Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-01

VIZ AAtAiAAiiE WI tA AA4tAA NANA
us fer.''
L did NOT see the mysterious boarder
/ until i had been nearly a week at Steb-
/ bins. She took her meals alone, and went
out dt hours when | was In my room, but
1 heard constantly of the vailed lady.
Nobody in the little village had ever
| seen her face, though numerous strata
! gems had been attempted to sturrise her
| into unNunng.
One Of her favorite reereations, Eas
told, was 10 hire small rowbOaU and a
| boy, and float for hours uDOn the quiet
| little stream that passed the village.
The boy had never seen the face be-
hir5 the aeayy vail. but he spoke warm
| ly of the gentle Mariner and sweet voice
| Of the mysterious lady.
AFTER. the firsI week, however, | met
my fellOw-boarder frequently. She wore
always dress Of deep black; Il mourn
ing bonnet. add bong, thick veil. Even
ON lite siIltry fI~.fs OF y ulv sire meyer lift
all ems sogeIillx rom her laees
Plying the Disagreement I supposed
| caused this extraordinary desire to hide
| away from human eyes, / offered the af-
fiicted lady the trihing courtesies war
ranted by our occupying the same house
holding open the gate for her TO pass,
Offering her chair, if she came upon the
porch in the evening, and occasionally
sending few flowers l plucked by the
wayside TO her room.
She was in sorrow, and my own sOr-
rowing heart felt for her.
How long she might have hidden the
poor, disfigured face from me | cannot
tell, but one morning, when l was living
on the grass, beside the little stream, /
saw the boat, with the boy and his vail
ed passenger, float slowly past me.
Some awkward start of one or the other
of the little boats inmates gave il 4 lurch
aaal l. L.. 4
There was little actual danger, for the
water was not very deep; but, As / start
ed TO my feet, a well-knOwn voice cried
in accents of terror:
''Herbert Herbert, save met
Surely if ever l hv Essie's Voice, /
heard il then. In 4 second | was in the
stream, had caught the slender, black
robed figure, and was wading back to
land.
There was, as [ said, no great danger,
and l soon had the dear girl safe on shore.
She was unconscious for moment only
and the vail, evidently firmly fastened,
still hid her face; but when / said, HEs-
sic, Essie speak to me once more, - she
only clung TO me, sObbing and shivoring
carried hct LOme as rapidly As pOssi-
BILE, and left her at the door of her own
room.
Il will tell you all, - she whispered.
''Meet me on the porch when Won have
changed your clothes" replied.
When | went to the porch. | found Il
boy waiting for me, with little NOTE
Upon it was written, in dear Essie's
handwriting:
''If, when you have read the inclosed,
you still wish to see me, 1 will come to
YOU"
Then with the words burning into my
brainiiike letters of fire, l read the infer
nal, hideOus note she sent me.
1t was from Iona, and Informed the
gentle girl that for weeks she had been
taking nitrate of silver, disguised i'm va
riOus articles of food; that the result was
inevitable-a discolOratiOn of the skin to
4 livid blue black, utterly incurable, i'm
possible to avert. All the Summer
months, in the quiet country house, Ju-
liza had continued the work commenced
by Iona herself, who could not resist the
desire now to taunt the helpless victim of
her hellish plot. Too well she knew the
generous naAure of the young orphan
She was only too sure that Essie would
never hold me to my engagement, when
her face was horror TO herself. And,
in her unmaidenly note, she quoted my
favorite name for my darling, asking If
my "illy" would still force herself upon
man so keen lover of beauty as myself.
had scarcely patience TO finish the
cruel, taunting note, with its insOlent
triumph IN such fearful baseneSS. But
at the last words l called:
''Essic come to me -
She came, my poor, disfigured darling,
and let me draw the marked face into my
close embrace. She came to know at last
to feel, As only strong, mutual love
could make her feel-that the fearful
change in her face could not make my
love Tor her waver for an instant.
There was no doubt III her heart after
the first hour, and she told me of her
share in the long months of suffering.
"Can you imagine, Herbert" " she said,
''what it was to see my face, day after
day, changing from its natural color to
this ghastly mask? Could | burden your
life with such n sight? No, we must
part, happy in the love We have felt for
each other.
part" l answered, mcrrily-"part,
Ny little lady, you will find there are two
words TO that. You and L part no more
this side of the grave
In vain she pleaded.
l sent the boy for clergyman, and
told him to publish the banns at once
In less than month she was nv wife,
and my mothers home was opened to her
Iona, hearing of our wedding, left y.
York TO visit relatives in England: so
there was only my mother to meet Us on
our return.
Society tells odd stories about the wife
Herbert Ashton shuts up in such mystic
riOus seclusiOn; but we live our happy,
quiet life, unheeding the gossip that still
refers TO Essie As the VAILED LADY.