Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-19

behaved to his dogs. Do o know,
doctor, that Ipreserve nv love for her
still? | have never ceased to love her
although she believed evil of me, and
never sent me a single word of sympa-
thy; and | have left everything / have
10 her eldest son, who by this time has
sons OF his own. But l do not know
whether or not she is dead. 1 have,
however, provided that, should she be
living, She is to have q life interest in
my estate. Poor thing. she deserves
IL; Tor sadly did she suffer, and not un-
frequently, | expect, did she want?"
of Raven?"
lin time ne deserted her, and
P,Rlnged into the lowest depths OF
drunkenness and dissipation. He had
wasted his fortune; and not very long
ago read that he had been picked up
IN a ut in the streets of Paris and had
dled before his removal to the hos
pital."
81 am shortly going to England, Sir
James, said, land if Ican be of any
use IN discovering this poor lady's
whereabouts, I shall be glad to do my
best.'
You are going to England? 1 am
happy to hear it. You can then dc
what l feared would have to be done by
a third party. want you to find Lady
Raven and tell her what I have told
you. Tell her that, although we have
been separated for more than forty
years l still think of her; that | dia
thinking of her; and that I forgive her;
\ and Yes, doctor, tell her, too, that
l forgive him. I must forgive him.
Yes; I do fully"
!need not go on to describe the pain
ful hours l spent at Sir James side ere
death released him from his sufferings.
Suffice it to say that he bore himself,
even " his moments of greatest agony,
with becoming resignation. Until the
last hf was thoughtful for all about
him rather than for himself; and when
the long sleep at last closed his weary
eyes, lturned away, feeling that Aus
tralia had lost a man the memory Of
whom she might justly cherish.
Two tr three months afterward J. re-
turned 70 England. Lady Raven, who
for som. time had been in impoverished
circumstances, had meanwhile been dis
coveredpy my late patient solicitors;
and before l saw her, she had been APP
prised OF the provisions of Sir James
Reilly's Will.
l introduced myself to her as his
friend; snd found her occupying a
pleasant but not very well-furnished
house in one OF the best squares Of
Bayswater
'It is all a mystery" she said to
me, when she had first apologized for
the disorder of her temporary abode.
Poor James! He was once very fond
of me. 1t was many years ago. We
should have married, you know, but for
an unfortunate circumstance. Perhaps
you have heard of it,"
II was slightly annoyed at the tone
in which she spoke of her dead bene-
factor.
II have heard of it, Lady Raven" I
returned, seriously.
'But it did not spoil his success in
life," she continued. with a slight
laugh; land now at last he has made
restitution. Well, it is only what we
deserve! He robbed my late husband,
you know; and it is fitting hat we
| should be his heirs-is it not9"
! I was beginning to feel angry. Even
# Sir James had been guilty, she had
no. right to speak of him now in SO
light and scornful q tone. Already
saw she was recklessly spending her
newly acquired wealth, though she had
not actually entered into possession of
it, the will not having then been
proved. Her misfortune had not made
a good woman of her. She was gaud-
ily dressed. Instead of being in mourn
ing, she was covered with jewelry.
SURELY it was we'll for poor Sir James
that this vain woman had never been
his wife!
'tLady Raven said, sternly, .'we
may as we'll end this. Sir James Reilly
Inever injured you or any other living
creature. 1t was your husband who
was the criminal! He wrote his own
name to that check which led to Sir
James transportation. He denied the
facts, and caused your bencfactor to be
sent to the antipodes! And do you
think that I, knowing all this, will
suffer Sir James fAir name to be SIAN
dered?"
She turned pale, and chung for sup
port to a chair. ''Gracious powers!!"
She exclaimed; sis it-can it be true? l
knew it, them knew it! My husband
once told me all, when he wasdelirious
with drink. God forgive metz and she
fell like a corpse to the floor.
1 summoned the servants, who car
ried her to her room. l then sent for
a physician, and in the meantime did
what | could to revive her. But my
efforts were in vain, and soon after my
colleague arrived she expired. An ex-
animation subsequently disclosed the
fact that she had long been a sufferer
from heart disease.
l am glad to be able to say that he1
son. who is now enjoying Sir James
Roilly's muniticent bequest, is worthy
of the legacy. A week or two ago he
sailed with his family for Victoria, and
it IS his ambition there to follow III his
benefactor's Chambers
Journal.
Wholesale Poisoning.
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