The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-03-21
II PENALTY Or SIN.


+ .sHe called her his darling, and told M
in his sweetly %oonfding way of his great
love" for her, told me who loves him so
fou,:ly. who lives on the kind words he so
chGringly gives me, why 1 thought l should
choke when he was talking TO nae, and asking
me to love her as q sister. Great Heavens
What have o that | should be made to
suaer all my young life! robbed by relentless
deatnf of fathgr and mother. no brother, no
sister to share my troubles, an object of
charitable consideration on the part OF my
parslt is friends. here seems TO be q dark
c.oad hanging over me constantly, entirely
ob-curing my bright fauciiul dreams OF
peace. happiness and contentuient but now
u, Ink cloud has hurs, and | am drenched
aui heNiiiercd in it binding, swathful fury.
Cod help me, for / know not what TO do
Ard poor Dora Bartlett buried her pale face
~ tie suow-white pillows Of her bed, giving
wat to low passionate sobs and means,
heartfelt and pitiful.
Do,a Bartlett was the adopted daughter Of
C,!sni O'Nsy. Her parents both died when
"a Nss q mere child often yelrs; her tnther
All. Colonel O'Ney were partners in q mer-
1-tle honse and whom Nr. Bartlett died
La was given to Col. ONeys care, as his
ND and adopted daughter. There was a
,. fheient sum OF none leftby her father to
vide poor Dora with careful economy,
which her guardian had increased 10 q con
siderable extent by wise investment.
Col. O'Sey's family consisted Of a maid0I
sister Of his. and one son, Willie O'Ney.
. Ia latter was twenty-five Yeas OF nga al the
tie my story opens, had been TO college,
graduated with honOrs, taken Il short trip to
kurope. upon his return had entered Judge
M.lIace's Cfire, aud had already earned the
name OF a rapidly rising young lawyer. Ono
ri his earliest olicuts was a lovely widow
whose case seemed both sad and curious.
But one short month after her bridal day, her
husband killed himself. People wondered,
censured md criticized and then thntworldly
event was past, forgotten, gone into oblivion
by the public, as something more startling
appeared In the daily papers. Ida Foster was
this widow, and having some difficulty in
regard to the propertyleft byher unfortunate
husband, she had sought The Office of Judge
Wallace. That gentleman being ubsent nj the
time, young ONey took the case, which
proved a very easy one, the widow received
her rights in a short time, ard with her rights
she also took the young lawyers heart. Her
brill mi brunette type of beauty took his
love by storm. One glance Of her lovely,
soft, sparkling black eyes entrnnced him. ii
was love at first sight, and promised to be
very lasting, for five months had nuly elapsed
Since Mrs. Ida Foster had stood beside the
open grave OF her self-destroyiug hushn..I
Samuel Foster, when she listened tn Willie
O"Ney's protestations OF his great, rbsui Liug
love, and confessed TO him how deeply II was
reciprocated:
Dear Willie | may be wrong in doing
this. You know that terrible event that hap
pened so short n time ago" and the black
eyes dropped their long silkcn lAshss until
they shaded the dusky check. Some people
miPht blame me"
Hush, dearest! We need not make our
engagement known until n year has passed
away. Dora, my adopted sister. * the only
one we need tell, and she is all goodness. Shs
will love you devotedly, and be a true friend
% you. So cheer up little one-there is u
| happy future in store for you" and tue
over held the slight form Of his adorcd one
.loso to his manly breast, and kissed her rosy
bps over and over again.
If Willie O'Ney could have heard tic re-
mark uttered by those rosy lips after his de
paTture, his love would have received a re-, ere
shock. The remark was lie is a good
catch. Ida Foster, you are E lucky woman
| do not love him, true. AL the love | ever
possessed died long ago when ] was only IA
poor flower girl struggling to keep soul aud
body together on u crust, given hy the large
charity of Broadway promenedeTs Oh. their
:old sympathy killed ali tire lose that ever
existed in my hcRrt, aud when Mr. Foster
thought lit to take me from my low walk ct
life merely for my pretty face. and then chose
20 kill Cab, what q nasty word , himself aud
cave me such a pile Of worldly goods, lie did
avery wise deed for at the rate We were
living | do not know what ! might hive been
soRded to do myself. Bah love had Euthinu
20 do with that marriage, aul will be foreign
On in the one to como but La thinks
| love him so rnndly. Oh! you foolish men.
would We women d,ign to look ut yuu II YOU
tore poverty stamp What would all Your
honied words ana tender affections amount to
with us if they were not bound, backed and
lined with goldY Yes. gold! That is thu ii,
Shich binds us, the love that wins US One
Fan love that love forever, 1t never gals
I never weHries; and my dear, darling Wi
ne, shall be the most aGcctiouate, devoted
wife you ever read OF heard of Us long us vou
oestO~ on ne plenty of golden love.
Poor Dora Bartlett 81. long in her room
thinking, thinking What she should 10. As
% remaining in the family and playing the
agreeable 10 "ilio's HlianCel. she could not.
She detestedd deception, and she 50 thoroughly
hsltked the woman. believing her to be a sci
ash sordid being, whose affections towards
aerintended husband were wholly mercenary
"Ho" blind he is, thought Dora, TO be
made such a duFe, Ny Willie whom / love
"ith all my heart and soul, he, who is SO
good, so honest, 30 true; No no , cannot
'emain to their wedding. / could not bear TO
zee him so terribly sacrificed. | cnnnst give
aim a warning, for | know nothing nv
ssars lr lhs future with that woman arc oulv
imaginative ones, based on my i~ntuitive {,
Ike to her. Why whenever she shakes han
With me, i feel as though il was the lev cod
,slm Of death that l hold in my grasp, so IN
inmate, 50 chilling are her slender finger.
Then >e has such a =oft, slyr creeping way
Nth Ell, gliding about one as roiselessly as
is Willy serpent through the uncut grass
loA forgir> me-, if 1 judge her wrongfuliy,
but ] aoh NIX her coming here brings trouble
70 ou- once happy household, and yet he loves
| do. -'
Two months after Dora heard of her adopt
I'd brothers betrothal, she informed the fam
lily Of her intended departure to a dis Mt
sity, to make a protracted former visit to Il
sehoolmate.
This decision was received with some sur
prise, as Dora was considered such a home
body.
Time speed On with rapid wings. The day
Of the wedding arrived. The nuptia;s were
. be celebrated in a quiet manner. and Dora
bad been sent for, but a kind, ~sisterly letter
accompanied with a pretty present. had
been received by Willie, stating the cause of
her not being able To be in attendance as she
had become a temporary teacher in a semi
nary. during the illness of an acquaintance
who held that position, and could not be
spared such a length of time as it would re-
quire for her to make the journey. With
what bitter tears and heartfelt signs that let
ter wss written, no one but Dora ever knew.
Five years have passed Many changes
aave taken place. Colonel O'Esy aud his
sieter have lOth DoAf to that t.h1urpo FINN,