The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-29

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? daily. Constance tremb'ed in ever
, limb she felt deep paleness over
spread her face. and the room in whicl
, she sat swan round her, but on recov
eriug her self possession she said
"Child, let me look at this ring"
The wondering boy placed in hel
hand the trinket. which she had no
the slightest doubt of having seen year
before IN London.
"Who gave You this, my child ?
she asked.
My papa"
Your papa what is your name P
"Sidney."
What else % she asked, inpetu
ouslv.
Sidney Warren Milton"
| "ltank God Bat how came you
to be named so? There is some mys
terry in this-a myetery that must soor
be solved now. Where were you born,
dear little Sydney 2"
"In Calcutta"
What ID your age, child ?"
"Next year 1 shall be seven years
old
Seven-how strange it is that you
have the name you bear? ?"
| cit is my papa's," said the boy with
a little proud irritability of manner.
Where did your papa live before
he came to Calcutta ?"
81 don't known many places
soldiers always do"
He is soldier ?'
| My papa is Major Milton, and lives
in the environments of Meerut."
GA 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 ieverish, SO
that for days she was confined to her
bed, watching the red fire-fies flashing
about the green jalousies 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 day-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
Abr's stately tomb, when inst as the
sunset gun pealed over the can
| tonments, the ayah brought her a
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 lyah.
y" Here acknowledgement"
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 in 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 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 convulsive
start, aud 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 COnstancs-Constanc he fall
tered, SCI know not what to say p
"It may be well so, Sidney" (and at
the utterance of his name her lips ouiv-
ered) $50 you are Major Milton, aud
the supposed husband of Miss Dash
wood?"
There was 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-aud-but
of course you have long since ceased to
love me, Constance ?"
"You actually dare to take an up
braiding tone to meT she exclaimed,
her black eyes flashing fire. Then
looking upward. appealingly, she said,
ooh, my God my God and this is the
man for whom, during these bitter
years, I have been eating NY own
hearth
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 q 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?"
az did" He drew nearer, but she
recoiled from him.
"Then whence his 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
perfect whole ?"
Most accursed sophistry But if
You have no pity, have you not fear 2"
GO have great fear" said he in
broken voice ''thus, Constance, by
the love you once bore me, 1 beseech
you to have pity, not on me, but on my
little boy ana ms poor mother-preserve
their happiness"
a hollow voice.
'Spare and not expose me-my com
missionary position here"
g Neither shall be lost through me-"
she replied, in voice that grew more
and more weak "but leave me-leave
me-the air Is suffocatin2-the 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 sea- with a gurele in her
throat, her head Oh one side and her
jaw fallen.
" Dead--quite dead ?" was his first
exclamation, ana his terror was blended
with a 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 ..
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 butcnery those
he loved most on earth persisted, and
midnight saw him, wfeless and child
less, lurking IN misery and alone in a
mango top on the road to kufnaui.