The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-01-13


ened from my painful revery by my lit
tie companions exclaiming: ,ett
"Here we are t.MW.
paid the driver, and we got out and
mounted three fights Of stairs in shab-
by lodging house. He opened door,
and there, lying on stretcher, with a
hard mattress, was the wreck of the
brilliant beauty l had not seen for ten
years, and who, but for the child,
should never have recognized. Not so
with her, however; as the door opened
and her chlld entered she held out her
hand, saying in a low, breathless voice :
EDDY dear, where have you been !?
Then she raised her eyes, and, seeing me
standing in the doorway, she turned
deathly pale, and, throwing up her
hands, said, wildly: "Oh, God, she
has come, she has comel Alice, Alice,
forgive me I am dying now ."
Forgive her2 Yes, with the grim
shadow Of death hanging over her I
could not do otherwise. went to the
bedside and took her hand.
81 am glad to have found you,
Eloise all is forgiven" n
I could say no more; the poor, thin
face, feverish eyes and shrunken form
made my heart ache. She raised her
self up, and, clutching my hand, said:
Listen, Alice, / am dying. / must
| speak now my punishment Is from
Heaven; he has left me. You are re-
venged, and my little girl has gone. and
| he pointing to the boy" the image
Of his father, will soon be alone. all
alone My father and mother and sister
are all dead, and his father7-I do not
know if he is living or dead, but he
should not have my innocent boy TO
ruin. Oh, Alice, you look the same as
ever will you take care Of my boy 2"
For aninstant recoiled / take Edwin
! Anderson's child to my house to live
with my children 1t seemed impos-
sible; but those large, wistful eyes were
fixed on me l must answer.
'tI will find home for him, Eloise.
"You will not take him yourself,
Alice?" And she raised herself up, and
excitement lent strength to her voice.
"Alice, I heard Of your marriage to a
good man. Have you children
"I have little girl years old and q
baby"
and make him good let him be your
child, and, when he gets old enough to
understand, give him that desk" point
ing to one on a table at her side. II
: have written out my history as warn
ing to him, and all my papers Of any
lyalue are there have nothing left Of
my fathers property 4; he has sold it all
and squandered the money. / believe
he went to Europe and is living some-
where in Italy with another Of his dupes ;
my boy is portionless. VIII you, oh,
Alice, will you forgive all and take
him n" ,1a
"Iwill."
/ could say no more, and, the excite.
ment being over, she fell back exhausted.
1 summoned assistance from one of the
other rooms, and begged them to 60 for
the nearest physician but it was too
late he came but to say that she was
going fast, and ere night she died with
her head on my shoulder. M
/ had sent note to my husband ex-
planning my absence, and he was there
with carriage to take home myself and
our new child. He knew oil, / had
told MIN the sore secret Of my hear
before I married him. AS Eloise had
said. he was good man, and when
told him her wish about her boy hs
said quietly: !.
"The child is ours now. u..,,..,
+ There was a quiet funeral, and Eloise
Anderson was laid beside her lost Little
girl, s,es. I'd
III And this is the story Of our two lives
!, Years before, Eloise Grayson and J.
Z Alice Browne, were together at Madame
III q. Is boarding-school for young ladies
Her father was called wealthy, and sh'
, and a sister several years her senlo
, were all that were left Of large family
Eloise was very beautiful, and, when o
school she had admirers who would NEE
:, us and bow in our daily walks. ...s ~.
After we left school made her visi
Z OF a few DAYS and invited her TO com
1 and sec me in our quiet country hom
a when she Liked. She had, however, to'
CAV. a life and too many admirers 70 car
70 accept my invitation then. Mean
; while I settled down at home and helpe
= nv mother sew and learned TO kee
house. and also learned something els
I to love with all my heart handsome
!, dashing young man who had come
'our quiet village 10 stay for a few day.
!, lint had heightened out those days int
weeks. Edwin Anderson almost live
'I at my fathers house, and, at last, wit
nv father's full consent, we were ef
3 raoed. ri RQN tNit t1sG
~ Jf course in the fullness Of my joy
4, wrote to all my friends, and Elois
1 among the others. Not long after, sh
I'd wrote 10 say she was coming TO make n
u that lonp-promised visit. Well, ST
~ came. and al her very first nesting wat
u Ta,l,yi,n vhA comuletely monopohzed b
30 Attention she came TO my room tn
I'd nieht and declared herself charmed wit
ne him-sssa perfest Adonis. - She envit
~ me. called me q sly puss for catchlr
such handsome man in that out-of-th
9. way place then kissed me good-nig
le and ieft me with strange chill at n
q, heart. do not know howit was, b
y, she was always with us We new
seemed TO be alone, and. she engross'
Is, him completely; sometimes she won
~ n ala,au ~.