The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-12-11

were easily deluded, you thoucht mo-
body could resist a Throckmortou.
And how hated you when Raphael
came back, strong ard beautiful. with
that hunger in his eyes which I under-
stoodI What hours we spent floating
on the still river, which was like the
picture of dream, while you FORGOT US
among our books, following the fii9ht of
comets, weighing the stars and the
earth! was lost Plead, the course
of which you omitted to reckon. What
dusks were those, made eloquent with
love and melody! what sunsets bloomed
for us two! what stars trembled into
our heaven! And that black. gusty
night-ah, should have been happy,
happy, but for you, Theodore Throck-
morton. All your wealth and love could
not purchase happiness for me. should
have been happy with Raphael in Italy
yes, in Hades. Why did you not let
us goP Why did you come down
from the clouds and the starry
spaces, wake from your nebulous trance,
just to hinder two loversP Why did
you stand like the angel with the fam
ing sword between us and our paradiseP
And here, in this lonely prison-house,
you make good your revenge. l might
shrek for help, OF morsel
of bread, and none would hear me,
shut in by miles of plantation. Alas, l
am so faint and worn! 1 dragged NY
self to the mirror to-day, and was scared
at the ghost which met me. shall new
er see it again, for broke the glass into
atoms. Through the chinks of my bind
| see the ripe fruits dropping, -yni TO
rot upon the ground below, and am
so hungry-dying, dying of starvation
in the lap of luxury; all my beauty van
ishing like a mist, crumbling into dust!
Who could have dreamed that Theodore
Throckmorton would be revelged on a
woman for a sin she failed IMP If l
die tonight l will haunt you; all the
years of your life will haunt you; all
the eternity after death 1 will"
Had the bitter heart ceased beating
with this inarticulate cryi "Julia
Throckmorton died December 20, 49,"
had been written below by Theodore
himself.
While Rose had read, spell-bound, a
thunderstorm had risen in fury, bnt she
had not heeded-one of those sudden
flashes of the elements; the lightnings
had rent the sky, and had torn up at
one stroke q great tree on the avenue.
Theodore, returning unexpectedly, has
tened through the grounds and house to
the library in search of her; she had
used to fear the passion of these South
ern storms unless folded in his arms
but she stood up now and confronted
him, holding Julia Throckmorton' s diary
in her hand, a speechless horror frozen
in her eyes, shrinking away from him,
convulsed and cold.
"You-you,'' she gasped-"you
starved her to death, here in this lonely
place; and-and II loved you! The
Throckmortons are a hard race" and
she fell fainting into his arms.
That night the Throckmortons' heir
came home; but his mother made no
rejoicing. She was going over and over
that cruel diary; its words had burned
into her memory; she was haunted by
Julia's dying reproaches. But as the
days multiply she grows stronger, in
spite of every thing-stropg enough to
use pencil and paper, in which the nurse
INDUCES her, and she writes: "When
| am better, Theodore, will go back to
Little Champion. Baby and I will go
together. Good-by'"
"Little Champion, indeed" said the
Doctor, who had entered, and taken the
pencil and paper from her hands.
!" What train do you propose to take,
Mrs. Throckmorton?" Then, as the
tears start into her eyes, he whispers:
!" Let me give you something quieting.
Your husband tells me that you have
been reading the diary of Julia Throck-
morton. Theodore saved her from the
disgrace of an elopement, but she never
forgave him; and, my dear child, her
diary was the diary of mad woman"
"And she did not die of starvationP
Do you mean to tell me that Theodore
loved and cherished her as he prom
isedP"
"Yes, she died of starvation. She
eluded the vigilance of her keepers, and
starved herself to death in her frenzy.
She died at the asylum, not in this lone
ly place, this prison-house, and I attend
ed her,"
"Will you call Theodorep" said Rose
Magazine.