The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-09-30

Valera Seymour of one victim, at least,
ana gives me an opportunity to make
her feel to the utmost the just ven
geance ofone whose heart her falseness
and treachery made desolate at the
very outset of life.''
He smiled bitterly, and Marion
thought she had never seen kingly
features wear so black a frown as the
memory of this woman called up. She
left him with the precious paper elias D.
ed close in her hand, and journeyed
swiftly as may be expected to the pris-
on where Lionel Hope resignedly
awaited his fate.
Two ladies were dawdling over late
breakfast in chead, private lodgings ,one
morning, when the elder-they were
mother and daughter suddenly OK
claimed, looking up from the columns
OF the morning paper he was reading,
in alarmed surprise:
Good heaven! Valera, Lionel is not
to be hanged after all! had hoped he
would soon be rid of him forever, and
might safely venture from our retire
ment; but this puts us again in peril.
Governor Page has granted a full par
don."
"Impossible!' gasped Valeria. "He
could never be induced to do such Il
thing. 1t is not like Gev. Page"
'But here it is as plain as print can
make it. wonder how it was brought
about"
II am sure I cannot tell. Lionel
hadn't il friend in the world powerful
enough to favorably influence the Gov
ernor or, at least, 1 did not think that
he had"
"And if Lionel should hunt us out
what then, Valera
The daughter shrugged her beautiful
shoulders derisiyely.
"He hates me too thoroughly to in
jure me. He will obtain IL divorce, Of
course, and I don't much care if he
does, for he is now us poor us a church
mouse; and if the worst comes to the
worst, we will try Europe as a last res
ort.''
''But we have no money" mourn
ASAA1y 4Clll1llACu Viz 111OCllCl StIlSl your
beauty, Valeria: is on the wane.'
"You are kind to call my attention
to the unpleasant fact" she sharply re-
torted. IF it had not been for you,
l would have been a better woman.
You commenced to train me early, and
the first was the most cruel of all evil
lessons you taught me, for 1 did not
care much what you made of me after
you parted Roland and l."
'Pooh he was a beggar!" sneered
the worthy PAL ent.
''Poor, indeed!" flashed Valeria; ':but
1 loved him dearly, and would have
married him in spite of everything had
| not known myself to be utterly I'M
worthy of him."
'When you first met Lionel was there
not a milk-and-water somebody whom
he was engaged to at the time? It
seems to me have misty recollec-
ton of something of the kind" con-
tinued the elder lady, taking no notice
of her daughters last remark.
Eyes, a plain girl, but one with very
little OF the milk-and-water, elements
in her nature, [ can assure you," re-
piled Valeria.
Come to think of it, perhaps this
paragon may have had a hand in it,"
suggested Mrs. Seymour.
"And perhaps this Gov. Page is my
Roland Page" said Valeria.
Nonsense, child! The name isis
we'll, only coincidence"
"But my presence here is not said
a voice, that made both women trem-
bic. so full was it of suppressed anger.
IL came not to harm you, but to tell
you that know all your past, and how
UNNECESSARILY false you were from the
very beginning. Farewell, and I pray
Heaven / may never see your face
again.
Lionel Hope turned to depart, but
Valeria put out a OBTAINING hand.
"Stay, Lionel; I have something to
say to you-something it will be too
late to say tomorrow"
She carelessly lifted her hand to her
lips, threw back her head to the Grim
son cushion of the chair, looked up in
his face, and smiled the same sweet,
winning smile that had lured away his
allegiance to Marion in the time gone
by, and made him now half forget her
sins. But even while the smile still lin
gered, the dark eyes grew strangely
fixed and CLASSY, and the pallor of death
overspread the lovely countenance.
''Merciful heavens, Valeria! what
have you done:?" he cried, terrible
fear taking possession of his mind.
Purchased your forgiveness with my
life. 1t was a weary burden, and for
years l have kept the means of release
near nae. Now listen, and you shall
indeed know all the truth. Of ali liv-
ing men, the only one ever loved was
Roland Page-aye, loved him with my
whole heart! Tell him so, should you
ever meet him. Tell him that Valeria