The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-07-30

and see what he wanted. I threw a
dark cloak over my shoulders, and went
out. He heard the door open, and
gllded into the shadow again.
What do you want P'' asked, Jelly.
g Why are you here? I told you never
to approach me again."
Yes, but you were angry then. You |
have had time to think more kindly of |
me since, and 1 came to tell you that |
Cora is dead. She died last night, and |
with her dying lips she forgave me |
whatever wrong I have done her. |
was with her and caught her last breath. |
If she could forgive me, surely you
ought. I know that did her a great
wrong, but repent of it, and she has
forgiven me, will you do the same, and
come to me ?"
He took step toward me, but re-
treated. "I have nothing to forgive"
1 answered, coldly. eff she whom
you so wrOnged has forgiven you, we'll
and good. I owe you 80 i'll will, but I
do not love or respect you now, and
never can"
"Rose !" he cried, "you are cruel !!
Oh, come to me, and fly before it is too
late"
Hush I" I said, sternly. "An that
wild folly is past, and forever. I shall
be the wife of RolIin Weatherbee next
week at this time, and far from here.
The wife of the only man I ever loved.
That mad fancy I conceived from you
died as suddenly as it sprang to life,
and never can live again. Go away
now and leave me. Good night and
good-by."
I sped back into the house, and
locked the door behind me, leaving
him alone in the darkness. / found
mamma had fallen to sleep in her chair
by the stove, and was relieved that I
would thus be spared answering her
questions.
The wind blew colder and harsher
across the moorlands. A dreary rain
began TO fall, and the night settled
down, desolate and lonely. Merideth
House was oppressively quiet, and my
heart was full OF sad forebodings. What
if the dreadful autumnal storms should
come on Just after Roll n embarked for
Avondale What if the ship went
down in the waters of the lake, and he
never came to me? Would it not be a
just punishment for my wild folly?
Had I not been untrue to him in
| thought, and almost broken my VOWS,
| and fed with another, and that other
abase-hearted, unprincipled villain?
Had / not let his kisses fall on my
| lips, and listened to his words of love ?
| Obi I was Acknowledgement; and 1
hid my face in my hands praying God
| to forgive me, and send ROlliA to me in
safety.
The days that followed were damp
aud chill, with mist and wet east winds.
| But the dreaded storm did not come on.
| Each night went to rest with heart
full of anxious fear each morning 1
arose thankful to find only wet winds
/ and sombre Clouds Thursday morning
came, gray, cold, chill, like the ones
| that had preceded it. Thursday night
the ship Cora Bell was expected, and by
| that ship ROllin Weatherbee would
come to me.
I was restless and uneasy all the long
| day. No glimmer of sunshine lighted
| the dull, gray skies. A damp mist fell,
| and the cold east wind blew over the
| moor. By night was almost hysteri-
cal, and my heart was like lead in my
| breast. GA wan faced bride yell be, if
ye dinna brighten up a bit. HARDWOOD
| said to me, and did not wonder as l
caught sight of my dead white face in
the mirror.
| The evening came on dark and desc
late. No moon, no stars, only gray
| sky, varied here and there with dense
| black Luds. I could not stay in the
| house. 1t seemed like a prison to me,
and, Selling cloak, threw the hood
over my head, the cape over my
| shoulders, and walked down the avenue,
and leaning on the stone pillars of the
CRATE, looked out toward the lake.
Suddenly something caught my eye it
was bright light, high up in the air.
| ga light house, of course" l said
! oil nuf loTyh / IN
it before? That is not the light house
that directs ships to Avondale landing,
for the landing is exactly opposite
Merideth House. have seen the light
night after night from my chamber
window" I turned my eyes in the
direction of the landing. It was dark
as pitch. But off 30 the left, full half g
mile, shone that brilliant light. Sud
denly a Il ought struck me. ''My God
it is the lighthouse on the rocks !" ]
cried, and my heart seemed to stand
still. l remembered that 1 had beer
out there once in my boat. An old
fisherman sitting on the rocks, and
dropping his line in the water, had
answered my queries concerning the
light house. cit is where the red light
is hoisted of a very stormy night" he
said mot often used, miss, for the
| DSeAOOA GU GAHOiNeAlC 3 t2ANANo SAAC OIL ~
safely to the landing. But this /.
lighted sometimes to show where the
danger lies, if the night is DER danger
oUs.'
His words all came back to me nov
with a dreadful distinctness. The ligh
seemed to burn into my very eYe-balls
the light that shown clear and bright
not the red signal of danger-high NJ
Oh the cruel rocks. Quick as lightning
it all flashed through my mind. Some
one had lighted the lamp to wreck the
Cora Bell upon the rocks. Who could
that some one be but Breeze Rogers
, He knew R0lin Weatherbee was com
! ing to me on that ship, and he was
/ fiend enough to wreck a hundred lives
for the sake of killing one man. What
! could be done-hOw could the danger
+ be avertad? Without even a glance
back at the honse, opened the gate
aud sped toward the lake, I knew every
inch of the ground.
On 1 went till reached the hut of
/ fisherman. I gave a loud knock at the
door, then burst it open without waiting
, to be hidden. s stal wart man and his
son sat over the CRATE. Both started &c
their feet at the sight of my deathly
: face and staring eyes. "Why, Miss
Rose-but- -' 1 stopped them.
"For Gods sake" 1 cried, "comt
with me The beacon at Avondalt