The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-08-15

removing his hand, and disclosing to
view the tiny locket.
Guy turned pale as death. but mag
tering his emotion by violent effort. he
playfnlly Insisted upon knowing the
name of Fred's charmer.
"Oh, come" said Fred, ""you are
feigning innocence; for surely you must
have often seen this trinket upon the
arm of fair shell, the Irresistible" who
hasthis day bestowed 1t upon me as a
pledge of her true love-"
Guy had stood as if turned to stone
while this fipPant speech was being rat
tied out, and then, with few common.
place words, passed on; but his tread
was not as free and elastic as before he
met Fred, and his head, which then had
been raised proudly, was now bent for.
ward dejectedly; for dark cloud had
suddenly arisen, which threatened to
oyershadow forever the bright morning
of his happiness.
Fred watched him pass on with sar-
donic smile on his handsome yet sinister
face, and thought to himself, "Ah, my
fine fellow, there's many a slip 'twixt
the cup and the lip, as You may find to
your cost; and then you will know the
consequences of standing in the way of
Fred Actoni''
X
That evening, in Der luxurious home,
Nellie watched and listened in vain for
the familiar footsteps she had learned to
know so well and she retired to rest at
last, sad and dispirited, and with dim
sense of impending trouble, that was
yet too vague to shape itself into con-
nected thought
The next morning, as the family were
gathered around the breakfast table, q
servant entered the room with q note ad-
dressed to "Miss Pomeroy." Grasping
it eagerly, systematically, Nellie tore it
open, and with blsnched face read the
following laeonic note:
NELLIE: All is over between us.
Thank God, ] have discovered your per-
fidy before it was too late. / had the
fullest confidence in you, Nellie; but
that is past now.
leave for France tomorrow, never /
trust 10 revisit this country, which
would now be but sad home for me.
Your once-deyoted lover,
Guy HARTLEY.
Mr.. and Mrs. Pomeroy, occupied In
their own conversation, had not noticed
the sudden psling of their daughters
face, as she hurriedly scanped the ia-
miliar writing, till, as she reached the
fatal termination, her eyes closed. and,
with 8 low moan of agony, she sank to
the floor in death-like swoon.
For Eve years Guy wandered through
Europe; for five years he yainly strsye
to find forgetfulness and happiness in
constant excitement and changed scene;
but, failing in this, he had at last resolved
to visit again the land of his birth, if
only to mark the rayages which tine
had made among his old friends. So he
returned to London.
Not once had suspicion of Fred
Acton's treachery crossed his mind, for
to Guy he had always shown the better
part Of his nature; besides, the proof of
Nellieis duplicity had seemed too con-
elusive to admit Of any lingering doubt
his love might have suggested.
And Nellie? Thrown into nervous
fever by the cruel note from Guy, she
wayered long between life and death
but, finally, her perfect constitution
gained the victory, and she again mingled
in the gay world Of fashion; but GER
tain sadness was perceptible in her man
ner, aud q weary look in her blue eyes
showed that her heart was not interested
il the gay scenes by which she was sur
rounded.
Vsinly had Fed Acton sued for her
hand. Feeling that he was In come
manner connected with Guys mysterious
she had only scorn TO give
him. At first, she had hoped that some
triyial act Of hers had displeased Guy,
and be would soon return, but ~ the
weeks rolled on and no word came from