Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-08

Iathink he drew her towards him
then, and kissed her. OF course he
did, though I could not see them, for
my chair was turned from them and l
dared not move Presently Alice spoke
again:
"Of1course it is fortunate for me,
Arthur, dear, that you should prefer
my poor beauty to, Evelyn's, but you
know IFcan scarcely understand any
man knowing her. well and seeing her
constantly without falling in love with
her."
l. "Well, sweetheart, if I had ever
known her well enough not to feel
afraid of her, and grown accustomed to
her style of beauty, perhaps it is just
possible l might have fallen in love with
her i'll had never seen you, my darl-
ling" xi-s,4j 9@A
The blood seemed to rush back upon
nay heart, and then surge UP into nv
brain; there was a singing in my ears,
aud I heard no more.
When 1 returned to consciousness of
what was going on about me, they were
gone; but l had heard enough-too
much d
Til. those last words of Arthur's,
had tried to bear my misery bravely in
dumb despair. had persuaded N.Y.
self not only that he had not loved me.
but never could have loved me; that
Alice was the only one he ever could
have loved at all, and so / must try to
bear my anguish and my disappoint-
ment as best [ could-but now! Those
words from him let loose a fury in me!
Had he never seen her, he might have
loved me-his own lips had said it.
Heaven knows what wild and monstrous
thoughts pursued each other through
my frenzied brain then. 1 had not
hated hertiIl now, but [ hated her from
that moment-wished her dead, and
would have laughed and rejoiced to see
her die!
The moor had risen and was flooding
all the world outside in silvery light,
when Alice came into the room, and
approaching me gay]y, cried:
"Do come down to the lake..f We
might have a lovely ROY by moonlight,
for l promised o to go to bed till
Arthur came back-so l could say
goodnight again." she added, blush
ing brightly. "He has gone to the
town with your brother. They must
be back soon, but we might have time
for a row on the lake before they ar
rive-dC come"
l rose without q word, wound the
scarlet scarf on the back of nv chair
about my head and neck, and prepared
to accompany her.
The lake was less than ten minutes
walk from the house, and all the way
there Alice kept up such q run of care
less talk that, in the exuberance Of her
spirits, she didn't notice that | had
scarcely spoken at all. When we had
launched the little boat and jumped
into her, of course I did ali the rowing,
for the delicate snowfahes of hands
that held Alice's oars merely toyed
with their work. But l bent to mine
with q will, and being strong and mus
cular, although only q slight girl, we
were soon far out on the water. We
were nearly half way across when Alice
said suddenly, after some minutes 81
lence,
"Evelyn, do you know the people
about here say this lake is bottomless
just half way acrossP Isn't it absurd
a little lake like this?"
eyes, but it's terribly deep, and we
are directly over the spot now which
the country folks declare goes right
through to the other side of the world"
"How perfectly ridiculous just as if
that was possible. But don't lean over
in that way, Evelyn. If you upset the
boat, the lake is deep enough to drown
US, even if it doesn't 60 quite to the
other side of the world"
"What nonsense, Alice. When I
battle here, | often swim as far out rs
this and back again just for exercise"
every likely, my fair Amazon; but,
as l can't swim, l prefer not to take my
bath so far from shOre-ahi"
A loud shrek from Alice asI bent still
further over, and in The next moment
we were struggling in the water, and
the boat fioated from US, bottom up
wards. l thought for one moment |
saw the white.face of Alice above the
water, but in the next instant it was
gone, and though [ think l regretted
my act as soon as it was accomplished,
/ could do nothing to say her. But
shrieked for help.
My brother and Arthur, who had just
arrived at the edge of the lake, plunged
in and swan to our assistance. With
some dificulty-I presently lost con-
sciousness-I was brought to laad. But
from that hour no mortal eye has look
ed upon her.
murdered Alice Meteorological
Magassns: YD8C$A