The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-10-25

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better"
"Just as you say, dear Clara. l
think myself, that it is better for us to
90; otherwise Mrs, LearOyd might
say"
"That had not strength to meet F.
her husband. They shall see of what
stuff / am made! And poor as we are
to-day, l, daily gOverness, you, tele-
graph operator, they shall find us
neither shabby or awkward"
awkward No. Five years of toll
and absence from all fashionable gath
erings could hardly make us that.
Shabby Well" said Yirgie laughing.
"The trunks that locked on what
was to be my wedding day contain fin
cry enough, think. My pale blue
silk can be made over for you"
so, Clara, cannot take it,"
eyes, you can, dear, and you must. |
shall wear my white silk"
"Your wedding dress?"
eyes; shall never need it in that
capacity. He is nothing to me, why
should ] treasure that dress any longer?
Come, let's go now and examine the
dresses"
What emotions filled Clara's heart as
she lifted out the dresses that had lain
away so long, or how much courage it
required to gaze upon the unused veil,
wreath, gloves, slippers, ETC., Virgie
could only guess. Her sisters face was
calm and impassive.
Six years had elapsed since those gar
ments had seen the light of day. Clara
Ormsby, the youngest daughter of dot
ing parents, able and willing to make
their children's life one long festal day,
was sitting in her fathers library writ
ing one or two notes, one sweet June
morning when servant ushered in
stranger. Clara looked up, as much
annoyed as any one other sweet temper
could be, and was about to reprove the
man for bringing guest in there, when
the latter said:
"Don't blame the man. Miss Ormsby.
| was determined to see you, and i fol-
lowed him. YOn expect to be married
to Frank Lcaroyd, tomorrow, / hear?"
Eyes" Clara replied briefly.
81 regret to be a spoil-sport, but /
must interfere"
"You? What right"
"The best right in the world. | am
his wife"
go, you are mistaken
cam l! / think not. You are en-
gagged to Frank Learoyd, son of Gustave
Learoyd, of Fifth avenue and Forty
sixth street. That is the young man
whom claim as husband. See, here is
his phOtograph-here is my marriage
certificate--here are letters where he
calls me wife Are you convinced?"
81 must show these to my father"
"No, they do not leave my hands. |
hate the fellow now as | once loved him;
he wooed and won me, poor farmers
daughter, and then cast me off because
he was ashamed of my humble origin
and of my ignorance. Ask him if he
remembers Letstia Rundell."
"But no one will believe it unless
they see your letters and the certificate.
| must have them"
1 he ha1
believe it; he knows it. Marry him,
and in less than twenty-fOur hours he
will be arrested for bigamy. 1t rests
with you to keep this matter quiet, for
! am too much disgusted with him to
proclaim myself his deserted wife unless
necessity compels. see you hardly
credit my tale. Here, copy the address
of the officiating minister and the wit
nesses; now see them and decide for
yourself whether you will aid him in
committing bigamy.'
Clara took no one but Nirgie into her
confidence: her father was proud,
hot-tempered man, and she feared for
Franks life if he heard even a whisper
of the strange tale. The two girls went
to Brooklyn, where the minister and
witnesses referred to resided, and were
convinced that the woman had spoken
the truth. Then Clara wrote to Frank
'l have just learned the shameful
secret of your life. Can you wonder
that | feel too bitter towards you to
wish to see you? OF course our marriage
can never take place. A thousand di-
vorces would never excuse the fact that
Letitia Rundell could to-day call her
self Mrs, Learoyd. We-you, Nirgie
and-can keep our own counsel. ! shall
simply tell my parents that have de-
cided not to marry you. You need
never write to or call upon me; from
henceforth we are strangers"
Mr.. Ormsby flew into terrible rage
when Clara refused to tell him her rea-
sons for so suddenly, at the eleventh
hour, breaking off her marriage with
Frank Learoyd, of whom she had been
so fond. In the midst of his wrath he
was stricken with apopleXy, superin-
duced, (the physician said) by the warm
weather and his ungovernable temper,
and the wedding morn saw Clara bereft
of both father and lover,
Mr. Ormsby had lived close up to his
large income, and his sudden deeth left
bis wife and daughters penniless. The
two girls struggled for living in New
York until their mother died, three
years later, then they moved to the town
of Sandy Hill where our tale now finds
them.
In all these years the name Of Lear
oyd had not fallen on their ears until
Mrs. Harmon uttered it..
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