Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-04-08


you, but she seemed innocent anc
ignorant.
'Mr. Gray, | did not intend to caus,
trouble. You certainly have not men
toned what passed between US t.
Lutte. It was, no doubt, an innocent
Irritation on her part. Mr.. Leigh i;
handsome, talented and rich, and
assure you any of us, fishing in the
matrimonial sea, would have caught
him if possible only for the amusement
of the evening; but Lutie's gold"-
mo, Miss Rose, I do not think her
capable of anything SO contemplate
as coquetry."
Indeed, Mr.. Gray. you are severe
to be sure. However, | was only jest
ing. One would think you not in
capable Of being jealous. You will
allow me, in vindication of her, to say
that if rumor be true she has pur-
chased his preference at the cost of
her own heart. She formed his ac-
quaintance last winter while in New
York, but a personal difference be-
tween him and her father caused her
to discard him. Yet it seems that the
correspondence was not entirely broken
off"
This is incredible, Miss Rosie. He
would hardly have sacrificed his
pride"
"Then is it not remarkable that
Lutte refused to accompany her parents
this season to the Fall; that one SO
gay would prefer being shut up ut
home with crusty old maid aunt and
servants to the gayeties of fashion,
able retreat that they were scarcely
gone when he arrived ?"
You insinuate them
mo; mean no insinuation. Lutte
is my friend, and [ would not do her
an injustice. No, for in this she has
shown but the constancy of true wo-
man, for which she need not blush. !"
One disinterested would have readily
detected the motive. underlying her
last words that made the color rush
hotly over the proud face of Walter
Gray, who, for fear Of betraying his
anger, raised then to madness, lifted
his hat and bade her good morning" "
Wildly he swept down the street with
increasing rage, until, for once, his
better nature yielded to the thought of
artificial rest and happiness. A mo-
ment more and he stood in the bril-
liant hall of dissipation, quaffing the
poisonous drug of insanity. Where,
Lutte, in your sorrow, did you go for
a consoling draught ? Not into tempta-
ton, but to Gods fountain of love and
mercy. Such is man such is woman.
In this unhappy state, Walter was
lily prepared to meet his rival, as his
pride would have otherwise prompted,
who just then came from the hall in
which he had been engaged in game
of billiards.
Mr.. Leigh" spoke Walter with
sarcastic glitter in his eyes, Il am sur
prised that you, a gentleman of your
caste, heir presumptive to million
aire uncle the accepted suitor of the
sole heiress Of
Mr.. Gray, you will do me the honor
to remember that it is to such gen.
tleman you address your language, and
| will advise you to be more discreet
in your selection unless you intend an
if you do drawing a pistol
from his side pocket, be gentleman
and meet me as such"
Enough, sir the challenge offered,
1 accept"
In less time than these words were
Leon Leigh lay senseless at
the feet of the enraged man, who with
folded arms looked calmly and tri-
on what remained of his
hated rival. He thought not of his
own fate, and not until he was closed
in by the grating Of prison cell could
he realize all that had passed. Oh |!
the agony of this moment of thought,
language has not wealth adequate to
describe. The thought of Lutte rushed
through his fevered mind, but only to
add thousand pangs to what he had
already suffered He had lost his idol
and sacrificed his pride, and above all
was felon. Again and again he asked
himself if it was possible, if it was not
a dream? Alas! the dark walls of his
sad abode spoke reality. Indeed, it
was shock to all who knew him, for
in spite of the weakness he had shown
in the last few days, he was gentle
man in every sense of the word, fine,
noble, manly character, handsome and
talented, brave and impulsive
Templeton Hall, which had been the
seat of his family for many generations,
was his by inheritance but his income
was not such as anxious parents sought
for marriageable daughters, key to
thesecret of Lutte Sea s disinheritance
in case she married him /; yet she loved
him fondly-loved him with truth
and fidelity as rare as they are beau
tiful, but this the sweetest dream of
life was no longer hers a vague feel
ing of mistrust had taken the place of
confidence, yetshe hoped that he would,
in justice to herself, come and explain
his strange conduct. In vain she
waited. The morrow dawned, another
day was passing and he came not. Her
face grew pale, and her eyes wore
startled anxious expression. She had
resolved to crush her love, to scorn
the thought of one who had won her
heart but to crush it so cruelty, but it
was not the work of an hour or a day.
If she raised a book to read, uncop-
sciously she would drop 1t as unin-
teresting; If she went to the piano,
her voice failed her, her fingers forgot
their skill. To-day she had stolen
into the deep bay window as if to hide
n 4 u