The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-17
| to think kindly OF the unknown woman who

had so radically changed his life,
They travelled lelsurcly through the lou
they had marked out before they started, un'
one night found them in French village
About the middle Of the night the doctor wa
awakened by some one tapping 1T his dOor,an(
ealing for INN Ia come out
He did 50. He found the landlord, who tolt
him, in broken English, that one of his coun
,rymen had just fallen down stairs IN a fit, anC
seeing his name registered rs an VI. D., they
called him up
He went into an elegantly furnished room
where Il man. some fifty years Of age, was ly
ing in dying condition. \ young lady sd
by the bed tanning him. The doctor hastily
examined the patient, and found that ii wa,
impossible for him to i've but the day passed
and still another, before he drew his last breath
He never recovered his consciousness
The lady told DR., Pomeroy that he was hel
father His name was Eugene Sydcnham, Il
native of England and she would like to have
him buried where he died They were travel
ing for the benefit of her health, she went on
to explain, and he was Il widowcr. Her only
remaining relative was young sister, who was
being educated in the Convent Of the Sacred
Heart in Paris.
After Mr. Sydeham was buried Miss Sy-
Idcham went under the care Of the doctor and
his mother, to Paris She insisted upon their
taking up their abode where she had apart.
lments. and so not day passed but she was
with Mrs Pomcroy. The old lady got warmly
attached to her, and talked dolciully to her
son about the time when they should have to
be separated
She told them Coniidcntlally not to wonder
that she did not mourn for her father for he
HAD cndcavOrcd to wrong her SO deeply that it
was not love that held her to his side; and in
all her life she had never been so happy rs
now that she was free.
Dr. Pomcroy watched her At first he was
very gallant, but at last he began to be reServ
ed and cold \ feeling he dared not cherish
was growing In his heart, and 1t alarmed him
greatly.
II dare not love her" he muttercd to him.
| self II am bound
Then, for the first time, he felt how heavy
were the letters he had forged for himself She
noticed the change. She tried to beguilc him
to forget the grief that wa, evidently wearing
on HIM; and at last, in fit OF desperation, he
told her all
| II am married man" he said impctuous.
| ". II love you; and yet am not free 10
! love"
She recolcd but badc him tell her all
1T was cruel, unkind of her to bind you SO.
she SAID.
NO, no." he calculated SHE saved me
she blessed mc--and shall always respect her,
but never did my bonds hurt me until met
you Now shall be miserable forever
you may meet her.
"lmp0sSiblc."
But possible" she said, with a sorrowful
look. know your Ellen lalour. She lives,
and ! must give you up
You know hcr|
"Ycs, tomorrow will introduce you to her.
She is anxious to see you; She knows you are
here and-shc believed you loved me, and
wondered if You were rs upright rs she had
always thought you to be"
He bowed his face in his hands, and Miss
Sydcnham left him The hour had come
which he had hoped for in bygonc days-he
was to learn whom he had welded but it gave
nlm no pleasure now.
At an early hour the next day, Il servant told
him that Miss Latour awaited him in her pri.
waite parlor, and he wa, ushercd into strange
room. He scarcely lifted his eyes as he enter
ed, but when he did, they fell upon Miss sgd
cnham.
al am Ellen Latour," she said simply
THAT is my real name though never antici-
pacd revealing the truth to you. Listen to
my story before you blame me, she said
"Thc man whom you saw die was my step
father. IL" married my mother when was
but five years old, and sister Ada baby. My
mother was weakly and she died few years
later, leaving all our fathers property in that
mans hands. He was our sole guardian, to
hold our property under his contro! until we
were married or became of age. He placed
me in the Sacred Heart, and kept me there UNI
Ill | was sixteen, and then he took me ont, and
proposed to marry me to II friend Of his: | re-
bcllcd One night heard Il conversation be
tween them, and found that he was selling me
for twenty thousand dollars that was to be
paid down to him out of my property the mo
ment Turner became my husband. ! was
shocked had no friends to 90 to, and was
totally at a loss what to do. He did not allow
me to 90 into society; | made no acquaint-
anccs, and instead Of allowing me to stay in
my mothers house, he kept me travelling about
the country,
AT last proposed to compromise. told
my stcp-alCr TO take me TO America, and
when | returned | would marry his friend. !
He complied, and | got my maid to gossip
with one OF the servants in the hotel, and by !
chance ahC told her your history, as her sister
worked for your mother Just before started
from England an uncle of my mothers left
me fifty thousand dollars in my own right, |
which my stcptathcr could not touch. had
! it transferred to New York, and determined to |
save myself with it, Hearing of you, adopt
| ed the plan ol getting YOU to marry me. When
we returned to England, my steptathcr com
mandcd me TO fulfill my promise. | showed
him my marriage certificate, He swore but
he saw his case was lost; had outwittcd him. |
| ! did not leave him, but remained to protect
my sister Ada from a similar fate | never
expected to meet you. intended to have you
sue me for divorce rs soon as he should die, |
and it would not cndanger my safety"
But this intention will never be carried in |
to effect DR. pomcroy exclaimed. you will |
be mine forever, Ellen"
yours forever she answered.
! And when they went to see his mother, there
were no three happier people to be found in
| the whole world.
Years have passed since then, and Ada finds
n home with her sister, who never rcpcntS that
'hc was saved from II fate worse than death by
strategy.
| Many persons say 81 haven't got the COnsump-
| ton" when asked to cure their Cough with Shi-