Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-01-04
THE PEMBERTON DIAMONDS.


emerald, that made vivid, ghmmering
spots on Helen Benedict's white dress AS
she bent over them admiringly, caress-
ingly, on her golden haired head, from
which foated the graceful foamy length
Of bridal veil, where orange buds
crowned her.
She was exqlisitely lovely, in that fair,
dainty way that had always been Darrell
Penn berton's admiration that had made
him passionately in love with her from
the moment her bright blue eyes looked
into his dark ones-until this moment
when, attired in her bridal robes, she was
in readiness to go down to the we'll filled
parlors below, to promise to be his own
to have and to hold.
She was raplurously happy, She loved
her betrothed husband with all her heart
and soul. She admired him above all
men. She trusted and respected him
entirely.
lie was handsome, talented, refined
and aristocratc-qualties which Helen
Benedict desired in her future lord and
master and she was fair, dainty, noble
in character, lovely in disposition-and so
they suited each other to perfection.
Helen Benedict stood there, in her
bridal dress, with the western sunshine Of
n royal Winters afternoon shining ON
her and her lovers magnificent gift-tho
diamonds which he had told her, with a
tender thrill of pride in his voice, had
been in his family for generations, and
never had eraced so fair Il bride as she.
Below stairs she heard the low muir
mur Of voices, the fro@ fjoU Of silken
trains, the heavier sound Of light foot
falls. Outside stood several coaches, the
coachmef in bridal favors of whito satin
rosettes and streaming ribbons. There
was the especial clarence that was waiting
for Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Pemberton to
be carried to the depot-iielen thought,
in the several minutes She stood there
alone, how strange it all was-that in u
few little minutes, by few little words,
the whole world would be transformed
for her that Helon Benedict would be no
more, and she would be his wife, his
brido-her darling, her lord.
She had asked him to leave her alone a
few minutes, after they had dressed her.
She had wanted to be alone, to realize all
that was at hand, little imagining what
was at hand, little knowing, as she lis
tened to tho half laughing voices OF Dar-
rell Pembeuon and his groomsman, in
the small parlor opposite the door Of her
own boudoir, as she leaned over the
gitteriug jewels he had that day sent
her, what awaited her.
Then some one tapped on her door /;
then, on her fathers arm, with her bevy
of bridesmaids following, sho went down
to the rooms below, whore Darrell Penn
berlon awaited her, flush ot happypride
on his handsome face as he looked at her
veiled loveliness.
Then the words we're spoken, md the
vows uttered, and the prayer said, and
Helen Pemberton received the congrotu-
lations OF half envious men and half
jealous women and then
Helen had gone up to her room to
change her dress, and was in readiness to
60 down again, so beautiful to sec in her
gray silk suit and delicate blue feathercd
hat, when, from the parlor across the
hall. that had been dedicated to the use
Of Mr., Pcmberton, she heard a sudden
excited voice-a voice she had never
heard before-the voice Of woman,
indignant, reproachlul, angmshul, des-
perate:
~ tell you l will not lsten to such
excuses. | told you l would follow you
here, il You dared attempt to play me
false, and she shall hear from my lips the
story of my"
Helen stood like statne, every syllable
falling like an ice drop on her numb
senses. Then her husbands voice inter
rupted, sharply, annoyedIy:
"You will not tell her, Iora Unfor-
tunatey, perhaps, foi you, you cannot
undo what has just been DONE She is
my wife, and your common sense will
tell you that nothing you can say can
accomplish any other result than causing
her-weil, unpleasantpess."
Helen heard little sarcastic laugh
from him, and a great thrilling agony in
the other voice.
"Unplea.antness ? Yes, will cause
her that, and more 1t will make her
sutier-suiler only less than you have
made me suffer. will force my way to
her, tel! you, and she shall know the
man she has married. the man who de-
liberately-"
"Tha, win do What I ever did or
did not is not matter for discussion. If
you do not instantly leave the house as
guardedly as you came--and Satan only
knows how you managed to get here--I
will put bold face on it, call policeman
and choke your story down your throat as
a lie, and an attempt at blackmail. If
you will 60, rs said, l viii see you again
tomorrow, in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
night on the ferry boat, the one imme-
d.ately after the train boat from Camden
as nine-thiriy. Have you money to take
you there? Yes 1? All right; be quick
aboutit !"
There followed a seconds silence; then
the woman'5 voice, low, intense, threat
ing:
II viii do as you say this once more,
Darrell Pemberton. But il you arc not
there-there To agree to what / demand