The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-09-10


| 'ightened.
| "Watker -"
"Hush! You would call ne feuG-'
dewitt you knew the tru,h.'
She looked aim in the face, and then
said, ptyingIy:
You have been playing again. Oh,
| Wa kpr-"
| "oail me yiIlaini ! will tell you,
lone, and when l have finished, | want
you to take the revolver IN your drawer
and scatter my brains upon this hDor."
lie advanced several steps, and stead
| led himself with the AID of Il table.
| ~ played with Jer me Ballard" he
saiu, trying to speak IN calm aud meas
urea tones. AT first fortune favored
| me; but by and by sne, went over to
him, and l lost. l grew desperate,
stakad the negroes in lots OF twenty,
and lost. Then tue plantation tul-
| loWed.n
Sand you lost thatp
| Tne girl appeared calm.
| "LOsL it'll Iuen-'
| he paused, anu covered his face with
mis- hands and groaned from the depths
Ol bis soul.
81 must tell ALL" he suddenly ex-
CLAIMED. "God helping me, l will not
Keep one jot oi my intamy back. Alter
| Lue plantation had fal' en- Into that
iienu's hands, l staked you!
| "Mew
The monosyllable fell in shrek from
the glr's lips.
II mad noJning left to stake, for l had
already offered my life; but ne mad re-
Jected IL with curse. He craYed tue
beautiful thing l, in the frenzy OF drink
and cnaSrln, threw with an oath upon
tue board. He wonw
For moment lone stood before the
PLANTER speecuIess ana like Il STATUE.
His eyes fell beneatn her piercing
look, and tor moment it seem Il that
she would dart upon MIN with The fury
of the tlgress.
But she shrank away, and spoke from
the threshold.
"He won me-this man whom you call
jerome BallardY
"Yes, lone. He says he loves you"
Chen he lies!
81 know that. Now that have told
you all, take The pistol aud 90 the deed
winch justice asks at your hands"
| "NO! nOF' she cried, snuduetiug
81 am pennlless. Snail he come and
take away the spoIl5 won ovtr The cloth
of the gamIn--table? Shall l live to see
you in nis arms-sold to nim Tor hama
Of cards? No, lone! Pll 40 the deed
myself"
He sprang forward, and jerked a re-
volver from d little drawer i'll the enter.
table.
Then he started back with the weapon
in his hand. His eyes flashed like a
mauman's and his right hand waved her
back.
But the tall beauty did not heed the
command. She flung herself forward
with loud cry, determined to prevent
the act OF seli-destruction, but ne selzed
her with his lett hand, aud IurcibIy neId
her oil.
at must be donew he cried. "Pre
tried to be man tO you, but jerome
Ballard has come between. GOou-Dy,
lone. LeL this nlgu'o work be credileu
10 him, with The QCYiPs Interest,"
Tue next mOMeut there was Il loud
report, aud the Georgia pIauter lell
dead upon the floor.
Lone, with IL startled cry, picked up
the revolver, but the next tant threw
1t upon the SOFA.
"No!" she cried, 81 will not follow his
example. My luture lie posses ses Il
single aim. He has been more than il
father 70 me. The crime of this nj ,
shall be hurled against the heart OF the
man wuo planned it,"
| The startled servants found lone
gently led her away.
The day seemed to tarry in the east,
but 1t came at ias,, AM before tue goo :
my sun had set again Walker Cnatfant
slept in the bloody grave which MS own
hands had maze.
Shortly after the burial, lone disap.
peared, and days heightened Into weeks
without her return. Some whispered
mat ner own nanus mad taken Lue pant
er's lie, but the belief that he had COM
mitleQ suicide soon became universal.
Again sue reports ATTACHED tU heI
idenuty were puL into circulation, but
no single one was Traced TO a stable
head, The air became filled with the
widest c0nJeclures, out one by one
tuese died away; ana after ten years,
lone, the yoIuptuous beauty, was almost
forgotten.
The plantation which fell into jerome
/, Ballard's hands alter the tragedy, mad
passed into the possession of strangers
Tne gambler had, TO a great degree, re.
nnqus shed the destinations of the gam
ing table; wealthy and talented, he ,uaC
secured admission into the Fedora
Congress, where his eloquence hau
gained him thousands of enthusias tic
admirers. There seemei no position
within the gift of the American people
which the handsome SouCherner Nigh
not gain, and he seemed ambitious
enough to put out his hand toward the
cnalr of The Chief Executive.
He was at the night OF his popularity
when the birth pangs OF the late ciyl
war rent the land. lie was among Lue
first 70 fling himself into the arms OF the
"lost cause," and hundreds OF gallAnt
men, led on by his example, tiocAed tC
the standard. Battle aiLer battle fol
lowed, and The third year of the inter
necine STRIFE found him al the head ol d
brigade.
Then came the last act Of our wild
drama.
The confederate forces under the i'm
mediate command of Hood, were sta
toned in and about ctrUaln southern
city noted tor its beauty and wealth, ant
General Ballard's headquarters were IL
Une central part near Lne monumenteC
square.
One evening flag OF truce conveyed a
vailed lady from Cue Union lines, and
she was escorted to the large house from
whose windows hUated The headquar.
ters flag OF the - brigade. Sue de
sired 10 have private interview VILE
the officer in command, and soon founC
herself in his presence.
The years which mad passed over
jerome BalIard's head aimee the Tragedy
near Savannah had left no Ill-tayored fur
rows on mis- lofty brow. He received his
VISITOR with the courteous manner Of u
Il La, hn