Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-10-05


game OF bowls, or are you thinking of
Lewis? | wager you are, YOU look so
intcnsclymiscrabla. What thing it
must be 10 be engaged, and Obliged
always TO be think Of the beloved one;
ch, Mr.. Struthcrs?"
Ermenyarde did her best to be indif-
fcrcnt; but spite of her few tears
found their way down her checks. At
that moment:
"May come in and read to you?"
asked II voice behind her; and Gerard
stepped in and seated himself beside
her Ermcnyardc hastily brushed
away the tell-talc drops, but not be-
fore he had both seen and understood
them, and from that hour it was what
,Ome wicked one calls "a case of steady
application.'
Walking, riding, whatever they were
doing thcywcrc inscparablc. lfErmen-
| yardc'S conscience demonstrated now,
She paid no heed to it, while Gerard,
being over head and ears in love, was,
of course, no longer responsible
agent. People gossipcd, and Mrs.
Ackcrly shook her head omniously, till
one morning her cap ribbons were SET
in iluttcr by the most unexpected ar
rival Of Ermcnyardc'S liancc himself
Lewis Britain, cold, quiet man. with
Il hard, gray eye and Il wicked smile.
Ermcnyardc, who had just returned
from II ride with Gerard, turned so
pale when Mrs. Ackcrly met her in the
hall with the announcement that the
kindly little woman thought she was
about to faint. The end had come at
last. The thorn that is hidden in every
garland Of pleasure was beginning to
pierce her heart. Suddenly she felt
how entirely and unaltcraby she
loved Gerard; and meeting his burning
glance fixed inquiringly on her face
she was seized with new and strange
tewor-a dim foreboding of something
terrible awaiting her.
Mr.. Britain might well ask if the air
agreed with her, for she was actually
looking ghostly.
You have dissipated too much-you
are giving yourself no rest" he went on
purringly. Mrs. AckcrlY, l must call
you TO IN account
Gerard ground his teeth in paroX-
ysm OF jealous rage. This tone of pro-
prictorship CALLED him to the quick. as
Lewis Britain, slyly watching him from
y corner of his cold, gray eye, meant
that ii should; coolly and quietly, but
rcsolutc'y, he found himself shut out
from the society of the woman he loved
by this ugly. telTier-liko man: and so
closely was he watched that it was
week before he found oppo 'tunily for q
word with her alone. Then he caught
her hand as she was gliding past him
and held her fast.
"Emcnyardc, | must speak with
you, or shall 90 mad. love"
She turned quickly toward him.
"Hush, hush, don't say il. | know.
We have Sinncd, and we are punished.
Sometimes | think shall die, but they
say thai. grief don't kill; but you
there is hope for you--you may yet be
happy"
That" he returned moaniugly,
'VNp'NVN Oh you
Emcnyarde grew palcr yet.
"lf You mean by thatt that can break
my word
"Bcttcr do that than pcriuro your
self" be interrupted. Better that
than swear before God to love man.
from whose very touch | have seen you
shrink with loathing. Better anything
than make your life one long, whithcrcd
life, Go 10 him and frankly demand
your freedom. II he refuses, he shall
answer it to me"
Ermcnyardc looked up with some
thing like hope.
"Oh, Gcrard!doyou think he would?"
| will go and ask him now"
And, without waiting to dampcn her
courage by reflection, she hurried into
the library, where he was sitting. Not
the shadow Of IN emotion was visible
on his ashy-gray face, as in broken,
burning words she appealed to his COM
passion; while, with his cigar carefully
poised between his fingers, he listened
as TO matter of entire indifference.
SIS that ALP" he asked, coldly, when
she paused.
Ermcnyardc looked at him in blank
ama2cmunt.
"lf l understand you Alright" he
went ON, ''you say you never have, new
er can, and never will be persuaded to
love me on any terms whatever, and
when | consider the superiority of six
feet and curling hair TO a blunt manner
and the remnants Of the smallpox, | am
disposed to believe you; but how the
fact is to affect me, or why it should be
considered n serious obstacle to our
marriage, | confess | do not under
stand. Unless my memory fails me
strangely, the arrangement was purely
matter of business between your faith
or and myself. doubt if any thought
of love ever entered into his hcad-I
can safely say, it,novcr did in mine; so
that, whether you do or do not feel any
of that mawkish inclination for me that
fools call love, l have never had inter-
est enough even to inquire. / have
certain reasons for wishing you to
become my wife, and that is sufficient"
Ermonyardc's eyes sparklcd with in
dignation.
"You are insolcnt, sir; but l thank
you, since it sets me free. The woman
who, in her senses, should marry n
man capable of speaking as you have
done, would deserve the misery she
would inevitably have to suffer-"
"You think soPn returned Lewis. |
"Then pity you from tho bottom of
my heart-for, so surely rs you stand
there. you will be Mrs. Britain two
hours from now. / have already |
spoken to the clergyman"
81 do not understand you," faltercd |
Ermenyarde.
All! that is unpleasant, as it will force
me to make disagreeablo explanations.
The business which spoke of as OK
isting between your father and myself
is, simply, the transfer from my pos
session to his of q certain document, to
which doubtless in fit of absence of
mindD he had appended another mans
name. 1t is astonishing how severe
our law is on such trifling errors, and
what an unreasonable prejudice there
exists AGAINST state prisons. donht 10 |