New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-08-24
EVER FAITHFUL.

Il am so sorry, Leonard. I thought
you knew all about it, and that your
kindness to me was prompted by pure
friendship. You do not blame me, do
youp''
Leonard Carstone gazed an instant
| respectfully into the sweet, though
troubled face of the speaker; then he
caught her hand impulsively and wrung
it until she could have cried with pain
80 passionate was his earnest pres.
! sure
mo. Lucy, I don't find any fault
| with You. It was my own hopes that
deceived me. Now I think of it, YOU
have acted toward me like u sister-not
like girl in love. God bless you, and
make you happy with the man you
have chosen to be your husband"
A sudden, startled look in Lucy's
| eyes caused him to relinquish her hand,
and turn to see what had caused the
change of expression.
A young man in gamekeeper's attire.
| with a double balreled gun under his
arm, opened the door, and pausing on
tho threshold, now stood regarding
them with q look of mingled surprise
and anger.
lis it you, Ralphp'' Leonard said.
Il thought by Lucy's face it was a less
welcome intruder" Then he turned
to her, Goodbye, and remember
what I have just said. If you ever
want friend, just let me know and
I'll come to you through fire or water. !"
Then he brushed past the conner,
in his disappointment and agitation
hardly giving him another glance.
Ralph Hunter made motion as
though he would restrain him, but
seemed to take second thought, and
stood watching him with baleful
look in his black eyes. Then he caught
Lucy by the arm.
Answer mo q question, and answer
truly, my girl, or youth rue it," he
| said, sternly. "Was that fellow max
ing love to your
Something in her lovers face made
Lucy hesitate before answering. She
knew of his vindictive, passionate tenn
per, although to her, until now, no had
ever been as gentle as o lamb. In
! deed, it had been tho main source of
| his attraction TO her-the idea that ono
| so rough and unmanagoable in other
hands should be 50 docile in her own.
Her hesitation now was for Leonard 3
sake. She did not wish to have any
harm como to the fair-faced youth
| whose only offence consisted in having
paced his affections upon one who was
already betrotilcd to another.
But her momentary delay in answer
! ing was sufficient to inflame Ralph's
| anger to an ungovernable point. He
had seen Leonard holding her hand.
and had imagined his eager words to
| be the outpourings of passion, instead
Of q remuneration of his hopes.
His face paled to the very lips.
Il see how it is!'' he Missed through
his half-closcd teeth; that baby
| checked lad has come with his dandi-
fed ways and won away my treasure!
I'll have my revenge upon you both!"
As he spoke he rushed madly out Of
the door. intending, it was evident, to
follow Leonard and shoot him.
But Lucy was too quick for him. AL
though too frightened to speak, sho
| caught him by tho arm and arrested
| his frantic pursuit, trying to force the
words that would explain all satisfac-
tori!y from her lips But they refused
! to obey her bidding. 1t was as though
they had been paralyzcd.
''Then, if you will interfere between
me and my just anger, take the conse-
quenccs! If you do not love me you
shall not make anyone else happy, as I
am living man"'
shot rorr O,,t thvourE %l,o roo,,,
and poor innocent Lucy was its target!
Without q moan she sank down, all the
color fading out from her pretty face,
! and leaving it as white as tho snow
that covered the wintry landscape that
hold the earth in its icy mantle.
When the Infatuated man saw what
he had done, he stood for MI instant
looking down at his victim. Then he
turned the mnzzle of his gun toward
his own heart, and without word,
empticd the remaining barrel into it.
The sound of the first shot had
reached Leonard's cars, and while
pausing instinctively to discover from
what direction it came, no heard the
OTHER. Could it be from the cottage?
He fastened back, and this was the
terrible sight that confronted him-ex-
tended upon the floor lay, the two. to
all appearance, lifeless bodies of those
whom he had but just left in tho prime
of health and strength.
The cottage was a lonely ono, situat-
ed at quito distance from any other
dwelling. But the young man knew
that Lucy's father and brother were
usually at work in tho field close by,
and before long they came fastening
home with . mingling of surprise and
alarm upon their faces; for the double
report had reached their ears also. !.
Leonard mot them ct tho door, and
told them what had happened in a few
brief words.
Ralph's gun had done its work well
upon himself, He was shot through
the heart, and death had followed al
most instantaneously. But life was
not extinct in Lucy, although it was
long before she came out of the state OF
Inconsistencies which was 80 like
death as to deceive all but the more OK
perienced doctor.
She had received but slight flesh
wound. But tho vital forces were at
such . low ebb that it was still ques-
ton as to whether life or death would
prove tho victor.
After few days, however, the scales
gradually turned toward recovery. But
she could not bear the sound of q foot
step near her, excepting that Of her
gentle nurse.
At last she grew strong enough to
say q few words ut time. Then she
sent message to Leonard.
toll him. she said, slowly, and
with difficulty, her voice now and then
failing from weakness, so that the In
tent car Of tho listener had to- supply
some Of the words from her own mag
I-inatiOn- tell him to ro aWav 20 far