Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-04-15
For the Chronicle.
THE DARK DAYS OF JEALOUSY.
BY EURD.
CHAPTER III.

dered saint;
The simple dupe and the crafty knave: the
murderer and-hiS victim
Yetare all many characters; the best stand
guilty at the bar;
And he that seemed the worst may have
the most of real excuse"
Lutte with an aching heart, hunger
ing and thirsting for love and pity,
needless of the busy throng of the
outer world, bent her steps home
ward. On her arrival she found Rose
waiting to see her.
Lutte, DEAR spoke she in tones of
love and pity, ''unsheath the weapon
of human will and crush the thought
of one that has done you such injustice.
He is no longer worthy your respect
and toleration tbs cancerous spot in
your pure heart.
"Oh! Rosie, how cruelty unjust you
are. Twas his undying love for me.
and Heaven knows what drove him to
such madness. Though he has widow
ed my sister, thrown off my love, still
in death my last prayer shall be for
him. At the throne of God face to
face he will accuse me of INCONSISTENCY
of his ruin Yet the angels will bear
witness that am guiltless. From the
moment first knew him, though poor,
l have loved him as only a woman can
love. Oh Rosie, you can never know
the intense agony of my poor wailing
heart that pleads SO piteously for him;
that plead for him when the curses of
my father and the prayers and tears of
my mother would have torn him from
me; when judgment whispered, To
them, the authers of your being, you
are indebted for fIfe, care, protection,
and sustenance-forsake them for no
other > when 1 would have yielded,
my poor famishing heart cried out for
its idol, and would not be comforted.
Oh! father-mother-you who have
loved me as babe, as a child, as
woman, why did you drive my idol
from your door and force me to go be-
fore the cold, uncharitable world to
worship? Had you shielded your child
and her love from the world, it would
not have stamped infamy on his pure
brow, and despair in my heart"
Lutte, 1 am not deaf, nor can I fail
to notice the injustice done to your
parentsin your short soliloquy."
Il love them, Rose, and do not doubt
their love for me, their erring child,
but misguided by the world or false
education, they would have robbed me
of my first love, the brightest, purest
light of my life. !"
But, Lutte, should you persist In
loving him, criminal, the world
will
Let the world turn as it may the
keen weapon of scOrn and ridicule ;
let busy gossip's smiling taunts and
cold invectives prey if they will on my
beautiful name and character God
judges all things WELL To-day would
fain share his sufferings in that CELL
[ must, [ will save the soul put in jeo-
pardy for me. To-day snap the hateful
fetters Of deception that bind me to a
sinful, gossipping world-to conven-
tionalism that crushes all the sweet
trusting simplicity of affection beneath
its iron heel. l will heal the heart
that | have wounded innocently."
Rose, finding herself baffled in every
attempt to win the unfortunate girl
from Walter, whom she herself had
loved to idolatry, was forced to resort
to another scheme. Rising to go she
embraced the innocent victim of her
conspiracy and fastened home. Gath
ering her writing material, she sent the
following to Walter
"DEAR Mr.. GRAY: Female prOpriety and !
decorum forbid me to visit you in your |
cell, but my sympathy and best wishes are
with you in its darkest recess. / called to |
see Lutte she is quite sad and regrets very
much the consequence of her thoughtleSS
IMITATION with you, and hopes that her
future Kindness To you will win your for
giVehess. Sne says, that no means that
she can command shall be spared TO gain
for you release, but still claims that Mr.
Leigh is her brOther-in- law which we are
forced to doubt, as he has never been per-
mitted to visit the residence OF Mr.. Sea
since his marriage with their daughter
who eloped with him while at boarding
school. Lutte says she has never seen him
until this visit. Quite nice ruSe to be
sure, if he comes under mask of a brother
in-law'S name to perfect Il plan of elOpe-
ment, for such seems 70 have heen their
m htafn IA rpf N IN Of hRr fg
who are expected very soon. can say no
more with propriety. Ever praying for
your freedom, remain your truest friend,
ROSIE WEALAND."
IT'S useless to attempt to describe
his intense agony on reading this note,
though short, that contained so much
calculated to poison his mind.
Rose, after having dispatched her
note, disguised herself and started to
the city hospital, where she found her
cousin, Rolly Roam, in a state of con-
valescence. The same we shall re-
cognize as Walters rival, Leon Leigh.
Good morning, Cousin Rolly ; ] am
so truly glad that that shot did not
prove fatal. / have suffered, | still
suffer. Oh! 1 was not equal to"
"Ah, Coz, nice recompense for
what have received, placing his hand
on his wounded side, only exposure
and ruin. So much for humoring the
whims of jealous woman. While
acting in that daring, infamous scheme.
my heart was awakened to love that
1 can never crush. Rose, she is the
noblest, purest woman | have ever
met, and now that am into it, I'll
storm HI for her y