The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-08-24

daughter, and then cast me off because
he was ashamed of my humble origin
and of my ignorance. Ask him II he re-
members LeLitia RundelV
"But no one will believe it unless they
see your letters and certificate! must
have them"
What care who believes It.! You be-
lieve it; he knows it. Marry him, and
in less than twenty-iour hours he will BE-
arrested Tor bigamy. 1t rests with you
to keep this scandal quiet, for / am too
much disgusted with him to prOcla: m
myself his deserted wife unless necessi-
ty compels. l see you hardly credit my
tale. Here, copy the addresses OF the
officiating minis er and the Witnesses;
now see them aud decide for yourself
whether you will aid him in committing
bigamy."
Clara took no one but Virgie into her
confidence; her father was proud, hot
tempered man, and she feared tor
Franks life if he heard even 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:
81 nave just learned the shameful Sc
cret OF your life. Can you wonder that
| l feel too bitter towards you to wish TO
| see you? or course our marriage can
never take place. A thousand divorces
would never excuse the fact that Lett
| tia RundeIl could TO-DAY call herself
Mrs. Learoyd. We-you, Vlrgle andI-
| can keep our own counsel. shall SIM
ply tell my parents that have decided
not to marry you. You need neither
write to nor call upon me; from hence
forth we are strangers"
| Ar 10 int n
when Clara refused to tell him her rea-
sons for so suddenly, at the eleventh
| hour, breaking OFF her marriage with
Frank LtarOyd, OF whom she had been
so fond. La the midst of his wrath he
was stricken with apoplexy, superin-
duceQ (his physician sad) by the warm
weather and his ungovernable temper,
and the wedding morn sa~ Clara bereiI
or both father and lover.
| Mr. OYmsby had lived close up to his
large income, aud his sudden death left
his wife and daughters penhlless. The
Two girls struggled for a living in New
York until their mother dyed, tDree years
later, then they moved to sie town OF
Sandy HN, Wlere our tale now finds
them.
Iu all these years the name Of Learoyd
had not lallen on their ears lntll Mrs.
Harmon uttered it.
Mrs. Harmon was very anxious that
her guests should know and appreciate
the Ormsby girls; SO at her request the
lattef were almost the first persons to
enter her parlors the night OF the party.
Mrs. Leroyd was very cordial aud chat
ty; Frank was distant and silent, but
their cousin was smilngly unconscious
oil the barrier of ice between him and the
two sisters. SO utterly unconscious,
l .lI,t,. h..F R,t oh
lquested Frank to danc0t the trso set with
ner who came so near 10 being his wife
But then Louise Harmon never could
see anything that was not force upon
her. Having never heard OF MS engage
ment to Clara, how was she 10 know
what an awkward position she had pui
them in, all out OF good Will?
"Loulsa," said VTgle Otmsby, when
the two were alone together for mo-
ment, did you not call your cousin
Sopnle"
Yes. Whys" said Mrs. Harmon.
'l thought she was a ta.i, coarse
featured bruno ta, with a ueep voice
and tragic manner, and l am sure | ha(
leard that her uame WAS LeGlLla."
"uusu!' exclaimed mrs. Harmon
cautiously. "Y are thinking of my
cousin Franks first vile, dreadiu
creature! 1 can't lmag ne how you evel
heard OF her. He m ,rEIed her when ht
was mere boy and n a fit OF inLOXica
Llon; sue was a low, vile woman, an(
, married him for money. His relatives
came 10 his rescue, anQ not only b0ugh
her of, but sO thoroughly oponed hi
eyes to her cuaracLer tnat he never saw
ner after his uulucky wedd.ng-day
=; Why, do you know she was SO wicked
| 30 desperate, that she not only voWet
= vengeance on the uncle and cousin whit
were foremost IN Franks defense, Du
. actually Tried to Kill themW
"Did he get divorceY
mo; that would have made the scan
dal TOO public. Fortunately for him, til,
! creature died (of delirium tremens
about five yearF ago"
5 "And tnen he married again"
! "Yes; but not Immediately. He ant
7 Sopuia lave been man and wife scarce
, iy tWo years.
"And in those three years OF freedom
! Frank never once thought OF poor, dra
l Clarul lnconsLant crealufe!' said NlT
e gie to herself as her hostess move
e away.
Virgie found a moment in which to re
{, la z Franks history 10 Clara before tn
!; uanclng commenced, and the though
that he might have GAINED her and al
= not, nEFNUu SldId 10 SuCl a uGBTeH ina
Il she moved through the lancers withOu
|, Que particle OF The seil-ooHsCiousnes
= the emUArrassm9ut She had expected /
l. ltel.
After little such desultory chat a
il night have taken place between th
q yerlest strangers, Clara salt:
!. ~ think your wife has one OF tn
= sweetest races l ever saw. Surely, sn
IS Germau-sne is suGn d. perfeC
S Douue."
n "My- OF you mean Sophie! Yes, he
X father was a German. But You nav
made a slight error; she is not my VIII
bat my cousin's," answered FtanI
l Her husband, who is in the navy,
now in tue N Mediterranean."
81 certainly understood Mrs. Ha
L. mon speak OF her as Mrs. Frank Lei
i royd,,, answered Clara, in surprise.
=, $50 she is. You surely have heard
Frank-you forget" persisted he, Sc,
vs. ing that she l0okeu puzzled, sit was h
II cursed folly in marrying that LetiLI
1t RMdell that"
l. "was it ne7 But she showed me yor
It piotureV
S $50, sol She took her vengeance thu
way, did shef She told you that l wa
r her husband? Whentp
a 1.-The day before" and Clara hes
lr uBefore tho ono th ot ,yao fo bovo N, 4