The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-07-22


a soft-hearted jury, with sons of their
own, only mistaken! The SPECTATOR
who plays the great game of CONNER
cial hazard with another mans money,
he. too, dares to look at the world with
a pitiful face, and cry: 'Alasl was
only mistaken No, Elinor, | have
never put in that plea. From the mo-
ment of that terrible crash, which shat
tered my whole life into ruin and DESC
laton, have, at least, tried to look nv
fate in the face. But | have not borne
all nv own burdens, Ellinor. The heavi-
est weight of my crime has fallen upon
the innocent shoulders of Henry Dalton"
Henry Dalton, my husband?"
"Yes, Ellinor, your husband, Henry
Dalton, the truest, noblest, most honor
able, and most conscientious of men," "
"You praise him SO much" she said,
rather bitterly.
Yes, Ellinor, l am weak enough and
wicked enough to feel cruel pain in
being compelled to do so; it is the last
poor duty 1 can do him. Heaven
knows | have done him enough injury"
The exertion of talking for so long a
time had completely exhausted him,
and he fell back, half fainting, upon the
pillows The Sister of Mercy, sum-
moned from the next apartment by
Ellinor, administered restorative to
him: and, in low, broken accents, he
continued
From the moment of my ruin, Eli
nor, felt and knew that you were for
ever lost to me. | could bear this; I
did not think my life would be a long
one; it had been hitherto lit by no star
of hope, shone upon by no sunlight of
love. Voque Ia gaiere! Let it 90 on
its own dark way to the end. | say,
could bear this, but | could not bear the
thought of your contempt; your aver
sion; that was too bitter. l could not
come to you, and say; Il love you; |
have always loved you; l love YOU as
never before loved, as l never hoped to
love; but l am a swindler and a cheat.
and you can never be minep No, Eli
nor, l could not do this; and vet YOU
were on the eve of coming of age. Some
step must be taken. and the only thing
that could save me from this alternative
was the generosity of Henry Dalton.
81 had heard great deal of your
uncle's adopted son, and | had met him
very often at Arden; | knew him to be
as noble and true-hearted a man as ever
brcathed the breath of human life. |
determined, therefore, to throw myself
upon his generosity, and to reveal all.
He will despise me, but can bear his
contempt better than the scorn of the
woman loved said this to myself,
and one night-the night after Henry
Dalton had first seen you, and had been
deeply fascinated with the radiant
beauty of my lovely ward, that very
night after the day on which you came
of age-I took Henry Dalton into my
chambers in Verulam Buildings, and,
after binding him with an oath of the
most implicit secrecy. told him all.
''You now understand the cruel posi-
ton in which Henry Dalton was placed
The fortune which he was supposed to
possess on marrying you, never existed.
You were penniless. except, indeed, for
the hundred year coming to you from
your mothers property. His solemn
oath forbade him to reveal this to you;
and for three years he endured your
contempt, and was silent. Judge now
of the wrong have done mimi Judge
now the noble heart which you have
trampled upon and torturedI'
"Oh, Horace! Horace! what misery
this money has brought upon us!'
No, Ellinor. What misery one de-
Walton from the straight line of honor
has brought upon ,us Ellinor, dearest,
only beloved can you forgive the man
who has SO truly loved, yet so deeplyin
jured you?" y
Forgive your sYs. .HaI
+, She rose from her knees, and smooth
ing the thick, dark hair from his white
forehead, with tender, plying hands,
looked him full in the face.
Horace" she said, "when, long
ago, you thought | loved you, YOU read
my heart Alright; but the depth and
truth of that love you could never read.
Now, now that am the wife of anoth-
Ell, another to whom owe so very much
affection in PREPARATION of the wrong |
have done him, dare tell you without
a thought which is a sin against him,
how much i loved you--and you ask me
if can forgive Asfreely as | would
have resigned this money foriyour sake,
can | forgive You for the loss oft, This
confession has set all right. | will be a
good wife to Henry Dalton, and you and
he may be sincere friends yet" A
"What, Ellinor, do you think that,
did | not know myself to be dying,
could have made, this confessionP No,
} GU see me now under the influence of
stimulants which give me a false
strength; of excitement, which is strong
enough to master even death. To-mor-
row night, Ellinor, the doctors tell me,
there will no longer be in this weary
world weak, vacillating, dishonorable
wretch called Horace Marglave.
He stretched out his attenuated hands,