Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-14

to have place given her as soon as
a vacancy occurred; that in the
meantime she could always tell
whether a situation was open to her
by looking at the notices pasted on
the wallsin that department, That
night he got several copies Of the
above notice printed and Surrepti-
tiously posted them up.
"FilIed with grief at his sudden
departure, and filled with fore
boding of impending evil, she
wended her way to the department |
on her first visit of reconnaissance. |
She saw the notices, and, overcome
with dependency, she, for the first
time, yentured to disobey the in
structions she had received. En-
tering the Office where she first met
her deceiyer, months before, she
inquired for the secretary of the
interior. She was shown to his
room, and there the whole secret
came out. The scene in that office
when the kind-hearted secretary
revealed the truth can never be de-
scribed. Suffice it to say she was
conducted from that room utterly
broken in mind and health. The
secretary provided for her immedi-
ate necessities, and called the atten-
tion of some charitable ladies to
her case. For weeks she lay hover
ing on the brink of the grave with
brain fever, and when she arose
her mind was gone and her hair
was gray. Her betrayer was traced
. out and forced to contribute to her
support, but for the sake of his
family the whole matter was kept
from publicity. When she was
able to go about an attempt was
3 made to change her abode and sur
roundings, but she resisted the at
tempt with terrible energy, believ-
ing, as she did, that her lover would
one day return. She clung to this
hallucination to the last, and every
day at the hour of noon she visited
the department and read the notice
and finding mo vacancies turned
away with a sigh and returned tt
7 her room. Once the notices werl
! taken down, but she became S,
demonstrative in her joyful antici
patton of obtaining the promised
place that they were immediatel
: replaced. AS l said before, tn
= history of the case was kept a pre-
> found secret, and but two or thrc
who from day to day saw the pale
= wan face appear with the regularit
= of the sun, knew or could fathor
y the sad history of that blighted lift
Y and Of the thousands who carelessl
7 read the words OF that notice, fe'
: are aware that it had its origin i
the perfdy and treachery OF man
:, that its letters are written in th
hearts blood of confding an
y betrayed woman"
V Here the old man blew his nose
bade me goodbye and was abou
:" turning away when | detained hiT
= with:
,e !. "0ne moment before you 60
= what became of the girl?"
! "She faded away-that is al
:, = Her visits toward the last becan
ls Il less frequent, and finally ceased a
u :; together. In a few days those e.
10 trusted with her secret were not
e fed, and we followed her to I'll
/" grave" 81 tell you," continued ii
old man, ~ have attended man
:, funerals in my time, but l nev,
10 attended one so sad as this. II,
~ ~ betrayer still lives-and it is to
~ ~ hoped, for the credit of humanit
- - is prey to remorse for the part
~ - took in blighting the life of as bea
(, tiful girl as ever lived. Their
~ ~ that is. all. / have never told tn
", s1 story before, and you are welcome
r' ~ it. You are literary man, and |
r adding little to it you could NAL
u quite a story out of it,
~ - But am not ambitious in tn
Ie u, line, and prefer to give the pla
~ story in the simple language use
y by the departmental relic.