The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-17
glow and crimson into perfect woman


AT last the plighted lovers came. and
welcome and festivities awaited them.
Mr.. w. gave entire satisfaction to father.
mother and even the exacting beauty. -
lie was a handsome man, with some
pretensions to fashion; but in manner,
and apparently in character the opposite
of his betrothed.
TWAS decided that Lucy should not leave
nome again until after marriage, which at
the request of her ardent lover, was to
De celebrated within two months, and on
the birthday of the bride. 1t was there
lore arranged that Ellen should return
with Mr.. W to NJ, to take charge
OF her sisters school for the remainder
of the term.
The bridal day had come. 1t had been
ushered in by May morning of sur
passing loneliness; the busy hours had
worn away and now it was nigh sunset,
and neither the bridegroom nor Ellen,
the first bridesmaid, had appeared. Yet
in her neat little chamber sat Lucy moth
ing doubling, nothing fearing: She was
already in simple white muslin, and
her few bridal adornments lay on the ta-
BILE by her side. Miss Allen, her second
bridesmaid, bright-eyed, affectionate-
hearted girl, her chosen friend from
childhood, was arranging to more
graceful fall, the wealth of light ringlets
which swept her snowy neck. To the
anxious inquiries of her companion re-
speeding the absent ones, Lucy smiled
quietly and said:
go, something has happened to de-
tain them while; we heard from them
the other day and all was well. They
will be here by and by, never fear"
Evening came, the guests were assem-
bled, and yet the bridegroom tarried.
There were whispers, surmises and Won
behring's, and a shadow of anxiety passed
over the face of the bride elect At last
a carriage drove rather slowly to the
door.
"They have comer' cried many voices,
and Ellen entered. In reply to the hur-
ried and confused inquiries of all around
him, Mr.. W muttered something
about unavoidable delay" and step
ping up to the side-board, tossed off
glass of wine, another and another. The
company stood still with amazement-
Finally a rough old farmer exclaimed:
''Better late than never, young man
so lead out the bride"
W strobe hastily across the room,
and placing himself by Ellen, took her
hand in his! Then, without daring to
meet the eye of any about him, he said:
81 wish to make an explanation-I
am under the painful necessity-that is,
l have the pleasure to announce that |
am already married. The lady whom l
now hold by the hand is my wife!"
Then, turning in an apologetical man.
ner to Mr.. and Mrs. button, he added,
g found that | had never loved until |
knew your second daughtern'
And Lucy? She heard all with
strange calmness, then walking steadily
forward, confronted her betrayers. Ter
rible as pale Nemesis herself, she stood
before them, and her looks pierced, like
a keen, cold blade, into their false hearts
As though to assure herself of the dead
reality of the vision, she laid her hand on
Ellen's shoulder, and let it glide down
her arm-but she touched not Edwin.
AS those cold fingers met hers, the I'M
happy wife first gazed full into her sis
ter's face: and as she marked the ghast-
ly pallor of her cheek-the dilated nostril
the quivering lip and the intensely
mournful eyes, she covered her own face
with her hands and burst into tears,
while the young husband, awed by the
terrific silence of her he had wronred.
gasped for breath and staggered back
against the wall. Then Lucy clasped
her hands on her forehead and first gave
voice to her anguish and despair in one
fearful cry, which could but ring forever
through the soul of that guilty pair, and
fell in death-like swoon at their feet.
After the insensible girl had been re-
moved to her chamber, a stormy scene
ensued in the room beneath. The par
ents and guests were alike enraged
against W, but the tears and PRAYERS
of his young wife, the petted beauty and
spoiled child, at last softened the anger
somewhat of her parents, and an oppor-
tunity for an explanation was accorded to
the offenders.
A sorry explanation it proved. The
gentleman affirmed that the first sight of
Ellen's lovely face had weakened the
empire of her palmer sister over his af-
fections. Frequent interviews had COM
pleted the conquest of his loyalty; but
he had been held in check by honor, and
never told his love, until, when on his
way to espouse another, in an unguarded
moment, he revealed it, and the avowal
had called forth an answering acknowl-
edgment from Ellen.
They had thought it best, in order to
save pain to Lucy, and prevent the OPP
position from her, and to secure their
own happiness, to be married before their
arrival at Cazenovia.
Lucy remained insensible for some
hours. When she revived and apparent
ly regained her consciousness, she still
maintained her strange silence This
continued for many weeks, when it par
TALLY passed away; her friends saw with
inexpressible grief that her reason had
fled-that she was hopelessly insane!
But her madness was of mild and
harmless nature. She was gentle and
peaceable as ever, but frequently Sighed
and seemed burdened with some great
sorrow which she could not herself COM
prehend. She had some peculiarities,
which all who knew her muste recollect;
this was wild fear and careful avoid
ance of men. She seemed possessed of
the spirit of unrest. She could not, she
would not be confined, but was continual
ly eScaDinp from her friends thev kna.u