Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-03
ACT V.

ACT V.
SCENE IA church yard. lime, evening.
Enter Mrs Some, with her face heavily yelled
Hrs Sto I've grown a very baby since her death,
Kneeling, and praying that perchance sometime
When does her spirit wing its way to Earth,
twill have compassion on its murderer.
But to the world, that mimicry of He'll,
I'll act my DEVILS part. poor fool I,
Tnat when my mind was charged with distraction
l rushed out TO a meek-faced minister.
But times returned me back my mask again;
The same old brow, the cold as iron eye,
To stare iend out Of mis- counter nee.
Come down. sweet night, throw thy light garment
Ger me, lKneels at Liy's grave
For would not that man should see me pray.
Enter Blackwell.
Black And you a-praying ba ha hai
Mrs. Ste. lrising;l Even here, too, are you then,
Black. Ambition hath not raised me up that
high
Mrs. Ste. Why do you, then, so follow me of
late
Were l to hide NE in yonIghastly vault,
Methinks you'd find me there.
Biack. Ay, | would cast
The rottIng bones at thee and hollow skulls
TIL echoes shrieked beneath each coffin lid
Mrs. StO. Have you no fear to speak thus in this
place
Here where pale ghosts do walk these nightly hours
WailiDg for sins once done upon this earth.
Enter Catherine, who hides unperceived behind
tombstone.
Black Come there legion Of white ghosts here
I'd dare them all to pass this dagger's point
Mrs Sto. a dagger, ha = to murder dead men
with2
Black. Dead eorpses, no; but living ones, per-
hap5.
Nay. does your face turn white, your face Ia ha
Cath. Ha ha
Black Did you hear that?
Mrs. $50. IT'S but ghost, to dare your dagger's
point
But why iees all the blood from out your face
Masbf vIru tie ,ffaa and rri1lyv tbay
Nay, call now back that sentinel OF health,
The blood, into your cheek thou art too bold
Black. 1 do; l dare the fercest iends OF hell
Twas but an echo But no more of this.
I've followed thee because
OF weighty purposes, that in the mind
Have wandered long, like your unresting sprites.
Mrs. Sto. And what may be thy weighty pur-
pOsesf
Tell them to me- 1 long have been thy partner
In secrecy; I'd be thy partner still.
Black. Then this is it fain would have from
The fortune which you once did promise me.
Mrs. Sto. Is this an hour to ask such things Of
Black. know not by what YOU call the
But this know, love it's look full well,
For in it does fortune wait for me;
Or else there is a death that waits for thee.
Mrs Sto. death, say you? nay, you cannot
mean that.
You would not have these lips, that now speak to
Closed up for aye? Your only friend on earth,
The one that's known thee for these twenty years
To lie here weltering in the blood you spill
Black. But, then, l will, if she have not the
money
That patiently I've waited for so long.
hrs. Ste. Think well on it ; have my deeds been
suck to you
That you should pay in terms of enmity
And, if have not money, can my death
Have value payment when it's made!
Think Cd the deed twill haunt you when you
And while you wake, twill be horrid shadow,
That conscience says all men do look upon.
Black. Conscience, or fends, or He'll, or what
you will;
If you have not the money, then you die !
Mrs StO. If 1t must be, take this my answer
draws a dagger from her bosom and stabs him.
Black Curse you you've killed ME
Cath. Murder murder murder !
Mrs. StO. Ha are the bloOdhounds on my track
soon?
But was never made to run from them
EXT walking
Cath. IkneeIs down by Blackwell's side.I Met
once again, but only met too late;
Alas he's dead upon his lips I'll lay
This cheek of mine; perhaps some lingering
breath
Is lowering still where it has lived so long
Black. Stand back, she-wohl great Heaven, art
thou spirit?
/ IN airy moekery of my murdered wife?
vi will fear thee not, thou hOrrid sprite,
Though thou put on thy look of coolest horror;
Torment
Cath But I'm no sprite; am thy wife
Black. SO dead men lie, as well as do the liy-
cath. oh waste not
That breath more precious than this life tell
Think quickly, for the time of thought is short;
And let each thought be bearer of belief
| am thy own, and still thy loving wife.
Black. Thy voice does have a natural ring. But
With a eold-hearted dagger did pierce
Her harmless breast.
Cath Not from my body fed the breath away.
Black How you in this place, if you are
living being?
Cath. providence,
That shapes mans course on EARTH hath led me to
This land To tell the why TO thee,
Would be 80 make silly waste Of time.
But this, in brefness, will tell thy ear
To day l saw thee walking in the street,
And knew thee well for long has memory
Kept watchful guard upon that face of thine.
And, when | saw thee, at distance followed,
TT, milling in fear Of this my new-found joy;
Add, ere You stopped, the sun drew of the day,
And sent refreshed night to guard the earth.
When l came up saw thee speaking to
A woman, tnat was half hid by the night
And then, because OF fear to taste my Joy
Too soon sat me down behind tombstone.
Black. One sin, then, less to drag me down to
Cath Now will ask that which, for long, long
years,
I've hoped to SIX, until the heart did grow
Hope-sick
II it is true (Which l cannot believe),
That you did have intent to murder me-
Black Nay, ask me not, for life is ebbing fast
But think that did not intend to kill thee.
Oh, how hard pains chase swiftly through my
body
All, pain, thou art a music brought from He'll
Cath. Oh, would that might bear thy pain for
thee
In sharing it the time would be recalled
When everything between US two was shared.
Then would come back those happiest hours Of life,
When first gave my love, my all, to thee.
Dost thou remember how the morning breeze
Was telling the birds what pretty ia es to sing,
Aud how they gang, and only sang Of love;
And how tho brook cid music DlaV upon
The pebbles, that we're ever rolling on;
Aud how you laid your head upon my breast,
And said that you would love me then and eve-
Black. Yes l remember all; but these harsh
pains
Do make a target of my memory.
Cath. Alas that | cannot sharer be
In this thy plin, as then shared thy love.
But lay thy head upon this breast Of mine,
And then III weep food OF chilly tears
To cool thy burning pain. Now say to me,
And ease nv anxious mind ere you depart,
You had no wish TO kill me with the dagger.
Black. My life is short; my breath 10 failing
fast
Cath oh, tell me quickly, then.
Black. did Curse on
Thy womans curiosity. Oh, this has ended me
lGroans and dies.
Cath Gone, gone, gone, yet will love thee still
For once those arms did clasp me round with love
Those dead lips kissed me once-Ilove them yet
And those poor eyes did look SO lovingly.
Oh dead, dead, dead!
SCESR ia room in Godfrey's house Mr.. and
Mrs. Arden, Catherine, Josephine and relatives
assembled
Mrs. Ard. We should beware in judging Jose
phine,
For, through mistake, once did wrong poor Lily.
We think not, when we have our loved ones round
US,
And pain them with better sheer, or word
That 1t may be before the hour of midnight,
Or ere the sun be sunken down In darkness
Their souls may pass out on that face OF night
Or wing its way adovn the suns last ray;
Aud thenf The pale lip cannot answer then.
Jos do not seek to iniure any one
But hope 70 prove my aunt has done no wrong.
These letters, that left in Llly's charge,
That, since her death, you have returned to me-
State, in my fathers writing that he left
fortune for me with this aunt Of mine |
Which on nay twentieth year she was to give me;
But she has never spoken to me OF it,
And know that she is very poor: