Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-05-08
himself too lofty. His downward
swoop they could lot stay.

y himself too lofty. His downward
: swoop they could lot stay.
y About year previous to this time
s Minice Walker met young Colonel a
}, a May festival. He was gay and pre-
t possessing, and she sought to win him
She brought her fearful loveliness to
: bear upon him in many ways, and al
last, by her fatal gift of attracting,
brought him to idolatry. This beau
r full Circe placed the doomed goblet to
his lips, and he drank freely. He was
singularly earnest and unyielding. He
was hard to win, but harder still to re-
linquish. Judging from her actions, it
was quite palpable that she loved him.
He understood not her perfdy, and
went blindly on, lowering moth-like
around the bright creature. She led
him steadily on to the threshold of
Elysium, and then with the cruelty of
an enraged panther closed the portals
leaving him to grope in impenetrable
darkness. Ahl she knew not the
worth of the soul she toyed with.
Could she have borrowed for an in-
slant the eye of Deity. and probed that
noble heart, the delicate creature
would have shuddered and sank ap-
palled at the grim ruin she had
wrought. She thought he would la
ment her for awhile, aud then recover
as countless other victims had done,
but alas she was mistaken. With-her
fair image engraven on his heart so
deeply that the friendly billows of
Lethe could never obliterate it, he left
her side, and sought surer remedy.
He returned to his hotel, and passed
silently into his room. Taking hisseat
at the desk, he penned his idol brief
farewell. He cautioned her to beware
in future, and to allow no other man
to share his darkened fate. He told
her that life would now be burden
without her, and he preferred to seek
another, although it possessed tortures,
than to endure this. He took knife,
and severed dark lock from his brow,
and bequeathed it, with his weapon of
death, to her who had stricken him in
life's fair morn. He then deliberately |
walked to drawer, and took out a
loaded pistol. Placingit at his temple,
he pulled the trigger, and fell lifeless
to the floor, fell noble ruin from we
mans wantonness. Let it be warn
ing. beware how you trife lest the re-
suit cause you regret instead of amuse-
ment.
When the note was handed to the
petted beauty, she fell senseless to the
floor, so stricken by remorse that it
threatened to madden her. She
mourned her folly, but alasl it was too
late. The crime of murder was on her
soul, and it stepped her in agony. She
thought if she could but recall the past,
she would give all of her glittering
wealth. 1T might have been" 1T
might have been" Those sad words
seemed strangely adapted to her feel
ings. She had never loved the man,
it was only his admiration shecourted.
Her heart had long since acknowledged
Horace Hays as its king, and she knew {
that his noble heart would spurn her
for this act. 1t was the first sorrow of
her life, and it came upon her with
overwhelming bitterness.
They had heard of the tragic affair
at Mr.. Clifford's, and were disposed to I
pity rather than rebuke. Now, that
she had committed the crime, they {
hoped it would produce a complete
of her character. :
Mrs. Lee had suggested some place, Q
where she thought the water would be 9
beneficial to her brothers health, and !
hey were busy in making preparations !
70 start Immediately. His sister and C
he girls were to accompany him. and ?
Carter was to remain behind with his !
Uncle Horace in charge of the house. \
Willis was glad of the change, glad to h
cave the throug and hustle of the city b
or the quietude of the dear, old coun- g
ry. Should the change prove Denef- .
ial, their stay would be indefinite, and d
Willis cared not if it heightened into a
months. Her faith in grim scepticism n
ave her precious little comfort, and !
he longed for any change that would Ii
lelp her on to truth. Ruth was now ID
thoroughly aroused to the sense of her L
ather's dangerous condition, and she "
carcely left his side for a moment.
,he day before their departure Ruth
nd Willis were both busily engaged !"
Q packing, and left Carter to watch be- u
ide hi father, who had fallen into a :,
uiet slumber, They could not have l
ssigned Carter to a more stupid Office, :,
DR. when his tongue was not at work, 7,
is eyes generally rested with it. Now W
e sat for three long hours, and dOzed di
omfortably, and when Willis entered h!
lst before dinner, he started up, and -
reclaimed, "Well I'll deslars, Willis, &c
meyer spent so lonely a morning in q,
ny life, The search for Gammer n i,i
Iurton's needle was not more trying
nan this silence | meditated the ;s
lture awhile, aud wondered if would W
yer be as poverty.strlcken as Van IN
erbilt, or live in the gilded opulence g
a church mouse, but these thoughts n
! last became insipid, and left me to pr
he tender tortures Of conscience" ge
You were severely punished them" sSp
Wills said briefly. al al