The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-08-14
SELECT STORY.
THE SEARCH. .PARTY's FIND.

pun uoWn my conlesslDn OH paper, sluce
there is no living creature left to whom
can confess 1t.
The snow is drifting 6ercer than
ever to-day against the cabin; the last
biscuit is almost finished my fingers
are so pinched with cold I can hardly
grasp the pen to write with. But /
will wrte--I must write-and am
Writing | cannot die will, the dread
ful story unconfessed upon my con-
science.
1t was only an accident, most of you
who read this confession will perhaps
say; but in my own heart know bet
ter than that--I know il was muir
der, wicked murder.
Still, though my hands are very
numb and my head swimming wildly
with delirium, will try to be coherent
and to tell my story clearly and collect.
edly.
was appointed surgeon of the Co.
topaxi in June, 1880. had reasons of
my own-sad reasons wishing to
join an Arctic expedition. didn't
join it, as most of the other men did,
from pure love of danger and adven-
ture. am not man to care for that
sort of thing on its own account. l
joined it because of a terrible disap-
pointment.
For two years I had been engaged
to Dora--I needn't call her anything
but Dora; my brother, to whom wish
this paper sent, but whom daren't ad-
dress as "Dear Arthur"-how could /,
murderer will know we'll enough
| who mean; and as to other people, it
isn't needful they should know any
thing about it. But whoever you are,
whoever finds this paper, I beg of you,
implore you, l adjure you, do not tell
a word of it to Dora. l cannot die
unconfessed, but / cannot let the con-
fession reach her; if it does, l know
the double shock will kill her. Keep
it from her. Tell her only he is dead
dead at his post, like brave man,
on the Cotopaxi exploring expedition
For mercy's sake don't tell her that
he was murdered, and that | murdered
him.
l had been engaged, l said, two
years to Dora She lived in Arthur,
parish, and loved her-yes, in those
days l loved her purely, devotedly, in
nocently. l was innocent then myself
and l really believe good and well
meaning. | should have been genuine
ly Mortified and indignant if anybody
had ventured to say that should end
by committing murder.
1t was a great relief to me when ]
had to leave Arthur's parish, and my
fathers parish before him, to 60 up t.
London and take a post as surgeon tc
a small hospital. couldn't bear being
so far away from Dora. And at frs
Dora wrote to me almost every da,
with the greatest of affection, (Heaver
forgive me if still venture to call he
Dora; her, so good and pure and beau
iiful, and /, a murderer) But afte
awhile, l noticed slowly that Dora
tone seemed to grow colder and colder
and her letters less frequent. VIII.
she should have begun TO cease loving
me, l cannot imagine: perhaps she hat
a premonition of what possibility o
wickednes was really in me. At an.
rate, her GOODNESS grew at last 81
marked that l wrote and asked Arthu
whether he could explain it. Arthu
answered me, little regretfully, AM
with brotherly affection Che is a goo'
fellow, Arthur,) that he thought h
could. He feared-it was painful t.
say so-but he feared Dora was begin
ming to love newer lover. A youn!
man had lately come to the village O
whom she had seen a great deal, an
who was very handsome and brave an
fascinating. Arthur was afraid h
could not conceal from me his impres
sion that Dora and the stranger wer
very much taken with one another.
AT last, one morning, letter cam
to me from Dora. can put it in here
because I carried it away with me whe
l went to Hammerfest to join the C(
topaxi, and ever since / have kept
J sadly in my private pocketbook.
"Dear Ernest (she had always calle
me Ernest since we had been childre
together, and she couldn't leave it o.
now when she was writing to let m
know she no longer loved me): "Ca
you forgive me for what l am going
tell you? l thought loved you ii
lately; but then l had never discovere
what love really meant. have dii
covered it now, and l find that afte
all only liked you very sincerely
You will have guessed before this ths
l love somebody else, who loves m
in return with all the strength of b
whole nature. have made a grievou
mistake, which l know will render 20
terribly unhappy. But it is better s
than to marry a man whom / do nc
really love with all my heart and sol
and affection; better in the end, l al
sure, for both of us. am too muc
ashamed of myself to write more
you. Can you forgive met Your
Dora
could not forgive her then, thoug
5 | loved her too much to be angry;
was only broken-hearted thorough
. stunned and broken-hcarted, ca
forgive her now; but she can neve
forgive me, heaven help me
/ only wanted to get away, an!
whele, anywhere, and forget all abor
it iE life of danger. So asked fo
the place as surgeon to Sir Paxto
Bateman's Cotopaxi expedition fe'
weeks afterward. They wanted
man who knew something about ma
ural history and deep-sea dredging, an
they took me on at once, on the recon
mendation of a well-known man &
science.
The very day l joined the ship {
Hammerfest, in August, l noticed in
mediately there was one man on boar
whose mere face, and bearing, an
manner were at first sight excessivel
Objectionable to mt. He was HAND
some young fellow enough--one Harr
Lemarchant, who had been planter
| Queensland, and who, after bein
burned up with three years of tropics
sunshine, was anxious to cool himsel
arparently. by a long Winter of Arcti