Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-11-22
MARTINsBURG, w. va. SATURDAY, NOV. %, 1884.

Mechanically / opened the letter
but not even at the first reading did
realize what had befallen me.
The woman Iworshipped, the wife
had adored, had fed from he,
home with another.
The words of the note almost stun.
ned me. A woman whom ! had be
iieyed pure as a lily had penned
them, and the thought that could
have loved woman capable of wri-
ting them made my sonl grow sick.
81 made a fool of myself she
wrote, when became your wife.
would neve: have done so, only
thought you were making believe
poverty; for / had heard hint of
things you had done before you met
me that did not speak for lack OF
gold but / find now too late, how
ever for my satisfaction, that you
are really no more nor less than what
believed was only pretense, aud so
| have left you. l canot say much
more that ] worship the lover whom
fed with, and he can give me
wealth and position, for he does not
know or even dream / am a wife. 1t
is not likely that you viii seek me.
l know you too well for that, so au
revolr, | was going to say, but re-
membering that means till we meet
again, which hope from the bottom
OF my soul we never shall, | say in
stead; goodbye"
rushed up stairs, but there was
very little sign of confusion or dis
order there. Unjust have been well
meditated on, and no sudden decis-
ion come to. Alb, Heaven ! she had
gone calmly, almost Systematically,
about ber elopement.
/ sat down stunned for the time
being. l had loved her, and my love
died hard.
One moment / felt must seek
her-I could not live without her.
the next l scorned the thought,
angry at myself for it entering my
mind. One instant would follow
her and reclaim her-bring her back
to the path from which she had
strayed-the next l loathed the
thought OF her.
The night passed on, and still l
wrestled with my agony-the mid
night bells rang out, and still | sat
gazing into darkness. Later still,
Jane brought me cup of chocolate,
which l drank mechanically, without
a word.
When morn dawned,I still sat in
the one chair where all night | had
reviewed my dishonor. rang the
bell, and Jane came in.
ooh Master Guy, do not take it so
hard p In that moment her humble
sympathy was more bearable than
that of an equal would have been,
tor as she spoke the tears filled her
kindly old eyes.
~ will survive it, Jane"
Yes, yes, my boy. Along with
Your mothers name you have her
strength"
"She had dishonored proud
name, Jane. 1 feel worse than had
l borne my fathers"
When had inherited my mothers
money, ] had to take her family
name, and it was prouder name
even than my fathers. So, while
my brother was Vernon Fleming, l
was Guy Howard.
am going away, Jane," / said,
but yoh are to keep this place, and
if MY if oour mistress comes back,
remember she is your mistress still,
and that this place is hers. l will
send you money to keep everything
as it is, and if ever | return l will
come here. Keep silent concerning
everything, and good by"
The next day | sailed for the New
World, intending to stay there for
sometime.
/ had only been ont there one
short month when a letter came from
home, an imperative summons to
return. 1t contained the sews of
Vernon's marriage to a beautiful
dark-eyed woman, whom none of
them had known or ever heard of
before, an absolute stranger, in fact,
and along with this was the tidIngs
that my father lay at the point of
death--the doctors had given HIM
up.
At my fathers death my brother
would inherit all the vast estates
of the Flemings, for they were strict
ly entailed.
went back again perfectly am
bitionless, for every hope of my life
had fed with Arelie's falseness-
went back to WHAT
| 1t seem foolish, after all. to open
old sores but the memory of that
homecoming is back with me now
even stronger than the memory of
the horrors that followed. There
fore must tell it.
went first to see my father. He
was propped up with pillows in the
bed, his faceghastly. Ah yes death
had most surely placed his hand on
him.
He looked at me with eyes in
which strange lustre cleaned.
A cry broke from my lips. That
glare, that strange quick twitching
OF the muscles / had seen once be-
fore in India.
My father had been poisoned by
one of the most subtle drugs known
to science-its effect, indeed, almost
unknown, save by some one who
had seen another die with it.
My heart grew cold with horror,
horror unspeakahle--but why was
it my thought so suddenly reverted
to the beautiful wife of my brother !
"My God ~ / cried, I" am / too
! \ - .