The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-18
STEEESIDE
a Ghost story,
1CoNCLUDED.1

hand, Virginie turned and perceived the
action. Instantly deep flush of Grim.
son overspread the maids face; she
darted suddenly forward and uttered an
exclamation of alarm. Her cry was
Immediately succeeded by the sharp noise
Of pistol report beneath the window,
and a heavy, muffled sound, as ofthe tall
of body upon the snow-c vered earth
Julia looked out in fear and surprise
The leaping fire light from within the
room streamed through tho window, and
in the heart of its vidid brightness re.
vealed the figure of man lying mo,
tionless upon the white ground, his face
buried in the scattered snow, and his
outstretched hand grasping pistol.
Julia lesped through the open case
mcnt with a wild shrek and flung her,
self on her knees beside him.
"Phill Phil" she said "what have you
done? What has happened. Speak to
me-
But the only response was faint, low
| moan.
Philip Brian had shot himself
In an agony of grief and horror Julia
lifted his head upon her arm and press
ed her hand to his heart. The move
ment recalled him to life for few mo-
ments; he opened his eyes, looked AT her
and uttered few broken words. she
stopped and listening eagerly.
"The letter. he gaspedi 1.-The letter Y
sent me. Oh Julia, you have broken my
hearth How could you be false to me
and loving you-trustlngyou 50 wholly
! But ut least | shall not live To
see YOU wed, the man you have
chosen; 1 came here tonight to die,
since life without you would he inIo!-
erable. See what you have donel"
Desperate and silent she wound her
arms around him and pressed per lips to
his. A coavulsive shudder seized him;
his ewes rolled back, and with sigh he
he resigned himself to the death he had
courted 60 nadly. Death in the passion
| of h last kiss
Julia sat still, the corpse OF her lover
supported on her arm and her hand
clasped in his, fearless and frigid as
though she had been turned into stone
by some fearful spell Half hidden in
the bosom of his vest wGs letter, the un-
| broken seal of which bore her own mona
gram. She plucked it out oil It's resting
place and read it hastily by the flicker OF
the freight. 1t was in Lady oarah's
handwriting and read thus:
"MY DEAR Mr. BRIAN:-Although
when last we parted it was with the
usual understanding that to night we
should meet again; yet subsequent refec
ton and the positive injuntion OF my
parents have obliged me to decide other
wise. You are to know therefore, that
in obediance to the wishes of my fathel
and mother, | have promised to become
the wife the gent man they have cnoser
or me. All correspondence between
IA must therefore wholly cease, nor mus
YOU longer suffer yourself to entertaln
thought of ma 1t is hardly necessar!
tu add that | shall not expect to see yoI
this evening; your sense OF honor VIII
am persuaded, be sufficient to restrain
YOU from keeping an appointment
against my wishes. In concluding, DC!
YOU will not attempt to obtain iurthe
explanation Of my conduct, but rest a
sured that it is the unaltersble resolve .
cool and earnest deliberation.
JULIA LoGRINGToN.
P.S. In order to save you any dou0
Of nv entire and willing concurrence II
nv mothers wishes, l sign and adGres
this with my own hand, a.d Nirg'nle
who undertakes to deliver it, will add ne
personal testimony to tho truth OF tbes
statements, since che has. witnessed tn
writing of the letter and knows how
fully nv consent has been given to al
lts expressions.
with my own hand Yes, surely
both signature and address were pericc
fac sim.les Of Julis's handwritingl VIVA
wonder that Philip had been deceived
into believl: z her false7 Twice she nae
read the letter from beginning TO end
then she lay her lovers corpse gentl.
. down on the snow and stood up cree
and silent, her face mora CHASTITY AM
dea,h-lke than the face OF the dead DO
side her.
In moment tho whole shameful
scheme had flashed upon her mind-N II
ginia's treachery and clever fraud; II
connection with the torn fragment
paper whic Julia had seen only lev
minutes before; and the deliberate false
hood of which Lady Sasah had bee,
guilty; the bribery, BY means of whicI
she mad probably corrupted Virg'nlej
fidelity; the cruel disappointment ant
suffering OF her lover; all these thing
pressed themselves upon ner reeiln!
brain and gave birth to the suggestion
of madness.
STOPPING down she put her 1.-THE han
upon the belt OF the dead man. Their
was, as she expected, second pistol Il
II I he fellow of that with which h
had shot himself. 1t WAS loaded. Juli
drew it out. wrapped her mantle roun
il aud climed noiseless into her chamoe
through the still open window. CroSsin
the room she passe out into the coFrldo
bayond and went like shadow, swii
and silent of foot, to the door OF ne
fathers study-sn apartment comnuh
eating by means OF an oaken door WI
the paneled chamber. :,
V,rginie from a dark crevice IN IN
house, had heard and noted all that hH'
) passed in the garden. She saw Jun
, open and read the letter, she caught 10
, expression of her face as she stopped fe
the pistol, and experimenting somelhin
that might follow, c7ept through ~
: window after her mistress and pursue
her up the dark passages. Here croucf
; ing again in the recess OF q gallery gu
t side the panelled room, she waited i
terror for the next scene of the TRACED.
Julia flung open the door Of the stud
where her father sat writing at the tsbl
and standing on the threshold in the fu
glare of the lsmplight which illumlne
, the Apartment, raised the pistol, cooke
i and aimed it. Sir Julian had barrel
!, time TO leap from his chair with or