The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-03-24


asked: uEf aa fi# roo th
"'What do you mean, slrY
First, years ago 1 knew you
father; We both loved the sam
maiden, and he turned her agains
me, and she became his wife, to di,
soon after. ~
"'That l never iorgave him, 70
l knew that he won her from me b,
falsehood, and then broke he
heart.
latter that he left England, an(
until / met him here, some month";
ago, / knew not what had becom,
OI him; but now l know that b,
bought yonder house, and lives
there In luxury, upon the gold hs
gained by piracy. - 80 har -
Il will NOT attempt to describ'
what passed, ColoneL foraI gav.
him the lie direct, and he anu hii
servants drove me from his house
but L sought my fatne., anu iron
ms stern lIps learned that he haO
gained his money as q captain II
the slave trade;o that he had VOL
Col. ClaIre's intended bride iron
ulm, and that she had died of Q
DIoken heart when knew that ne
Was shaver; but he had AGAIN
married, and my mothers life Also
had been made wreJched by what
she discovered of her husband &
past. ah t-Fa stA 'ai
$50 indignant was l toward him
That he drove me from his house,
aud swore that not 3 dollar should
1 ever have OF his, aud he kept MS
word; tor, At his death, with the ex.
ception OF the mansion, it went to
cnarIty as an atonefnent for his
sins.
"When / next came home, after
his death, botk homesteads were
for Col. Claire and Fidele
had gone, the servants knew not
where, and 1 then became wretched
indeed; but, alas! two years after ]
received, when my vessel was in the
Mediterranean,a q letter from a law
yer, telling me that the Colonel had
died and left his vast property TO
his daughter, and she, too, dying,
had made me her heir. ~.
81 was astounded, l can assure
you; but with the lawyers letter
came one enclosed from Fidele, say
ing that she had always loved me,
and, dying, had left me her wealth
that l might be happy with the
wife l had chosen, and, If / loved
her memory, to accept the inherit
ance.
"I resigned from the navy, Colo
mel, sought the lawyers, and found
that my inheritance was q very
large one; 1 also sought the spot
where poor Fidele was buried, and
erected above her a monument, and
now, after long years of wander
ings, 1 have gotten up courage TO
come here, and in yonder home
stead, left me by the one woman /
ever loved, 1 will live until l, too,
die. But come-let US go to
Haunted island, and will show you
the very spot where l first met her. "
It was just as we landed at the
Haunted Island, and making our
way among the bushes, we sudden
ly came to a dead stand-still, for
there, not fifteen PAGES away, stood
a woman clad in snow white.
Her auburn hair hung in waivy
masses adown her back, her lace
was darkiy bronzed, but beautiful,
and her glorious dark eyes wei e
turned upon us with look l shall
never forget, while her slender
and graceful form was swaying as
though she were about to fall.
"Oh! Heaven have mercyi 1t is
Fidele's spirit"
The cry came in mortal agony
from the lips of Dale Drummond,
ami his face was as pallid as the
dead, for he was skeptic in all su
perstltious dogmas, and yet before
him, as / did also, beheld the one
he deemed dead.
L."No, Dale, l am not spirit, but
Edele Claire In flesh ard blood" "
and, speaking in low, musical tones,
she came toward us, evidently deep
Iy moved.
"Not deadl Thank Godw And
he tottered forward and held forth
his arms.
But she drew back, saying, sadly
"NO, Dale. that is not my place,
but hers"
9. "Fidele, what do you meanS''
And, seemingly forgetting my pres
ence, he continued: "None but your
image has ever been in my heart"
B "And your wifep
o 81 have no wife, Fidele; nor ever
did have"
"Do you mean this, Dale Drum
mond p
"Upon my honor, yes"
q 'sAhl how / have been deceived
My father told me he was married,
and, loving him still, gave up all
tor him, and came here to this lone
ly place TO live, letting the world
believe me dead"
q. She spoke more to herself than
to him, and, with her hands clasped,
her eyes downcast; but at her
words he sprang toward her, and l
turned away and went on an explor-
alton of the island, leaving the two
Darkness came on, and at last 1
my way, but hearing my
name called, went in the direction
of the trail, and found the two
seated before the snug little cot
tage that had been the self-sacrific-
ing and beautiful exile's home, and
which was most comfortable.
Only one. then 1 heard, was in
her secret, and that one was the
servant who had charge OF
her old homestead, and each week
he brought her food and all she
needed, and nobly kept her secret
But my romance has ended, kind
reader, for, one month after this
strange meeting on Haunted island,
Dale DrummOnd and Fidele Claire
were married, and, the old mansion
having been entirely repaired and
refurnished, they went there to
dwell as soon as they had returned
from their bridal tour; and often
hava I visited them. and. in my