The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-29
,tSbe had Read Newspapers In
stead of Novels, She would
Not Have Been Ruined.

,..ry sentimental, and a great reader Of
r,rks flied with the soft language Of
1--we ONLY a month or less before she
met her death, aud when Just beginning
- GlIIv realize the condition Of shame
.9f, which her betrayer had led her, she
.e,d the qto,y called "a Gilded Sin"
That and a book entitled THE Opening
# a Chestnut Burr" she said, were
given her by her lover-cousin, Thomas
1Iuverius. That the troubled girl read
and pondered deeply and sadly over the
story Of a "gilded sin" is indicated by
the marginal comments she wrote in lead
mcneil as she perused the book.
The story tells Of a Sir Jasper Brandon,
the heir Of a great name and fortune,
who, On a trip to Venice, falls in love
with Giulia di Cynthia, who livad alone
IN a haIf-ruined cd place with her elder
sister. Assunta. He married GiuIia Sc
.retIy. She died when her first child
was born. Assuuta promised to adopt
tbe child if Jasper would renounce. ali
claim to her. 10 this he agreed. Then
cane a long illness; then he returned
home. To please his parents, Jasrer
married Lady Marie Valdoraine. lie did
MT tell her the story Of his marriage.
She made an excellent wife. \ little
daughter was born to them, and was
called katherine. Katherine was seven
teen years old when Jasper received from
As-uuta a letter stating that she was on
her death bed, that he must send for
Veronica.
Veronica was brought from Venice to
Ja-per's home aud introduced to hi,
wife and made a part Of their household
A. Jasper's ward, the daughter of a dead
friend. who had lief. her aud her fortune
in .Ia9per's hands. Veronica aud Kate
learned to love EACH other. Lord y n
Ieigh wins Kate and asks Sir Jasper for
her hand He says to Sir Jasper, Give
me the hope Of one day calling Katherine
nav wife and | will make a name she will
nOt be ashamed Of. Here Lillian wrote,
''How noble - But SrJasper declared
her too young to marry, and Lord Wyn
leigh goes away determined to wait two
wears aud return to claim his bride. Sir
JASPER is then troubled. He could never
allow Lord Wynleigh to marry Kate un-
der the impression that she was heiresS
to tie grand domain to Queen Chace and
HurstWood. She was not 50 in reality.
All his lands belonged by right to Veronica
Sir Jasper fell i'll. He sent for his
wife and Veronica. La the passage fol
loving Lillian has marked numerous sen
fences: The night-lamp was partly
shaded; its feeble rays fell on the gray
face and on the two kneehng fgures-On
Vcronica's beautiful face and Lady Bran
dom troubled features.
Sir Jasper told his story calmly, de-
scrihing his motives, blaming his own
weakness and folly which had led him
into what he truly called a g:ided sin.
Lady Marie listened with butter tears.
" 50 you were married before, Jasper,
and never told me, she sobbed; and |
always thought that | was the only
one yol loved. How could you deceive
me-"
H"AIls! a mistake" wrote Lillian.
II am sorry, Marie, Tor the past.
Ioyel her SO well, and | lost her SO soon.
] could never speak OF her
Then, - said Lady Brandon, you have
always loved her best"
You have been a good, true, tender,
h.lutul wife to me, Marie he returned,
but she was my first love-
Sir Jasper handed Veronica all the
pal crs to prove her identity, also his will
ia her behalf, and died Lady Brandon
e1acts secrecy of Veronica.
They laid the illustriouS statesman,
the tam whose heart had been faithful tC
one passionate love, In state In his OWL
chamber
Lady Brandon asks Veronica if she
kept the secret. The girl answers:
Did you think that | would betray
it2' she asked. Il am not a traitor
Lady Brandon
Lady Brandon persuades Veronica tc
swear to burn the will, Il make this
sacrifice to secure my sisters happines:
and to save my fathers memory, say:
Veronica.
She attempts to burn the will; a woman
named Clara Morton detects Der in thu
act, aud as Veronica leaves the room,
snatches the paper from the fire
Lady Brandon settles Fl 900 a year OIL
Veronica, Sir Mare CaryIl courts her
aud l. accepted, as follows: Il have
bound you, sweetheart" he said. "Io1
can never free yourself again"
"ADd looking at his handsome face,
his eyes lit with love, she said to hersel
that separation from him would BE-
death" Words marked by Lillian
sir Mare later on hears Clara Morton
trying to extort hush money from Neron
lea. tie asks \ eronIca to explain tn,
mystery. She says: Il can but tell yol
that burned the will. You must trus
ma ia all, or not at all
Trust you - exclaimed Sir Mare
Trust the woman who would burn the
will Of a dead man. Did he wish you t.
destroy IT." Here Lillian writes: IF he
Dnlv know tho trutbl'il
Sir Mare and Veronica separate. HI
says to her at parting: Il cannot trus,
you, | can only say goodbye. Veronica
you have broken the heart Of the MAJ
who has loved you as few have eve
loved"
Here Lillian wrote, Sad" He di,
not touch her hand or kiss her face, 0
stop to utter one more word. He let
her standing there with the bitterness o
death hanging over her. The unhapp
Veronica had fallen where her lover ha,
left her. Lady Brandon raised her, sh,
tried to bring back consciousness to her
and then she thought to herself. 81
she really loves him so well, and the
haye parted forever. it would be NOR
mcrciful to let her die"
Here Lillian wrote, '"True, true
zen SIT Mare has LETT her he sOlIlo
quizes:
IN never believe in any human bein
again while | live. SO fair, so beautiful
SO loving, so tender, yet SO lost to a
SENSE Of what is right. I'll never loo
again at a wOman's face"
Here Lillian has written unjust
Then follows the happy ending, as a
such stories end. Sir Marc sees how h
has wronged Veronica, he begs her paI
don, he Is forgiven reconciliation follows
aud all is well. Lillian wrote at the en-
Of the story: Truth is Mighty Will
there is no evidence or clues in the com
mcnts of the unfortunate girl, they cer
taInly show the state Of her mind at tn
time. One Of the principal detective
N the case says that evidence agasns
tiuVcrius is accumulating, and he think
tIa. commonwealth NIL ,,oCo,t N .fron