it
up reverently, and with that kind of aching
longing for some revelation from the beloved
dead, which comes over us, if we see writing of
theirs, even though We must know it vas
written before death, opened it to read. OF
course, expected merely to see some loving
inscription for the locket. Instead, read, in
writing knew but too we'll and signed with
my husbands name-evidently the ending
Of letter, and torn off it, to be preserved
by the heart that priced it SO
For the rest, my dearest, you have my
hearts best love; the devotion of life time
all yours alone, shall be offered gladly to prove
"And underneath his signiture, in her
trembling hand, was traced:
Stay with me always, . sweet words, now
silent. Lie speaking on my heart, when it is
dea9, Tor, even In death, you shall not be part
ed from me.'
81 will not pretend to tell of my outraged
feelings when read this, for it would be i'm
possible l will only tell you what 1 did.
First, went to my husband, my heart full of
rage and bitterness. upbr aided and denounc-
ed him, pouring out all the ranoor of my
wounded pride, and all the terrible passion
of my disappointed love, upon his startled
ears. He did not finch he bore it all with o
silence that maddened me, and when I had
exhausted 1t, he said: Il deserve all you have
said, Lady B.
"'Do not call me by that hatred title! 1
interrupted; it is no longer mine
"'That is the mistake of passion he replied
HIS calm unchanged. Il had hoped all precau-
tious had been taken to prevent this revelation
being made to you. AS fate has thwarted
them, the best thing can do is to explain.
You are born of q noble family yourself and
you have been brought up in one you, there
fore, will understand the necessity for such
heard my motives for what did, will see that
your position requires you to give up personal
feelings, as regards the pastp
"'Never" 1 cried; the thing with which
you dssecrate the name of sacrifice, will only
be despsed by met
"'Wait awhile till I have explained, he said,
still unmoved. When 1 very young
man, had the misfortune, let us call it. to
fall into the ways that very young men of
fashion do. 1 consequently became involved
in debt to degree that would have wallowed
up Ethels portion and mine too. Lady b
did not know this when she proposed our
marriage and afterw becoming aware of
it, peremptorily forbade my continuing my at
tentons to her; 1 urged the fact that had
| reason to believe she loved me, and met the
reply that, even in that case, she as too prop.
erly trained not to know her duty. A college
friend of mine, about this time, revealed to me
the fact, that, by the will of your relative, you
would become heiress to considerable
| amount, only, however, to be paid over to you
| after your marriage to one of your own free
| choice
"'What dishonorp cried; how did he be.
| come possessed of such informatonT
''In the practice of his profession, the law,
Lady b, and he told it to me, because he
was actuated by q desire to recover some heavy
debts 1 owed him. The last clause of the will
was to prevent adventures from seeking your
hand for money!
Infamous! 1 actually writhed now under
his cool demeauor.
"'Picture to yourself the situation-the heir
to title requiring money to support it's posi-
ton, and plunged into debt beyond it's means
| of rescue; rejected by Lady b, and re-
duced to the alternative of sacr 6cing q career of
fame and the opportunity of redeemng the
past, or, on the other hand, marrying the wo-
man l loved, against the express command OF
her mother. and thereby booming her to a life
of titled poverty. A man in my position is
bound to sacrifice his heart, SINCE not alone
are his own interests involved in the alliance
he may choose, but the inter ests of his coun-
try and his posterity.'
"'And,' put in passionately, to sacrifice,
too, the hearts ofsuch women rs my noble and