New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-10

my name is Keith" she wonderiDgly re-
piled.
Can it be that you are the Indiana Keith
whom ] knew ar Agra some ten years ago.
You have her voice and her features, but
you are somewhat changed, though not SO
much az am"
Eyes, am Indiana Keith, and was living
at Agra ten years ago; but Who are you? /
seem now to remember your face, but not
your name"
Have you quite forgotten Fleetwood
Spurgeon, who was one Of the many you
made fools Oft"
He spoke with an accent of bitterness,
and Indiana felt it, and colored as she an
swered: ~ remember yon now; but you
this placer
became Of me, and soon got into trouble,
and had to leave the place: and then l went
to Calcutta. and SO on to Australia, where.
after some time, got some gold. But
econ lost the greater part by gambling; and
SO, tired of knocking about the world, l
came back to the old country, and warm
reception she has given me. The very day
landed, met with this accident and m
less the pain in my siIe gets better, don.
suppose ! shall ever 60 out from here"
His reckless tone distressed Indiana, and
she began to urge on him the necessity Of
seeing q clergyman and preparing for his
enc: but he interrupted her by saying: "A
parson would DO me little good; but there
is one thing which l must confess before l
die, and to you only, for it principally con-
Germs yourself. You remember Willoughbv
of the One Hundred and Thirty first :" In
disna's blush answered, for she remained
silent. and SpurgeOn proceeded: You
probably thought that the cauee OF your
quarrel was only known to ycurselves-I
mean his previous marriage to Meenah
Baee-but knew it ALL for it was plot OF
my own devising. l was mad with jeal
Ousy at Wil!0ughbys success, and was
meditating in what way l could injure
him, when my evil genius threw in my way
Meenah Baee, who had come to Agra in
search of her husband, who was a captain
in the One Hundred and Thirty-fi first Native
Infantry, but as l we'll knew, Lad been
missing for year or more, ever since some
skirmish or other. His name, Henry Mil
lingeby, SO capable of Transformation into
Willoughbv; the fact Of the number Of their
regiments being the same, and q certain
similarity between their persons-they
were both tall and fair-snd q delusion
that the poor woman had got into her head,
that Willoughby, whom che saw one day
on parade, was really her husband, sug.
geeted to me the practicsbility Of destroy |
ing his prospects,; and under pretence of |
assisting her search, l procured from her |
her marriage contract. which ] destroyed,
and substituted in its stead q forged deed,
initiating Willoughby's signature and those |
Of the witnesses, who ! ascertained were
safe out OF the way. Meenah Baee, who i
could not read English, and only knew her |
husbands Christian name. never discov- |
cred the forgery; and after making her |
promise that che would not betray me to 4
Willoughby, who would, told her, never |
forgive me for destroying his prospects of q |
rich marriage, cent her to you, and my |
plot succeeded beyond my hOpes. Your |
indignation, and the regiments sudden re-
though was deeply wounded at being /
second time rejec ted. it was some comfort |
to know that my hated rival had no better |
chance than myself"
Scan this be true9" gasped Indiana. who
had listened in speeches astonishment.
''Surely you could not have been so cruel! |
Poor Henry" she murmured in low tone
to herself, IF I had only known the truth! |
Mr.. Sturgeon, it 10 hard matter, but still |
forgive you the wrong you have done me-
perhaps you hardly knew how great it was.
1t is late to do 80 now. should |
wish to be able to clear Captain Willough-
by's name of the stain that has rested upon
it, and write down the deposition that you
have just made"
Sturgeon, who to do him justice, had
never known the extent of her affection for
agreed, and affixed his sigma
ture to the paper, and then with trembling
limbs. and an agitatcd look that surprised
the nurses, she left the hospital, and hur-
lied home to rejoice her sister with the in
diligence that her confidence in Viii |
oughby's honor had not been misplaced.
As she entered the drawingrcom where
The knew she should find Miss Keith. she
with breathless eagernese "Oh.
Anne, Henry is innocent it was all
but stopped short on seeing
wo strangers engaged in conversation with
Ter sister and Meenah Baee. Her bewilder-
nent did not at first allow her to distin-
rembliDg as she marked the tall figure of
he one who came forward to meet her No. |
he could not be mistaken; and in another
moment her hands were clasped in Henry |
and her tremnlors Henry,
An you forgive me9' answered by their
warm pressure. Excess of happiness was
lmost too much for Indiana after long
rial; but by degrees she recovered sufii,
iently to be able to learn how this happy
1eeting was brought about. And first.
'olonel Willoughby-for he now held that
to present to her his friend,
fajor Millingsby, who had unwittingly
cen the cause of their long enhancement.
"After you left Agra" continued the
olOnel, ~ went through all the Sikh cam 9
align, and then my regiment was ordered !!
, Gibraltar. After that-rather unfairly, !
) we thought, though had it not been for
lis piece of injustice, as we considered it, | q
might never have seen You again-we
ere ordered back to India. This time | =
w no service beyond the trifing business
reducing q refractory Mahratta chief.
hose fort We took; and there we found | I
Dor Millingsby, who had been prisoner for l.
N years and more, and was believed to be '
BAD by his own people, and so had never 9
zen sought for, and had given up all Il
opes of getting free again."
YES" said Major Millingsby, eff YOU 4
lily knew what that feeling of utter hope t.
ssness was, could hardly realize that l
as free, when the fort was taken. But 20 Ii
/ with your story, Willoughby." r
"Well, Millingsby, when he had recov- G
ed his senses little, began talking of his q
ife; and when heard her name and birth II
9 truth suddenly flashed upon me; and 8
ough it was impo0ible to account for the 3
at the mistake had arisen from the SINH o
rity of sound, and that you, Indiana had
On equally deceived with me. Of course | y
hurried home at once; and / will own q
at my first impulse was to meet you with | u
proaches; but your exclamation as YOU q
tered the room disarmed me-" ls
ALI was now Joy and happiness at No. 25; y,
Meenah Bsee, or, as We ought to call q,
r, Mrs. Millingsby, was in a state of H. H.
stacy at her husbands return, though te
st penitent for the delusi0n which had ~
ased Colonel Willoughby and Indiana so g,
lch misery. =
Spurgeon's confession, though not neces. :,
y, as it turned out, was satisfactory, as =,
airing up the mystery of the story; and i;
: of his life, was nursed with tender soil. .,
ude by her whose happiness he had so ~ ~
ar!y shipwrecked; but who was now, E.
INKS to the guiding of a merciful Provi. n,