The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-02-07

| tAot L 0tkl, vi VOukPC oAO AACps anu ~
loves me now. 1t was all over befor
we met. j must not mind'-but Their
she paused and gave a scream. .an6
threw the letter from her as though j
had been serpent and bitten her. l
was dated last week. 1t was not foul
days old.
oh! oh! oh 7 cried Eva. oh wha
shall l do? Oh, where shsl: go3
At every cry thought pierced hel
breast like an actual stab. 'Tom!-ht
is false! Oh, have I gone mad2 No
there they are! They are ,here-those
letters! Why do not die? Do peo
pie live through shuch things as this
Then she knelt down on the aool
and gathered up the letters and stead
lily read them through. There were
ten of them. Such love lettersl Nc
other Interpretation could be put on
them. They were absurd love letters
such as are produced in court in
breach of promise cases. And they
called him .Popsy Wopsy,' and Oar.
ling Darlingy,' and Lovey Dovey,
and Old Sweetness and Your own
Nellie,' nan
1T is all true said poor Eva, wiring
ing her hands. 'and it is worse than
anything ever heard of. l trusted
him so. l believed in him SO. My
Tom-mine ~
tTom shall never know she said.
I will not reproach him. I will never
see him again. When he comes home
I'll be dead. I'll not live to bear this.
Then she sat down TO consider the
means of suicide. She could hang
herself TO chandelier with a cord but
then she would be black in the face
and hideous. She could drown her.
self, but then her body would floa,
down the river TO the sea, and drown-
ed people look even worse than strsn-
gled ones. She was very much afraid
of firearms. She would take poison.
Yes; that would be the best; and
though she would never see Tom
again, he would see her, and remorse
would sting him. Here she made a
grave mistake. i9's' f-sj - at
A man who could be cody treach-
erous to a woman never has any re.
morse. Remorse in love affairs is q
purely feminine quality, and even the
II, IL
However, it is natural to believe that
remorse is possible TO a man whom one
has heretofore believed to be an angel
in human form, and Eva took little
miserable comfort in the thought that
Tom would kneel by her coffin and
burst into tears and passionate eAcla.
nations of regret, which she, perhaps
might see from some spiritual point ol
observation. So, putting on her hat
and thick veil, Eva went around the
corner to the nearest druggist Ger.
man.
The druggist was'an old man, be.
nevolent looking one, with red cheaks
and a smiling mouth; and when she
asked for poison for rats he said
sSo!' and beamed mildly upon her.
Il want it very strong, said Eva.
SOP said the druggist,
'But not to give more pain than il
necessary said Eva.
sTo the rats 2 asked the drugglat,
| yes said Eva, of course; and i
must be quick, and not make ont
black in the face
And then with perfect gravity. o
countenance he compounded powder
aud handed it to her.
Eva took it and paid the few cent
he asked and walked away. Ono
home, she went at once 10 bed, taking
the powder with her. Once or twici
che tasted it with the tip of her tongue
hoping it was not very disagreeable
Then finding it sweet she gravely
swallowed it all.
sIt is over,' she said. 'Oh, Heaven
forgive me and forgive Tom.
And then she laid herself down or
her pillow. just as she did so the ia
miliar sound of a latch-key in the doo
below startled her. Tom never came
home at noon-but there he was now
no one else would walk in in that COO
way, and now he was calling her.
Eva-Eva-where arc you?'
Never before had she refused to an
swer that voice. Why had he come
home to torture her dying moments
Now he was bounding up stairs. HI
was in the room.
sWhat is the matter? Are you ill
Eva ? he cried.
NO. she said family. 'OnIy tired
sAh! YOU look tired, little one, sai(
he. / came home to get the Oyercoat
l suppose you've found cut by thi
| time that the one in the hall is no
mine; wore Johnson's overcoat hom'
from tho office last night by mistake
and he is anxious about it. lie askei
me If there yss any one in the hous'
| who would be likely to med.lle will
the papers or anything in the pockets
said thought not. l hadn't a Jeal
GUS wife-eh? What's the matter?
sOh, Tom y cried Eva, Historically
sOh, Tom, say it again! it was no
your coat? Oh, Tom.
Why, what on earth is the matter
CT iled Tom. you must be i'll.
Then Eva RENE mbered it all.
oh, am a wicked woman, Tom
she cried. 'There were letters in tn,
| pocket--love letters. l read them
thought you were false to me. l.
took poison. Tom. | long to live now
Oh, Tom, kiss me-
Yes, yes ! cried Tom. Good Heav
/ ems, what poison?
'Mr. Hoffman will know. l bough