Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-22
This was the note, word for word,
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and 1 confess no stranger message
had ever been transmitted to me
There was something In the tone of
the brief epistle that seemed to
breathe a spice of romance and ad-
venture, and my idea of country
trip was abandoned instanter.
Il am ready to accompany you,
miss l said to the waiting. maid /;
and watching her closely, / could
see that my decision pleased her.
found carriage awaiting at my
door, and silently assisted the young
lady to enter it.
She made no attempt to enter into
conversation with me as drove
through the city streets, and although
| was-as the ladies say--'dying to
know something Of her mistress, I
did not stoop to question.
l heaved sigh of intense relief,
however, when the carriage drew up
before the entrance to superb resi-.
dence on Madison avenue, and my
companion annouaced that our Jour-
ney was at an end.
A solemn. looking msn.servant ad-
mitted US, and in answer to some low
spoken inquiry of the maid, informed
her that the mistress would receive
the gentleman in her boudoir.
With a growing sense of my own
Importance, / followed the girl up
the broad, richly carpeted staircase
and into room that was like the
home OF fairy,so beautiful and pure
looking, with its furniture of white
and gold, and delicate hangings of
snowy silk and lace.
Lawyer Reavey, Mrs. Herbert, an
nounced my companion, and a lady
arose from couch near the window,
and came forward to meet me.
| could with difficulty repress an
exclamation of establishment, for my
eyes had never beheld anything so
exquisitely lovely as the lady ad
dressed as Mrs. Herbert.
She could not have been more
than eighteen years of age, and
looked even younger, although there
was nothing of the child in the ex.
preston of the sadly beautiful face
or in the blue depths Of the fair, shad.
owed eyes.
She motioned me to seat near
that she had lately occupied, and /
could see that she was visibly embar-
raised and at loss how to proceed.
Her hands moved restlessIy from
place to place, and could see the
color fading out of her perfect face,
and at last she summoned courage to
address me.
Her brother had been my friend,
she told me, and when she mentioned
her brothers. name / started, for it
was indeed that of one of my most
valued friends, who had lately died
very suddenly.
"My poor brother begged me, with
almost his last breath, to 60 to yor,
and ask you to take my case in hand,
for the sake of your old friendship"
The beautiful woman faItered; and
it is needless to say that when / an
swered her she had but 70 state her
case, and count on a willing cham.
pion.
She thanked me with a simple
grace that was infinitely charming,
and then told me the story of her life.
She was utterly alone in the world
since her brother died, and tied to a
man whose cruelty was killing her.
Charles Herbert was a strange
character, thought peculiar by his
friends, but believed by those who
knew him best to be developing traits
of madness.
In the presence of strangers he
was remarkably kind and devoted to
his young wife, but in the sanctuary
of home he was actually brutal in
his cruelty to the unfortunate girl, as
was evident from the livid marks
upon her white arms and shoulders
81 want to be freed from him-I
am in actual terror of my life! Oh,
Mr.. Reavey, can the letters which
bind me to this terrible man be bro.
ken? Give me some hope, or l will
no longer live in this agonizing sus-
pense!" she cried, and l was fright.
ened at the expression of her face, as
she stood before me, with her small
hands clasped in an agony of suppl.
cation, and her beautiful eyes gianc.
ing hastily around her every minute,
as if dreading the approach of her
tormenter.
/ was at loss for words to answer
her appeal.
She wanted to be freed from the
husband who was cruel to her, and
she evidently believed that / had
lat to write out couple OF sheets OF
foolscap, and pronounce her the di.
vorced wife of Charles Herbert. How
was to undeceive her? How was
to tell her what work of time and
trouble it would be to obtain legal
bill of divorce /? / told her would
exert every means in my power to
aid her, and | resolved to watch the
movements of Herbert closely, while
the lady promised to communicate
with me should he attempt any fur
Their violence.
l left that house like one in a
dream, my heart filled with pity fol-
her hopeless condition, and my brain
puzzling itself over innumerable ways
and means Of obtaining for her the
release she sought.
True to my first resolve, / sought
out Charles Herbert in his usual
haunts about town, and studied him
| in secret.
He was a polished gentleman
dark faced and handsome but did
not like the glitter in his dark eyes
or the treacherous and oft-recurrine
smile that played about his full, sen.
sual lips.
met him in society, where he
was all attention to bis beautiful
young wife, and apparently devoted
as the fondest lover.
/ shuddered as / thought of the
life to which beautiful Elenore Her
bert seemed hopelessly doomed, fol
with the cunning of iend, her hus
band wore his mask of smiles, anc
gave no chance to the most suspic
| -. ,t...xor bx xrL.oL L. ~~.~l.