The Springdale news., 1888-12-07

:" It Is all, she answered, her face deathly white.
 "Tell me all about it ''
 will, said the pretty creature, with a deep-draWn sigh. "Colonel Collins, as he IS known among his few English acauaint ances, inherited the stone house on the hill from his father, who built it q great many years ago. When first erected It was in- tended to be the home of the old monsieur, but his wife would not live in it. My mother was French woman and my father an En- | gushman. There were but three children in our family, brother seven years older than myself and the little boy whom you remem- bcr taking to Mile. Camille ill Frcnchtown Three years ago my father was alive and we were happy prosperous family. Colo mel Collins, who had been living alternately III France and America, q sort of an ad- venturous life, came to our house in Day ton, O., where father was at the time known as one of the wealthiest merchants in the city. felt q peculiar distrust of the man from the first moment saw him, but father and mother, on the contrary, seemed fasci- mated with him.
 My mother, like myself, felt an instinct i've fepugnanee toward her eountryman. He so ingratlated himself into the good graces of my father that somehow-I never 1ncW-in a few weeks he had complete con- trol over his business affairs Ny poor brother falling into the snares set for him. was led 10 the gaming table, which brought about, among other sins, forgeries that in few months ruined our family 1 can not enter into the full details and horror of the | few months that followed.
 To add to them, no sooner had Colonel Collins gained complete control over the destinies of every member of our family, than my father and only protector died. Before his death Colonel Collins proposed matrimony to me, and, knowing that we could not live happily together, 1 refused his offer
 " With mother and my little afflicted brother i left our home in Dayton, and come West to my aunt Mile. Camille, in Frenchtown. We were very proud and re solved to keep our degrading misfortuncs to ourselves My older brother remained behind, hoping to save sometng for us out of the wreck of our once handsome fortune, 1 though mother and had i'll our own names property, the income of which would be ample for our wants. We little dreamed that i'll coming to Frenchtown we were near ing the rcndezVou of the man whom we dreaded above all others. Aunt Lucille was glad to receive us, and offered us a home with herself as long as we would accept It. l intended teaching music, or securing a position as g0verness, and we thought we could once more be happy, Ny little deaf brother never seemed so happy as he was with my aunt, who dotted on him.
 "One night there came knock at the door, and my brother, wild-eYed and hag- gard, was admitted. He had only time to explain that he was charged with forging check on Colonel Collins and was now fly ing from the vengeance of the law, when the door opened and Colonel Collins him. self entered. Tortured by fears and har- rassed by Il man who was scarce less than a demon, my poor brother was seized with conyulsions and for days his life was | despalred of Colonel Collins informed me that unless 1 became his wife my brother, | regardless of condition, should be dragged to prison. This would kill both him and my mother, and frightened, mortified and un- conscious of the awful step 1 was taking | without consulting any one, 1 consented. l dared not appeal to an officer to protect me from this man; for, believing my brother to be a criminal, officers of the law were men most to be dreaded.
 Il have but faint recollection of my marriage-just as if it was a frightful dream When I came to realize that I was his-almost soul and body-I resolved that l would make him as good d wife as l could without loving him, and determined to pro tect my family. He had us secretly | conveyed to the stone house on the hill There NC have hyed, he holding as q con stant menace oyer mo the destruction Gf my mother and insane brother, who arc inmates of that house. While 1 do not love my hus- band, and was forced into marriage with him, yet as God is my witness l have made him as good wife as he would let inc and l shall live and die loyal to my marriage l vows He wanted mother and l 10 assign over to him the property we hold in our own names, but this we refused to do deter mined to save 1t for my afflicted brothers He flew into such a rage at our diobedience that we feared he would do my little dumb brother como harm, or send hm away where we should never see him again. It was then that l, for that child's sake, dared make the visit to you and enlist your sympathies in him, as you remember. You may think it unwomanly, inmodest, but if you could re- allze what was at stake you would overlook the lmpfudencC Of the act At my aunt $ the | little boy was among loving friends. while at the old stone house on the hlll he was not only miserable but i'll constant danger of being taken away from us, where we should never sec him again.
 Mrs Collins, your conduct on that occa- sion is quite praiscWorthy, instead of merit ing ccnsurc,' assured Allen, but why do you live with such a monster! The law will give you q divorce"
 Il am Catholic" she answered, "and neither does my religion or my conscience approve of divorces. No sir, my little brother is safe from his prosecutions, my insane brother can not live long and mother and l will endure rough usage and imprlson. ment until death shall release us from bon dage. She will not leave me, for she thinks my burden would be doubled if she was not here to sharc 1t. lpromised, although under dEress, to live with hlm until death do us