The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-06-27

4 and the Lees were very, very bitter
Without another glance toward the
woman whose destinations had been
his bane, he arose and left her.
Some time after, sitting in his chamber,
mere miserable and ltlesolate than he
had ever been in his life before, he
| heard the roll of carriage wheels, and
the soft, murmurous confusion of many
voices told him that Clelis's guests were
arriving. Bye.and.bye he heard the
preluding tinkle OF the grand piano,
then a Strauss waits was executed 80
finely chat he 1istened, and for q mo
ment forgot halt his misery. Then
there was pause followed by sweet
voice singing As the first note of that
rich, deep voice fioated mp to him he
sprang to his feet.
Like the monk of old, who followed q
bird song for years thinking them but
hours, and who returned TO find the very
earth changed, he listened, marveling if
he heard terrestrial melody or the music
of heaven.
But the song that Stephen Darrell
heard was q simple ballad that told of
tinkling BROOKS and whispering leaves
and sun kissed flowers and happy trust
ing hearts. Often In the old days he
had sung that ballad with Helen when
she was an artles, passionate hearted
child, who believed in him as she did in
the religion of her fathers. But Helen's
voice WIS fresh and ringing, and that of
this singer was rich and passion
haunted, telling of spirit which had
learned the gamut of love and suffering,
His brain whirled and his heart
thrilled. Why should he think % Helen,
vino was forever lest to iimf And why
should any one sing Helen's sung in q
voice such as Helen's might be now after
years of careful culture?
! just then note was brought TO him
by servant. AS he glanced at it the
hot biood flushed his haggard face.
helen was the singer, and she was wait
ing for him in the conservatory.
"You will pardon me for coming
here" she wrote; it is for your own
sake wish to speak with you. j came
with an invited guest, and as Dulcie de
Leon, the prima donna, no one recsg-
nizes me as one who was once known by
another name"
Poor heart! poor, broken hearth"
true to the lastl" he murmured, and
two great tears rolled down and smirched
the note he held with qnivering fingers.
HE went 10 the conservatory. By
the fountain, beside q tall Egyptian lily,
he saw grand figure in dead black
robes, and noble mead with single
white flower in the golden hair.
"Wby are you hsre, Helsn7" he asked
kindly.
For momentshe looked at him, her
dusky grsy eyes full of trouble and visit
full surprise. She could have aung her
self down among the flowers and sobbed
aloud her grief, when she saw the sad
change those lew years had wrought
upon the handsome, spirited man che
had go dearly loved. But she answered
him with quiet gentleness.
81 have come to save you, Stephen"
she said.
"You7" he returned, in 9 troubled
whisper.
Eyes, Stephen" she replied; 'tisr the
love you once bore me, far the sake of
the happy days, i have come to befriend
you, for before to morrow's sun goes
down there will not be another in all
this great city to defend or TO help you"
He was too troubled to wonder how
she knew seintimately of his misfortnnes
and of the tiisgraceful calamity that
threatened him, and he turned q fearful
glance toward the entrance seep across
the parior whore Clelia, in her rubies
md amber silk, stood ameng her guests
witha laugh on har lips
"You have been suspected ofa mon
strous fraud" went ON Helen, sadly;
'"for many weeks your accusem have
bssn searching for proof against you.
They have obtained sufficient to Justify
your arrest. Won may be imprisoned
within the hour. 4 could not live and