The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-08

hand as though she would fain pierce
with her wrongs the biue skies, ant
reach the great White Throne.
"God of justice!" she said slowly
"God of light! appeal to you against
him. l am innocent. for j believed tha
/ was his wile!"
Did that wild prayer, that wild cry fol
Ijustice, pierce the clouds and reach the
mercilul Father to whom no wrong cries
in vain?
Sne had been silent, stunned, bewil
dered, until now. The rose leaves came
hOating past her. the sun Shone brightly
over her, and q burning sense of out.
ragged pride, OF wounded love and wound.
ed honor, began to burn her very heart
away.
II gave him my love, and he has made
an outcast OF me. L gave him my life,
and he has made me ashamed OF it. !
loved him, ard he has left me-"
| The silence and stupor of despair had
died away; the very frenzy ana rage OF
sorrow was upon her. Her eyes famed
with anger. her face flushed hotly. She
| took up ,he bank note that lay on the ta-
BILE, and laughed--a sound terrible to
hear.
This was to be the price of my love,
my honor, my fair name, my sOulw
! She tore it into shreds.
II will starve--I will die, but | will
take nothing from himw she said.
She went up 10 her room and brought
down all the jewels, the ornaments, he
had given her; she tore the golden chain
from her neck; one by one she threw
them under her feet, and trampled them
into thousand fragments.
al ulu pot anlI Ot cnnl far tboco oh n
cried, as she spurned the fragments. 81
will have nothing that has ever belonged
to him!'
Then the wild fury died away, and she
stood lost, bewildered.
81 can not live!n- she said to herself,
hoarsely-"l can not live! l was not
proud; but | hold my fair name and my
honor dearer tnan my life. l have lost
both and / can not live.n
Once again she went into the room, and
put on bonnet and shawl; on the stairs
she met the nurse and the baby. A low,
bitter cry-one that must have pierced
the high heavens-came from her lips.
She did not look at her child; she turned
her face away as he was carried by.
"Are you going out, madamew in
quired the nurse.
YES" replied the hoarse voice. "Do
II =
out"
She must die; the intolerable shame
was not to be borne. Besides, in her
fair, innocent life she had had but one
love, and now that he was gone from her
forever how was she to live! She could
not look IN the baby's lace she was never
TO see again, and she could not kiss the
pure little lips-she was going out to die!
She stood In the sunlit garden, looking
around her with haggard eyes--eyes that
burned, but from which no tears flowed.
This time, last evening, he had walked
with her up and down the broad paths,
his arm clasped round her, laughing as
she told him pretty marvels OF the baby,
laughing at her inquiries, her earnest,
tender words. just there, close to that
to KISS her, and said he was jealous be-
cause she loved the baby most.
Yes, at that very moment, he knew
that lie had deceived her; that she was
not his wife; thai in lwenly-four hours
he would have left her forever.
a cry for vengeance, for justice--the
cry OF broken heart--came from the
white lips. Oh, Tor death! tor death! She
could not bear the shame OF life. Sne
could not bear the horrible pain that tor
tured her.
HHOW am TO utc!E Sne Sa1Q.
S There lay the lake, shining clear and
bright in the sun, bearing white water
lilies on its calm breast; brig ght-winoed
birds SKINNED over it; gentle wavelets
washed the green banks. Should she seek
her rest there?
s'No, could not die," she,thought; 81
have been with him so often over that
clear water. j should see his face in the
depths. and 1 could not die. / must have
quick death in which | shall not be tor
tured by any memory of him."
, Then she started, for she heard sound
OF laughter-wild, unearthly laughter-it
was herself
s.Am | going mad ~ she thought. "Let
me die! let me die! not live madw
"She was laughing, for the idea had
Just occurred to her that twas jest
poor one, a sorry one, but still a Jest
he had written that letter TO try her, only
to try her, and he would come presently
from among the trees, laughing too, hold |
ing out his arms to her, and then-and
then she should press to him with a long,
low, shuddering sigh, and he would kiss
her tears away.
ut could not be true" she said to her.
self, now she stood out in the sunlight;
''no man dare so wantonly and Wickedly
ruin an innocent girl; no man dare so
outrage the laws of God and Of man."
She would 60 to Brae and know if itwere
indeed true.
She reached Brae; no one who had
known her q few hours agO:-fresh, fair,
and radiant-could have recognized her
n6w-haggard, with a CHASTITY face and
despairing eyes. Some recollection must
have come to her, Tor as she left the
woods and saw the little town of Brae
lying before her, she pulled the vail over
her face, and tried to look more rational,
more like herself. The bells were cnim- |
ing from the old church toWer-chiming
some sweet old melody to which she had
often listeped with Airic by her side. I
Where was she to go, now that she stood
IN the town from whence had come that
cruel letter?
CHAPTER III.
I,tIt tni IN, ba In