The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-04

was one Of thst handful of survivors;
| her ulI,a o., a. <-- :,
place in the boat, aud, remaing behind,
himself perished with the ship. The
agony of terror, the long night which
she spent at the mercy of the waves,
proved too much strain upon poor Vir-
| ginia's already over-burdened flame, and
| Frank and l were summoned by tele-
! graph to her at Halifax, where she lay
for days, unconscious with brain fYer.
| And then, to add to her misery, when
recovering, she was thrown into nearly
fatal relapse by seeing accidentally, that
the Tpoumseh had gone down, ia TIE at
| tack on Mobile harbor, with every soul
on board. The Tecumseh was Langley q
ship.
Virginia came to live with as about
| two years before the commencement OF
| my story. She seemed t, feel srt OF
sorrowful remorse about her husband,
which was not grief, and yet it cast a
shadow over her life. Gle was treach-
erous and false" she said to me one day,
"and he broke my heart-but what right
have to judge him? Harrie, told him
| would never forgive; and he died think
ing himself unforgiven." Of Lang
ley, as told you, she never spoke.
"Well, the ''perfect treasure" made
her appearance. She was rather
young woman, with pleasant, low
voice, and very good manners, for one Of
her station. | was charmed. Certainly,
this girl seemed determined to please
me; she did her work in faultlessly neat
way; she amused and played with the
twins; and baby had more quiet nights
than have known him to have for weeks.
So, after a months trial, oegan to sing
Ahces praises, and allowed her full con-
troll in her own department, with a good
many privileges. Virginia, alone did not
seem to like her. Virginia had curl
ous way of looking at new faces, a
searching, penetrating glance, that al
ways thought had :. sort OF mesmerism
in it, all the stranger because her eyes
were SO gentle and soft. Alice never
met the look fairly, as | remembered al
terward.
'It was the spring 'G5. The closing
scenes of the war were crowding thick
and fast upon each other. Virginia
kept her room a good deal. The warm
I April weather seemed to enervate her
and she shIank away from the joy and
enthusiasm we all exhibited. Poor
cbjldl 1t was hard for her to hear of the
soldiers and sailors who would be COM
ing home now. and to feel that, for her
sore heart, Peace would bring no balm.
One night Frank had taken a box at
the Italian opera in New York. We
lived in Brooklyn, and. as Kellogg was to
sing, begged Virginia to go with us.
But she steadily declined. She would
stay at home and keep house she said.
Now. two of my servants were going to
Grrman's tall the same night, leaving
only Alice and the cook at home; SO
must say felt rather more easy about
the children when found that Virginia
would not go. Going from New York
to Brooklyn at night, however is a long
journey, and it was close upon one
o'clock when we drove up to oul
door.
In the meantime, Virginia, after oul
departure, had sat for some time writing
letters in her own room. The twins
were having noisy romp in the nursery
and when she locked in to say gooC
night, Fred fastened himself upon hel
neck, and begged to come and stay with
auntie; she yielded, and then Fred be
gan building card houses on the sofa un
til he got tired, when he curled himse
in corner, and in two seconds was fas
asleep. Being very much interested ii
her book, Virginia let the little fellow
, sleep on, thinking that by and-by sh'
would AXE him up to her own room ant
put him to bed there, as she frequently
, did. At last she fell a,leep herself.
: She never knew how long she slept
: but she had painful nightmare sensa
| ton, as if SOMEBODY was trying t.
smother her; and after struggling witt
= the feeling for some time, she slowly
and with a great effort, opened her eyes
Why! what had happened to the room
The gas must have gone Quit wa
totally dark, save a tlickering glear
: from the dying fire on the hearth, ali
= what a sickening deadly smell there was
With lightning rapidity, which is NOR
D like instinct than thought, it suddenl
flashed upon her what the strange scer
: Was-chloroform Then, as she caugl
her frightened breath, and sank back il
e to her chair, low sound of voices frol
+ the dining room reached her ear. Th