Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-05-22

4
y She knows nothing of this. I borrow
. ed fate's convenient mantle aud over
8 heard it." ~,
, He tried to interrupt her, when she
! said. Hush. hear me through. Ifyou
Q were to stand there. and utter apollo
ei,s for a century itwould do no good.
) | would not eondescend to hear them.
| come now to offer you your past
; claims, and my abdication. But for
! this," and she drew sparkling anne
} thyst from her finger, II would never
J have sought an interview. You are
infinitely beneath my honest contempt.
Take back your ring. Itshall not con-
taminate me longer"
She flung the glittering jewel at his
feet, and turned to leave, when he
quickly reached the door, and pre-
vented her exit. Il say, Ruth, you
must listen to me- You shall not
leave me thus in anger. You know
love you more than any one on earth.
| Pity me, Ruth. Oh for the sake of
God you worship. have compassion
upon me-" He went down on his
knees before her, and bowed his head
deprecatingly. She stood gazing on
him with a look of withering contempt.
Twas picture ef Omphale looking
upon her slave and lover, Hercules.
with contemptuous smile lowering
on her lip for the man who would ex-
change his armor of power for spindle.
and distaff, and weakened by love for
her, like crouching spaniel submit to
chastisement with her slipper Pity
you'll compassionate you'll" she said with
hiss of scorn. You shifting pro-
filgate, you crafty, abandoned wretch,
there is no good about you. You are
fallen. obscene, impious nan that
should be banished from earth, and |
doomed to drink the waters ofthe styx
ten thousand years for the desolation,
ruin and misery you wrough. whilst
mingling with mortals Do not touch |
the hem of my dress. 1 am unused to
serpents." She shuddered and with |
drew to the other end of the room. He /
arose, but still kept his position at the
door.
Ruth. you have portrayed me a
demon. There is nothing offensive to
chastity and delicacy that you have
not alleged against me, but with it all,
my darling. still love you. 1t was
only an insignificant Irritation. Re-
member the past. Do not Danish me
forever" he pleaded wildly.
Would that I could forget the past.
| would willingly consign it to ilethe
at this moment. [ do not imagine /
shall derive any pleasure from the re-
membrance Of my association with
such vile dissimulator as yourself.
Mr.. Ripley, l am a prisoner, l suppose,
until you choose to let me out -
The position he occupied rushed over
him instantly, and he walked from the
door saying, II can only offer you my
contrition, Ruth 1 can do no more.
She swept proudly from, the room
without replying. ,5v
When Gerald Ripley reached his
room he found a package Miss Clifford
had sent. They were gifts that he had
made her in the sweet days that were |
gone. An elegantly bound copy of |
Longfellow s poems. a jeweled necklace
dainty escritoire and other trifes. He |
threw them carelessly into his trunk
which was standing packed for his early |
departure on the coming morn.
Time flies on, and it is the day before
the departure of the Cliffords for the |
city. Mrs. Lee is to leave them at the |
station for her own home. She consid- |
cred her brothers health permanently |
restored. and she could return home |
with her mind at ease. Ludolph had |
accompanied Horace back to the city,
but was ere long to return home and
start upon his voyage upon the deep |
blue sea. Ruth was the life of her CO.
terie, but ah there's a sigh in the |
heart, though the lip may be gay" She
was miserable, and she strove to cloak
the truth with frivolous amusement.
She went on one round of dissipation,
barely allowing herself time to sleep.
To stop aud think would kill her, and
she rushed on breathlessly, pursued
by the phantom of murdered hope,
| fearing to look back lest she find the
grim spectre at the portals of her heart,
going through life smiling imposture,
treating the world to her winsome rep
artees, whilst her heart was tangled
wilderness Of withered expectations
singing songs Of the beautiful. " while
the music of her soul was a dolorOus
requiem. She was woman of suffer
ing, this pet of society. Their admi
ration and homage fell upon her heart
as hailstones upon cut glass. What
cared she for the yeneration of the
world, when the sweetest, most prec-
ious hope of womanhOod had been
wasted on wretch undone I? All of
their alteration could never restore her
bhghted faith and shattered confidence.
Willis was the only being on earth who
knew of her trouble with Gerald, and
her lips were sealed as the dead. Ruth
trusted her implicitly. Gerald Ripley
had shaken her trust in human nature.
but Willis was the same shining excep
ton as of yore, woman who would
have faced death hrayely before a be-
trayal of confidence. All what an
admirable quality and how seldom we
find such. The predominating love of
gossip in woman has been her seducer
from the time of creation. Many
noble and generous heart. from griev-
Gus word spoken heedlessly, has been
condemned, ah too bitterly. Any tale
Of gossip would sooner have passed
the lips of sculptured image than
Il