The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-02-10

written.
Well, the little Digby Castle was
thronged with customers, and whilst
the -and-cheese-cutting and beer
| drawing went on, said 2 sturdy man
among the rescued
Governor, do you know Miss Leila
| Merriton about hereP''
Lieutenant Furnival, who had lust
come in, replied. shaking the wet from
his coat
"I do. She and her mother and
brother are my dodgers.
"Ah, sir-was she not--was she not"
81 can't stop-I can't stop" pushing
the questioner aside.
''Sir, you must stopr'
s.1]fuSt! And whyp''
because 1 damaud it,
"Demand?"
EYES,
q do not see what my lodger's daugh-
ter can be to YOU"
81 do. She is simply my wife"
"Whatr'
eyes, sir; she is my wife, and would
to heaven that she were not So"
The lieutenant sat down simply
| stunned.
.Whatr' he murmured; ''she SO
charming, so quiet, so sweet"
'.And so subtle and so sly" said the
stranger.
| ..Ahr'
sThe two men exchanged glances, in
which neither seemed to say anything
| peculiarly favorable to the fair sex.
Lieutenant Furnival suddenly rose.
s.Come with me,'' he said tersely.
The stranger followed him. Outside
, the little inn they encountered Adelaide
Furnival.
Papa, wanted-''
| Struck by the solemnity of her faith
er's face, she paused.
''Come with me. dear, and this gen
tleman.'' said the lieutenant, taking his
| daughters hand in his.
/ Straight to Mrs. Merriton's parlor
| door went the trio.
The lieutenant knocked gently.
''Come ill.," answered the CHEEKY
| voice of the widow.
And they entered.
The three dodgers were all there.
Mrs. Merriton, sitting in Il corner of the
room, was knitting. Her son had been
reading aloud to her, but had laid down
| his book Ga volume of Racine) on the
| entrance of the visitors. Leila Merri-
ton, for so we must still call her, stood
at the window looking out, with a fixed
stare, at the sea.
Mrs. Merrton glanced with some sur
prise ut her landlords agitated coun-
tenance. But Algernon 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
~ hn cail II w wi,
slch an expression can be truthfully ap-
piled to Il countenance always deadly in
its pallor. Her face became the face of
fiend; her steely eyes glittered like
sparks of fire, and although her pretty
face was usually eXpressionless, you
would have said that there was express
sion in it now.
s.Madam,' said Lieutenant Furnival,
addressing himself to Mrs. Merriton,
''this- -hem!-young lady--is she, in
point of fact, your daughter?'
''Well, not exactly; my daughter in
point of-of affection" Here she glanc-
ed tipedly at Leila, who stood like
tigress ready to make a spring. 81
adopted her when she was five years
old.''
'.And her parents?''
81 do not know them, Mr.. Furnivai.
She does not herself. To be candid, L
took her from the Founding Hospital
':Ahr' said the stranger, speaking
for the first time. '.And she has lived
with you ever sinceP"
s'Well, not quite. When she was
about eighteen-she is now twenty-one
she expressed Il great desire to earn
her own livelihood, and, having a good
voice, she got an engagement to go to
America. -
''And was gone eighteen months?'
'.Just So
''And lost her voice through severe
illness?'
EYES," said Mrs. Merriton, surprised.
'sYou seem to know all about it, sir.''
81 do''
''Who are you, then, sirp''
1.-The captain of yonder wrecked ves-
sci, and" pointing to Lelia-''that
woman's husbandr'
''Whatr' exclaimed Algernon and
Mrs. Merriton together, startled out of
all composure.
cit is true. / am her real husband.
And l said unfortunately because she
lived with me only three months, and
then she married, if marriage it can be
called, another man.
"a bigamistr' cried Mrs. Merriton.
aghast.
"a bigamistr' said the stranger.
s.Ask her if she dare deny it."
Il do not deny it, said Leila, stonily.
and with icy composure. 81 married
that man, Jonathan Vance, because 1
fancied l loved him. / soon found out
hated him, and l loved someone else
..Well might the last play she. appear
ed in be called the Hypocrite' y NUT
tered the captain.
And" continued Leila, ''my second
AuS6dad,' with whitening emphasis on
the last word, "deserted me before
three months were over, and that mans
child" pointing to Vance.
my child?''
Yes
'sOh, heavensr'
eyes; when L left you found myself
in the way to become {; mother, and L
hated myself and the unborn baby be-
cause il was yours. And so when it was
born, I-well, -
+ ''Ahr' exclaimed Vance, the Furni-
walls, and Merritons together.
"DrOUned U!''
''Great heavensr' exclaimed Mrs.
Merriton.
YES" pursued Leila, calmly, "and
then | came back and told my mother
hcre,'' this again with whitening sar-
casm, ''that my voice had failed, and
here L cancel"
She appeared to kiss Il ring on her
! finger, and fell suddenly forward.
They all rushed toward her. She
was dead! Tie ring had contained
prussic acid, which the bigamist and
murderess had kept about her in antici-
patton that her crimes would find her
out. ''Be sure thy sins shall find thee
OUT
Such was the fitting end of life-hy-
pOcrite.
But let us trust that He whose mercy
is infinite will at the last dread day say
to her, as to all of us, for we are all
miserable sinners, Though thy sins be
as scarlet they shall be white as snow"
Within six months a quiet wedding