Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-04-07

! complete ihseNrlDlllty, and I remained
in that state till morning II was nv
habit 10 Wake without being called bv
the servant, bu. it was late when arose
the following morning, and was in.
formed by the maid that nv father and
mother were at breakfast could not
wait till wa dressed TO tell nv aiyen.
tue, 80 threw on my gown, and hug
/ ried TO the breakfast room. ! OPENED The
, door. Ny fathers back was turned to
me, and my mother Was facing me. She
looked up As entered the loom-!ooked
up, yes, and with i terrific scream.
rushed toward me.
My father evidently thought. as did.
that she was derangei. till he looked al
me, when he in his turn uttered cry of
surprise and horror. Ny parent, both
dragged me to the chimney-piece, ADORE
which there was lookinc-glas-. Ii was
then my turn 10 exclaim. When took
down my hair 10 brush il the nigh. be-
fore, it was black as Jet; now il was
streaked with gray.
The WORK Of years had been accom-.
pl;shed in one terrible night!
An explanation was a-ked and an e..
PLANTATION given after which my mother
lett the room, and in few moments 70
turned, b inging with her the kew of The
bureau.
" You must have been dreaming, nv
love, she said; evidently not thing
has been touched. Our ewelry is az
safe as it was this time yesterday"
"Well, where is monsieur Mention >"
/ asked
Z" In bis room, undoubtedly" answered
my father. 30 saying, he went from the
room, and quickly returned with pale
face, Rnd in his hand q note hastily
written with pencil.
Read it aloud" he -aid. handing i:
TO my mother, who took il. and read A.
follows:
Ny VERY DEAR FRIENDS Il write
to say farewell! to you. We shall never
meet again. When you read the con-
fession l am about 10 make, yOu will !
think yourselves well rid of one who &C
cepted your hospitality and then turned (
traitor.
Z" Yea, | am poor, despicable wretch. |
lou, my benefactor, remember tina; last .
evening | asked you to help me in some |
money matters, which YOU said you
could not do, and you know | had asked /
you several times before. and you had
declined; but yesterday night YOU said
you had given me my final answer. /
then grew desperate though to your face
fair enough), ana determined to steal the
money from you, if could get it in 70
other way.
Early in the evening-be.o.e our
in your study-you may
that your daughter (who. by
the way, never seemed to like or trust
me) was seated at her bureau, looking at
some jewelIy. An idea seized me that
if could only get possession of these
ewels-fOr some of them were very cost
W could sell them at a price which
would not only pay my debts, hut would
cave me enough beside to enable me to
lear ont ofthe countrv
Your daughter, in having locked
Ter bureau, did not take her KEY, but
eft it in the lock; therefore, 50 far tie
way was paved for me.
did my best to conquer these temp |
a;iOns, but alas We are but too weak .
and | at length succambed, ,
nd resolved to turn (oh. my ir;end-;
'ass over the word IA soon as pOssible)
hiet "a at quarter past one this c
morning ! descended to the drawing 8
DOM, opened the bureau, and was about L
o take the jewels, when, hearing the q
andle Of the door move, I went to see t
he cause, and imagine nv feelings at /;
eeing your daughter before me. / soon i
erceived, however, by the fixed look in
er eyes that she was asleep. She began b
talk disjointly of having left the key v
the lock Of her bureau. went to my v
vercoat, which was in the room, and II
OF key-that of the front DOOR which 1
had taken from you study, and forced n
into her hand. She believed herself \
be the possessor of what she wanted, ~
nd, turning round, left the room. OF
For some moments stood where she Il
ad left me, looking after her as if N.Y. a,
1T were in dream. When had seen
er standing before me, with a lace as W
ure and innocent as her mind, uncon- al