The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-19

and her baby were dead. Then l got
the letter and read it; there were ten
tfty-l Ollar notes with it; he was rich 1
x iow, and he wore such a splendid ring.,
for all the world like: yours We usedl
some of the money to bury her and the
baby-such apretty little thing it was
and then put the rest away with the
letter andfller weddingsring."1
Ouida draws long conVuIsiVe sigh,
'Can, see 1.-THE letter l mean?"
1t does not seem to her q strange re.
quest. Shells conscious Of nothing. but
a strange, deathlJ pressure at her heart.
f les name Is Garnet, Erie Garnet
kuthertord-and a ring like hers! Is sue
mad, she wonders?
Mrs. Foster crosses the room, opens a
little cupboard. and takes the letter
from small boX.- Ouida holds out. her
hand, clutches it, almost, tearsit as sne
unioldsi II is III Erleis handwriting:
"OCFoBER IA. 1879.
"LILY-I write this TO uudecelve you.
You are not my wife, though once re-
ally thought to- make you such. The
ceremony was performed by a friend OIL.
mine, who had no powef to- make il
binding L have met a woman | love
anu mean to marry l am willing, to pro-
vide for you, but l shall never see you.
again. ERIE GARNET''
Uuida reads it through. She. even
takes up, the wedding-ring and reads the
inscription, "Erle toLily," as quietly as
il her heart was not breaking. After a.
nom mt she lays them both back in the
box, andltakes up the pictured face once
more. t
"she is better dead ?" she says. .ques-
ti0ningly. II
The old woman who had been she'd
ding some. quiet tears, wonders at the
great, haunting eyes liked on her face,
waiting for the answer.
"Yes, dearie; tar better than so liyingl
She could not live and bear itl'
81 thought not" Ouida says, SLOWLY.
''Good by, Lily" She kissesi the, pic.
ture with q swift, impulsiye motion, and
rises.s 81 must 20 noW-Alr. Deluraine
IL waiting. probably. l thank you that
you were good, to poor Lily"
IL seems ages to Ouida before she
reaches the4vilia. She has 10 Thought
but one. She must fly from Erlel She
loves, him toe madiyo 10 seeI him again 1
Sue, enters her room; Ciydeis on a. mat
by the door; he is the poor child' 81 only
Friend; she kneels BY. his side and ca
fesses him.. rising, she puts on a. sacQue
and hat, lies on a thick veil, opens a cas-.
ket, kisses ErIe's pictured face. ana
slips the locket containing it upon the
chain about her neck.
"Gope, ClydepF she says, "we will 60
home." r. .-l ,.
The huge dog rises and follows her.
Y
Twenty-four hotirs later, and. the day
is cold and lowering. The sea sighs and
moans, and FLASHES; threateningly upon
The beach. Erie Rutherford PAGES it to
and lro In state OF mute, mad despair.
II Il
speak to- the. st0ny-laced man with the
among themselves; and, like him, luok
ont to see, where some sturdy oarsmen
are fighting the breakers, in an effort to.
reach Tiny, dark, object that losses
just beyond the SURF Oulda's nurse,
old Marie, is moaning VITA the women.
and Clyde stands by Erle's side utter.
ing DISMAL owls. Aud the minutes ~
by; and the EoWers return Hoin their
vain endeavors; aud lhe. sea beats along
the shore more tercely; ands with the
rising storm, by the encroachlng tide,
the Tiny upset bout and the fair woman
are brought ashore. ,.- ...a
Ashore at her husbands feet. where
he urst saw her, dGsdl iIer mantle still
about her, her long halr tangled with
seaWeed and sand, the opal cleaning
from her hands locked upon her breast.
Aud when thsy parted the hands anu
tore the wet draperies from above hel
heart, they found her husbands picture,
Lily's photograph, and the following
paragraph torn from paper:
"WILDE- Dier on the 9th INST, Tracy Wilde
agud twenty -four years" ..,
And tue wild waves hiss, She is dead! she is
dcadr ''
And the mermai0s sing, Sad fatep ...
: ~ ,ltlltl h1rk INV 1pyrn T.
And the huarse winds whisper, ZOO late !'1