The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-06-10
WOODSFIELD MONROE COUNTY, OHIO TUESDAY,

dead. if you like. In your hands is the
only proof of our marrisge; destroy it ;
nothing will then stand between you and
peace. l have only to heg you to for
give me for allowing you to link your
fate with a miserable and Impoverished
wife instead of with an heiress, as you
hoped
The letter ended as abruptly as it be-
gan,and was sealed and placed ON }, lake $
writiag-,able. Dorcas came softly into
the room, crying little in qaiet way.
Overriding was ready-they could 60.
Late that evening Leonard D.ake re-
turned. TO be horrided by the news that
his wife was not there, though the d.
mesticshad supposed, from what Dorcas
said s.Eat she and her mistress had gone
to DoVei to meet Mr.. Drake beonartl
took light aud hurried to his room
where the first object that met his eyes
vas the letter Lydia had written.
~
Five years had elapsed since Lydia's
disappearance. But she looked older
even than that. The agony Of that day
the horril hlgut afterwari; the constant
fear Of discovery, aud lastly the truggle
for bread, 'mbined with her never end
ing heartache, had begun t. cat wrinkles
in her still fair face.
In all this time she had never heard OF
her husband nor Of her early home
She was too proud to return to her fs-
ther.
81 will starve first" she often said.
cleuching her hands.
Whether Leonard was alive or dead
she did not know, nor did she wish to
know. Sometimes she said to herself,
moaning on her pillow at night: "He is
with Mrs. Dorchester" and the thought
went through her heart with ac,usl phys
icsl pain, like the stab of a knife.
She and her faithful Dorcas were set
tied in Boston now, in an obscure cor
ner, as the least likely place to be dis
covered. She earned scanty living, and
it was one Of the scantiest, by celoring
photographs. Into the more fashionable
streets she never ventured, except when
she had to 60 to sell her sketches, or to
get orders. On one of these occasions
she came suddenly face TO face With Mrs.
Dorchester. She turned and fed mme-
diately regardless OF her errand-Hed
down side streets and close alleys-and
only stopped to breathe when she had
reached her humble lodging in one OF
the most secluded parts OF the city. .Ba:
hardly had she closed the door, hardly
had she begun to tell Dorcas that they
must fy, when Mrs. Dorchester unsn-
nounced forced herself into the room.
IL have followed you," said the latter
uuceremoniously as Lydia rose angrily
IL will speak, Mrs. Drake"
"Have the goodness to leave nv
room," answered Lydia, tottering to her
feet. Il do not know You nor the na me
by which you have addressed me"
"You have been m.d -l.n,s- -eneusIa,, y
sternly exclaimed her visitor, sitting
down. "Try to come back to your SEN
ses l shall not 60 till l have explained.
A few words will do it. Your husband
and /, instead of being what you thought,
were trying to keep great misfortune
from you or, if that could not be done,
to break it to you carefully"
There was an air OF truth about the
speaker that staggered Lydia She sank
nprvalpso into a chair
81 must tell the whole story in order
to exculpate ourselves" said Mrs. Dor
chester. "Yonr father got into. difficul.
ties, forged my husbands name to q
large amount, aud was on the point OF
exposure when Mr. Dorchester died -
The affairs then came into my hands to
settle.
Lydia sat leaning both elbows on the
table before her, her face supported on
her hands, listening and looking as if al
her doomster.
81 could have prosecuted your father,
but it would have sent him to die in
prison." continued Mrs Dorchester, 'and
would have publicly disgraced all his
family. You l knew, by name, as the
wife of my cousin, with whom l had
been brought up in the country as q
child and whom | loved as, brother
as brother, nothing MORE" she added,
emphatically. besides, was wom-
an, aud / hope not cruel one. So re-
fused to prosecute, suffered the loss OF
the money and hushed the matter up
A groan burst from Lydia.
Mrs. Dorchester went on: "Then
met your husband unexpectedly He
had received some hints about your fa
ther aud he insisted on knowing the
truth. He then said you ought to be
told. But replied that it would only
pain you heedlessly; if you continued
estranged you might never hear The
story He answered that il would come
to your ears, sooner or later. This i!
why you saw US talking 80 much logeth
er, aud why, on several occasions, he
sought private interviews with me. On,
evening he nearly won my consent. Blu
hardly had he gone before L repenled.-
| shrank from it, you see as woman
and I wrote to him, telling him he mus
still keep our secret That letter, i
seems, or portion of it, you found
He was tearing it up, when you came
into the room, and he put what was lef
of it hastily into book that lay nigh
as he afterwards remembered. As sool
as he could, he hurried to consult me-
You we're, he said getting Jealous; yo'
evidently misunderstood US; and ht
must tell the whole story now, in justic'
to himself. ! was engaged with part,
to Dover. and the room was full so b
joined US, in order to have an opportu
nifty to say all this. Of course, in thi
crisis, my scruples gave way. NV re
ward is that you have believed me vii
woman. There, that's the whole.
have told the story, perhaps, in a hare
way; I'm sorry for you, all the same :
Thank God, I've found YOU
She had risen while speaking, an,
caught Lydia's dress in the excitemen
OF telling her hurried tale. LYDIA
gaze, which at first had been fixed O
her so angrily, had fallen before her
she had buried her face in her hands
and now, as Mrs. Dorchester ceased, th
wretched listener sank senseless to th
floor.