The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-03-19

Mcrriton, sitting in a corner of the room, wa
knitting Her son had been reading aloud t.
her, but had laid down his book "a volume o
RaCine) on the entrance of the visitors. Lell'
, Merrlton for so we must still call her, stood a
the window looking out, with a fixed stare, a
the sea
! Mrs. MERTON glanced with some surprise
at her landlords agitatcd countenancc. Blu
Algcrnon and Adelaide Well they fell in
| love with each other at first sight.
! Such occurrences may be rare, but still they
are, and still they will be to the end Of time.
Leila turned suddenly round when the three
visitors entered, and at sight of the sailor
turned deadly white, if such an expression can
be truthfully applied to a counenance always
deadly IN its pallor Her face became the
face of a tiend; her steely eyes glittered like
sparks Of fire, and although her pretty face
was usually expressionless, you would have
said that there vas expression in 1t now.
MADAM" said Lieutenant Furnival, ad-
dressing himself to Mrs. Merriton, "this-
hem young lady--is she, in point Of fact,
your daughtcr?"
"Well, not exactly; my daughter in point
of-of affection" Here she glanced timidly
at Leila, who stood like IA tigrcss ready to
make a spring II adopted her when she was
five years old"
"And her PARENTS"
81 do not know them, Mr.. Furnival She
does not herself TO be candid, took her
from the Founding Hospital"
"Ah" said the stranger, speaking for the
first time. "And she has lived with you ever
sincc?"
"Well not quite When she was about
eighteen-she Is now twenty.one--she express
ed great desire to earn her own livelihood
and having good voice. she got an engage
mcnt to 90 to America"
"And was gone eighteen months?'
Just So"
"And lost her voice through a severe ill
ness,"
Yes" SAID Mrs. Merriton, surprised. you
seem to know all about It, sir"
81 do"
WHO are you, then, SIR"
1.-THE captain OF yondcr wrecked vessel,
and" pointing to Leila, that woman's hus-
bandn'
WHAT exclaimed Algernon and Mrs Mer.
rlton together, startled out of all compoSure.
at is true | am her real husband And
say unfortunately because she lived with me
but three months, and then she married, if
marriage il can be called, another man"
"A bigamlst" cried Mrs. Merriton, aghast.
"a bigamist," said the stranger. ASK her
If she dare deny it,"
81 do not deny it," said Leila, stonily, and
with ICY composure II married that man,
Jonathan Vance, because | fanccd | loved
him. | soon found hated him, and loved
some one else"
"Well might the last play she appeared in
be called the 'Hypocrlte,'" muttercd the cap
tain
And" continued Leila, my second hus.
bdnd," with whitening emphasis on the last
word, deserted me before three months were
md hot pl,, ia , IN,
MY child?"
yes"
"Oh, heavens"
"Yes; when left you found myself in the !
way to become a mother, and | hated myself
and the unborn baby because it was yours
And so when ii was born well /"
"Ah" exclaimed Vance, the Furnivals, and
together.
"Dr0nnsd it,"
Great heavens" exclaimed Mrs. Mcrriton.
"Yes," pursued Leila, calmly, land then |
came back and told my mother here" this
again with whitening sarcasm that my voice
had fan led and here cancel"
She appeared to kiss q ring on her finger, |
and fell suddenly forward.
They all rushed toward her. She was dead
The ring had contained prusaic acid, which
the bigamist and murdcress had kept about
her out. BE sure thy sins shall find thee
out"
Such was the fitting end of a lite-hypocrite.
But let Us trust that lie whose mercy Is IN. |
finite will at the last dread day say to her, as to
all OF us, tor we are all miserable sinners,
Though thy sins be as scarlet they shall be
white as snow
Within SIX months q quiet wedding took |
place at the parish church of Margate, and in
the Times and other Journals Of the succeeding
day appeared the following:
"On the 18th, at the parish church Of Mar
gate, Algernon only son of the late Edgar
Merriton, to Adelaide only daughter of Joseph
Furnival, r. n, late Of II. NJ. S Dauntless,
and lieutenant Of the Coastguard station,
Kingsgate"
Paris Letter.