Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-03-27

bittercd by the misfortune that sh
alone, of all he had ever met, seeme
neither to notice nor to care for.
As she listens, Bcth's whole fram
trembles, and her eyes dr0op beneat
the ardOr of lie Grand's fervent pas
sion.
"Do not speak further, Mr.. Heith,
she says, 81 must not listen. Unit
the last few moments ! had no ide
you regarded me in any other ligh
than that of an agreeable friend.
| | had thought otherwise, ! shoul,
have told you what do now. that
am already betrothcd."
"Bctrothedr'
The pain in his voice is so keen tha
the girl quivers before it, and buric
her face in her hands. They are draw
away, and looking up, she sees l.
lie Grand kneeling at her feet.
''Do not weep! each tear shed b.
you drives me mad! | believe YOU
Why should Ia cripple dare to as
pire to the love of one like you? | SCI
my mistake have known it all alon!
lit was only the frenzy of hope tha
impelled me TO take advantage of yolr
kindness. DO not weep! Beth, fare
well! resign with this momcn
all nearer ties than those of friendship
1t is no fault of yours, only my owl
mad mistake. FAREWELL"
He was gone.
Six months before her acceptance o
her friend Nita'S invitation, Beth haC
promised her hand to the man int,
whose power her father. through hi,
rash Spcculations, had been drawn.
Ostcnsibly rich, Mr.. Ellis had il
reality no claim to such name, anC
Beth had been awakened with rud,
shock to the instability of their for
tunes, when her father in his agony Of
entrcaty had implored her to save him
in the one way opened before her.
Although the girl had shrank almost
with loathing from the old man who
was thus proposed rs her futurc hus.
band, she had not hcsitatcd.
She had given her consent, and then,
with sense Of escape, had flown tC
her friend Nitas. eager to avoid, if on
ly for the space of u few months, the
attention Of one who, however much
she dislikcd him, had now the right to
claim her society whenever it soplcaS-
ed him.
One morning Robert tells his sister
and her guests, with II grave, disap-
proving look in the lattcrS direction,
of the departure for the Continent of
Lc Grand Ilcith.
A short time after finds Beth at
home once more.
A year later the following letter is
pcnned by Robert Danvers TO his friend,
lie Grand llcith, in Italy.
DEAR GRAND have something to
tell you that, if am not much mista.
ken, will both surprise you and at the
same time bring You back to your ma
tive land as fast us steam can accom-
plish the distance.
elizabeth Ellis is here at our home
lying upon bed Of suffering and ill
ness. This is not all; in her dclirium
she calls one name over and over
uHblll, anu llltll Iulllt 10 NDuIS.
Grand, she did love you, but be,
cause of her enforced promise to an
other, who held her fathers fate in
his hand, she did not let you see that
her pain in giving you refusal was
equal to yours in receiving it.
"a month back, while her bctrothcd
was spending the night in her fathers
house, II fire broke out,
Before the alarm was given it had
gained such hcadway that all that
could be done was useless to stem its
fury; and out of all within the house
at the time, Beth, whose sleeping room
overlooked the front porch, was the
only one saved.
Her father and intended both met
the same terrible fate. Directly fol-
lowing the appalling disaster, ii was
learned that Mr.. Ellis affairs were in
desperately involved condition, and
that all his property would be INSULT
cient to pay the debts he had incurred;
that, therefore, had been the reason of
Beth's intended marriage with that
Mr.. HattOn.
IL confess never could understand
where the attraction could be in him
for Il girl like Beth. However, /, of
course, set her down us mcrccnary.
Now | know differently
".as soon as she heard of her trouble
my sister went at once to her friend.
When she returned she brought Beth
with her--a stunned, apathetic shadow
of her lovely self, with illness in her
face and impending madness in her
eyes. 1t was pitiful to witness!
'As fully anticipated when saw
her, in weeks time she was stricken
with brain fever 1t was the natural
outcome of what she had been through.
"Then it was we learned all alb
horrence of the one to whom her hand
was promised, and her hopeless love
for you.
"The crisis passed last night, and
this morning, with haste, | pen you
these lines with the hope that, if you
love her still, her convalesccncc will
find by her side the lover for whom her
heart ycarns, and who alone can turn
her thoughts from the horrible oc-
currcnccs that so nearly cost her her
life and reason.
Four weeks have rolled on, three of
which sufliccd to bring the eager lover
back to the land he had left with such
a heavy heart
He stands now in the hall before the
half open door of the library, within
which is Beth.
"Hush! She sleeps! Come in very
softly Nita says, as she peeps within
and beckons back to him.
"Shall not startle herPn he asks,
longing to enter, but hesitating.
Joy, if it startles, does not HARM
Nita replies, with unusual brcvity,
Gomez
And he needs no second bidding.
Can this statuesque form, so dcathly
still, so wan, be Beth?
He kneels gently down beside her
Beth" he says, softly, Il have
dared to approach you once more, for
great French doctor has taken from
me the deformity that made me un-
worthy to be your lover. have learned
all-that you were induced through
tilial duty to sacrifice your freedom
and, Beth, they have told me that in
yonr sickness your heart spoke the
name of him you truly love, and that
that name was mine. Is 1t SOP If it is,
raise those dear eyes to mine. l shall
understand whatever they reveal"
TA NIvr