The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-02-05

4 =
che had seen twenty-four hours be.
fore? Her hair, that was always
carefully arranged, with { natural
girlish pride in i:s waving profusion,
was pushed back in q roughened
disbeveled mass, as if untouched for
hours her large eyes had sunken in
to bo.lows, and were burning in q
face as death.like in pallor & that ol
the corpse lying in another part oi
the house. She still wore the white
dress she had worn the previous day,
but it was crushed and limp, and
hung about her without any dainty
neatness that had always character
ized her attire. Even her voice was
changed, hollow and dall. as she
said
II am sorry You have come"
"Sorry, Aims !" cried Mrs. Wes-
ton, losing all resentment at the sight
of such evident suffering "My dear
child, who should comfort you If
Horace's mother has not the pow.
er ?n
"No one can comfort me- Horace
must forget be ever knew me- Only
few days more and shall be gone
from you !"
"Alma, what troubles you 7 Tell
me Remember / was soon TO have
a mothers right to your confidence. y
Thank Heaven, you are saved y
was the reply, given with . solem.
nifty that startled her hearer.
"My dear Alma, yoa tersiiJ me
WHAT'S this sorrow that ID crushing
you 2"
Il cannot tell you." said the girl,
her eyes seeming TO be seeking es-
cape, as though of an animal newly
trapped. II can tell no oDp I sn
to be e dead DO you understand I
| died to every body. TO lore, to bsp-
pioess, even to hope, yesterday. !
am going away, vtass fos 9in ney-
er sle ns. hsset nesr u pe
"But, Alma, you cannot. We
hav right to some explanation.
Horace will never submit to such q
rejection
The girl shuddered, and then, with
as6y lips, said:
Tell Horace .ha, be never had so
great cause sor gratitude as be has
to-esy. Had my father lived few
months longer | should have been
Horsce's wife, and-his eurse."
"For Heavens sake, Alma. cease
to speak in rioales Horace asks no
greater happiness than to call you
his wife. l will send him to you.
He may persuade you to listen to
reason"
$40 rot send him. will not see
him | Oh" she cried. wildly, show
YOU torture NE r. aud throwing her
arms above her head, she dropped
senseless upon the door.
"She is going to have brain fever,
and her trouble is delirium y
thought Mrs. Weston, perple!ed, az
gry, and yet p.t;su,-
Eot Alma did lot have brain fe-
yer. DR.. Hale, sent for in haste, or.
dered perfect quiet. and the girl was
mercifully left with only Mrs. Wy
mans motherly care, gnti. after the
funeral. On lhe very day her father
was buried she drove to Mr.. Nor.
tons Office, and left with him her
fathers last written words:
my daughter. Aims, 10 10 have
pe.ect eoulrol OF wy entire property
as soon as ! sp bhrisd, TO asess che
lujers,snds to be my dying will.
JAMES HuKsr"
/, was a long interview, and the
last words were the desth-b!ow o,
Horace Westoa'a soga Of aa end Of
nis psrp,exit5.
"You promise to give nv sddrss.
to no one 7" Alma said
II have promised / trust you
aud am willing to believe your du
ty 10 the dead dictates your strange
course Of conduct. Bat if you evel
can eon6de 10 me. zoo shall not ssli
friendly counsel 2
; fse sext day, when Horace sought
The loneed for Interview with his be
trothed, be found the house closed
aud empty, and Mr. Morton shso-
lutely dnmh regarding his elienti
noseneats Moved al last by th,
young mans agony. the old ls.yer
ssld:
Whatever Miss Hrrst's seefe
msy be. i, is aatireiy her own.
snow ao,hibg 81 tie motives for be
strange conduct, bot this / do know
that che is crushing out every hcre
Of Der life. her lore. ses friendship
q, .sas ass made Der happiness, il
some duty laid upon her young hands
by her dying father. What Il il.
tell you frankly ! eassos even euess
slt che will meet it, il it causes be
death | neyer dreamed her ffagil'
rsme and sweet face we're masks fol
saeh 40 iron will, such power Of cell
sacrifice
! But in her own home. gossips ssis
/ that alma Hnrst's head was turne'
by her sudden control Of wealth. sn'
she had Tilted Horace Weston an'
gone 10 seek the pleasures Of q cit.
! liR."
! And as the months crent ~. Aor
ace Wsstaa, pesripg nothing Of b
9strotbed. accepted sis dismissal 9
final Il aged him, bsraeoed hin
for, With be love. be had given Ain
i the most unbounded con6dence. HI
man natrre could never seem th
same to him since bis ideal Of we
! mani God had played bin false. liv
years bad passed sheo Mrs Westol
who vas making . visit to ser sista
in : neighboring city. tsieeraPhe
her son !: