Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-06-26

image still mirrored itself on this swee
woman's heart, polluting the purity b
its desecrating stamp. She had neve
met him since the fatal night at th,
hotel, and she earnestly prayed tina
she would never again. He still ling
cred in the city, and was lionized b,
the elite, but there were two hearts il
that great throbbing metropolis who
understood his per6dy. Willis otter
met him in the fashionable haunts
but her whilom familiarity was chang
ed to naughty, silent reserve. Sh.
would not speak to man who had
acted so derogatory to himself and Sc
falsely to a trusting woman. She
scorned the dissembler who woulG
stoop to dissimulation and to sacrifice
of honor. Ludolph Lee had beer
home to make his adieus, and had re.
turned to the city to attend the party
and leave with Horace on the follow.
ing morn. A young lawyer, also an
ardent admirer of Willis, was to escort
her, but Ruth had rejected company
to attend with her uncle. The long
expected night at last arrived, and
with it a favorable auspice in the form
of a moonlight night. Ruth and her
uncle had departed, and still Mr.. Ly-
man had not called for Willis. She
sat In her room moody and abstracted.
There was depicted on her features an
undefnable shade of sadness which
she in vain strove to conceal. He was
to leave to-night-the hero of all her
fond fancies. Her star of destiny was
about to sink behind the dark waters
of the Atlantic. Picturesque Germany
would rob her of her life, her all. She
was truly miserable, and she lily con
cealed it. As she sat alone, still and
motiOnless, wrapt in moody reverie she
resembled the Cenci from Guido's
famous picture. The beautiful eyes
were dreamily fixed on vacancy, and
the flexible mouth was firmly COM
pressed. Her thoughts were very Bit
ter. Since the time of her mothers
death she had been wandering in a
waste; her proud heart had suffered
on, knowing no relaxation. She was
very brave at the beginning, but at last
the tortured heart was commencing to
waver. All! reader, where do we find
strength so herculean that suffering
conquer it. Men with boasted
power fall helpless victims. They
bend as surely under the stealthy,
scathing touch of pain as the towering
oak is lowered beneath the steady
hand of the woodman. Frail women
succumb at its touch, and all of human
nature withers under its blighting visi-
tatiOn. 1t was sent as conqueror on
the field of humanity, and royalty it
reaps its mission. Commanding man
hood and girlish witchery fall alike
under his dread signal. He is too often
the annihilator of a fondly cherished
hope. and the demolisher of an intri-
cate design Suffering is word that
reaat KS II. eumeess 90 4. oii.-,-., ~. n.,-
and mingling with it is the memory of
hearts now stilled in death,
hearts around whose tenderest strings
the grim skeleton fingers were clutch
ed and in phantom tones demanding
life, life; eyes sunken and glazed tell
the sad tale of suffering quivering
of the lips, the starting ola tear are
all accurate heralds of the dark guest.
1t visits the gleeful maiden, and upon
her white brow, exempt from the stain
of times pen, it writes in branded let
ters, despair. 1t is a bitter, mocking
air that mingles with chimes of the
tomb, and haunts the living with its
vague sense of omnipotency. AT the
sound of its tread, frail humanity
withers and droops, for they have
ah ! too truly, that it is the
forerunner of that dread desolator,
death. Willis had lived on, hoping,
waiting for brighter days, but in their
stead came hours freighted with deeper
gloom and keener anguish. This night
was perhaps the last she would ever
spend with him, her idol. They might
each be called upon to go down tothat
couch of dust he had spoken of. He
would slumber for a season, and arise
shod with Immortality, whilst her soul
was to revel in chaos for an eternity.
He was striving to be as one of the
holy men Of Gallilee. while she, an
impious priestess, denounced his teach
ings.
She was interrupted in her reverie
by a servant announcing the arrival of
her escort. She arose and donned her
wrap, then gathering up her fan and
boquet, she descended to the parlor.
She had for the first time tonight par
tally laid off her mourning. Her dress
was dark, rich silk, trimmed elabor-
ately according to the style. At her
throat and wrists were delicate rueh-
ings of lilac. A coronet of pearls
crowned the raven hair, and pearls
were clasped on the ivOry-like arms.
A diamond necklace "a legacy from her
mother) ran like river oflight around
the creamy column of her throat. Her
feet were incased in white kid boots,
making her toilet both elegant and
chaste. They were among the last ar
rivals, and the parlors were filled with
the elite of the city. The band struck
up and they moved on to the ball room
and took their stand upon the floor
Willis was'a beautiful dancer and she
glided through the German with mar.
vellous grace. She was not particular
ly fond Of it, and soon became wearied
but as an amusement she sanctioned
it. She seldom became exhilarated OF
the floor. 1t took more than triflins
waltz to unsheath her iciness. Sht
danced gu until supper and it happen
ed in one set Gerald Ripley was throw
her vis-a-vis. As he offered his hant
in the dance she coolly rejected it anC