The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-01

nothing from him either.
"a year went by and we wandered
still, always by my desire, and then we
came to stop in France, mingling for
a brief period with the gay and courtly
OF that fair nation. Cold as statue,
satirlcal, naughty, bound up in my own
broodings, they called me there the
frozen queen,' and yet my calm exterior
was the mask Of fercer passions than
had ever inhabited the breasts Of those
about mel
"Once, oppressed by the magniGcenoe
Of our rooms, and burning with fierce
unrest, I flung a thick veil over my
face, and, in the early evening, went
forth alone in Paris. Dressed darkly,
Iattracted no observation, and was re-
turning when low voice just ahead,
| in conversation with French woman,
made the blood about my heart turn to
ice. It was the low voice Of your
7notherl
: "Obeying 9, wild impulse, followed
her; she parted with the French woman
at the door of an elegant little resi-
dence, and heard her low, light laugh.
The sound stung me to madness. In a
whole long year my own laughter had
been silentl
"She left the door ajar. pushed it
open and followed her, linging off my
veil as I did So. The lamps SSss
lighted In the wide hall,
radiance fell .on the hjAsafs5s 81
dagger that lay upon ~ Of s;i;1as
haa iaafs da 9tablo How IT,
hand had caught 1t Upt &&IRe02UaJb &&IRe02Ua JbYgt y! III lny
ment's hesitation. The sight Of it had
whispered DEATH to my wild heart and;
the. word was sweet to me just thenl %8
II saw her garments disappear at
the head Of the staircase and almost
few after her; she had zone from slght;S
but her voice guided me; she was dis.-
missing the nurse from the room within
and chatting gayly with an infant;
every light word stung me cruelty; she
seemed 80 happy, so very happy,
IA light step made me shrink to the
now clustering shadows; the nurse
came forth, went on, and descended to
the lower hall, not seeing me: and in
another. moment I was facing the
woman who had made my life desert.
GAS she saw me she cried out; and
then, placing her baby upon a couch,
faced me, smiling. -. .....,..
''Surely you have not come to re.
proach mo now, Ina,' she said, in the
most careless voice. you rivaled me
successfully in such numerous things,
and could afford me this one triumph.
Why did you Gomez"
ga wave Of maddening thought
swept over my wild, broken heart. She
stood there, calm, smiling, careless,
her fair face ,unclouded, the beauty Of
it undimmed, while 7, I1had lost ALL
ALL .."
Lifting the dagger my hand still
held, sprang upon her like a tigress.
1 can recall no more; there were cries
and groans and. blood upon: my hands,
but 1 recall, nothing clearly until i
found myself back in my own ROOM,
pacing 1t wildly, madly, and then, when
it all came back to me, fell upon my
knees, seeking in vain to pray; my
working lips " ould form no word that
could plea' a. pardon from the One
above. i, -. :. ~, ..,,s ..:I..
."There was "a ball that night, and I
was there, garbed like a queen, pale
and proud as Of yore. And on the
next day we sailed from France, never
to set foot upon her shores again.
''In our own home the; news came to
us Of that bloody death, and my fathers
very lips grew white as he read it to
mo, but gave no sign and said no
word, although my soul shrank and my
life faltered at the tale.
"They brought you back from
France; brought you, a, beautiful, help.
less babe, to those who would mot
cherish you! And stepped forward.
|, in my blood-crlmsoned womanhood
to claim you as my charge a
Margaret, have been kind to you!
[ have led and guarded and loved you
} you pardon, Will hope for pardon
trom my God ! 1t was--madness, Mar
garrett" 80. .... .l,.: ....
The struggling, broken voice ceased;
the dying woman fell back among her
pillows, the hand Of death heavy upon
her; but the bent head Of the kneellng
girl was not lifted; her sobs mingled
with the gasps Of the dying; her slender
form pulsed painfully; her hands were
held against her face.
stMarQarat. nly.-ehild ~ CANA tha