Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-04-19


"Were ycu not mine before he saw
yous Do you think that / forget the
bewitching maiden who won my heart
at Hamburg?"
She uttered an exclamation of aston
ishment at his insolence.
"Can you recall those chance en-
counters, and not blush for them? Ii
is true, sir, that l saw you in that city
on one or two occasions, but it is also
true that you molested me i'm nv walks,
and so frightened me that have never
been able TO think of you without loath-
ing"
"And yet, pretty mistress, you would
have been mine if l had come soon
enoughr'
at is false" cried Agnes, indig-
nantly.
"False! when 1 have it under your
own handwriting and he produced a
letter.
''Did not write to you pleading nv
passion, and receive this reply? False,
say you? When / arrived at Hamburg,
too late to prevent your marriage with
the covetous hunk you call your hus-
band, l showed him this note, and he
acknowledged that the signature was
yours"
81 see it all now," exclaimed the
young wife, when she had hastily pc
rused the paper. "The signature is
mine, but the writing is nv fathers: !:
and never until this moment have 1 be-
held it. Doubtless Annot gave your
missive to him, as she considered it her
duty to do; and he, dying then, and
! dreading to leave his children quite
fri
you win me if you could. My poor
father must have thought you an hon.
orable man, else had he not called me
to his side to bid me sign paper which
gave you right to ask me to be yours.
all such pretensiOns as yours were as
naught. My father knew him TO be
good and true, and gave me to him
gladly-thankfully."
"Has your married life with this man
been a very happy one," sneered Cay
ley. ''that you talk in this exalted
strain?"
"No; because you-oh. beartless man
with a sob. ''In showing him that
paper, you taught him to think | was
not worthy his affection. Oh, why did
exonerate myself in his sight?"
SIS all your pity for him? Have /
not been tricked-deceived? demanded
Cayley, in fury, as he tore the letter
that had misled him into fragments,
and stamped on them.
NO." Agnes retorted; ''for it was
your vanity that was in fault. Only
such overwhelming self-conceit as yours
could have led you to think that your
addresses would be acceptable TO one
whom your bold, coarse looks and
speeches terrified so greatly that she
dreaded to encounter youn'
-''Do you dread me still, fair Agnes?"
he asked, trying to take her hand.
''No, sir, L despise you! None but
the most unworthy of men would have
prosecuted me as you have done ever
since have been a wifcn'
'sYou take peeyish tone. my beauty;
but l shall soon teach you to alter it,"
he told her, insolently. 'The amiable
husband is absent, and so is the dragon
who generally guards you when he is
away, and / shall have plenty of time
TO bring you to your senses before any
one can interfere to prevent my tri-
umphr
But Agnes, in retreating from him,
had drawn near the table, on which lay
the pistols Mr.. Macfarlane generally
carried with him when ON a journey;
and as the villain Cayley would have
clasped her in his arms, she snatched
them up, and presented them.
s'Keep back, sir, or dread the conse-
quences; for, as surely as / stand here,
i will shoot you if you take another
step towards mel"
lie grew very pale, although he
laughed at the threat.
"Pooh, sweeting put down your
dangerous toys. Believe me, they are
nothing more in such Impractical hands
as yours!''
"You forget that / am a soldiers
daughter ~ she answered, cooking the
pistol she held in her right hand; "the
daughter of a brave man, who taught
me to think my honor more precious
than my life"
ssBut, remember, oh, valorous fafr.''
he mockingly went on, 'that your
weapon might miss, and leave me un-
hurt. What them"
"why, then, she bravely responded,
81 have another, which, pointed at my
own breast, will save me from your
foul touch ~
"You could not do this, foolish one"'
exclaimed Cayley, uneasily.
81 could, and willl'' said the un-
daunted wife. 81 will never give Allan
cause for the cruel doubts
he entertains, Living or dying, l am
his-foEdly, faithfully his and, if he
refuses TO own it now, he shall know it
when am no more!'
Her speech ended with shrek; for
Cayley, thinking he saw an opportunity
of springing upon and disarmlng her,
bounded forward, and clutched her In
his arms. But not before she had kept
her word. and fired. The next minute,
Cayley lay senseless at her feet.
She had saved her honor; she had re-
yenged herself: but she was a woman
as well as a heroine, and the pain OF
knowing that she had shed the blood OF
a fellow creature well nigh maddened
her.
There were voices in her ears, calling
her murderess; and, snatching up
cloak that Law by, she threw up the
cash. leaned from the window, which
was. fortunately for her, at no great
height from the garden; and muffiing
herself in the wrapper as she went, hed
into the darkness.
Far and wide they sought the fair
wife of Allan Macfarlane; but none
could, or would, tell what had become
of her.
Sometimes it was supposed she had
thrown herself into pond or river;
but no signs of her having done TINS
were discovered.
Worn with grief and fatigue were the
lineaments of the husband, thus sud
denly and strangely bereaved as, late
one evening. he rode into the courtyard
of Swinton House, and craved the hos
pitality of its owner for one night, more
on account of his horse. which was dead
beat, than his own excessive fatigue.
Sir John received him with ms, Gus
tomary cordially; but Lady Swinton's
u,aIcome was constrained. She had