The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-07-07
A HAUNTED LIFE.
BY MRS. e. II. HouGH.

Up and down luxuriously appointed
room woman was pacing-a woman of
regal beauty, clad in robe of soft, sound
less silk, with jewels on her shapely hands,
at her fair throat, and in her dainty, she'll
like ears; but on her face and in her gleam-
ing eyes the look of a hunted creature-a
woman battling with the widest, the
fiercest, the most overmastering passion Of
her life.
For some time she kept up her ceaseless
pacing; then suddenly coming TO halt in
the middle of the room, she threw around
her a look like that of fugitive at bay, or
Of a prisoner surveying the place of life
long incarceration.
'LuXury-wretchedn misery !
woahh!-worse than povertyl'' she ex-
claimed at last, in a tone of chill despair.
"How gladly would / resign it all for the
freelom which is forever denied me. Oh!
is my whole life thus to be haunted because
of youthful error? Let me think-let me
see If there is not some loophole of escape.
have never cared for it beforer' she went
on, passionately, her voice rising almost to
sob. 81 haYe been content to let matters
| drift on AS they were; but now, alas !! my
heart has awakened, and its cry must be
granted"
With clenchcd hands and set, white face,
she paced up and down the room again foi
| several moments; then pausing at length
| m f,f ho lon oh
surface reflected every feature of her peer
less face, every turn of her graceful figure,
she stood gazing into it with mournful
smile, her hands clasped loosely in front OF
''Let me look my wretched life. my mis-
erable past, square in the facet she ex-
claimed presently with a smile that seemed
the very mockery of inirth. IAN orphan
at fourteen, sent from my luxurious East
India home, where had been the spoiled
pet of half a dozen slaves, to the care oi
my stern New England uncle, who was on
ly too glad to get me off his hands by send
ing me TO country boarding school. Their,
| became acquainted with Reginald Give
handsome, ardent boy of nineteen, will
one fortune in his own right, and another
awaiting him when he would be of age.
"rhe inevitable sequel followed. HI
fell madlY in love with me, and l. we'll, i
was anything to get rid of the bondage o
lessons, and taskmakers and arbitrar.
rules-and at the end of six months yield
cd TO his impassioned pleadings and w
eloped. How like weird and unreal dream
those few subsequent events followed eacl
other. The hurried marriage, the journe
to the railroad station, the midnight rid
that brought us to New York, and aboar
of the vessel that few hours later wa
bearing us To Europe.
"Then mad. reckless gayety and dissips
tion for six months, and then the end
With unbounded wealth and unstinted fiat
terry, what wonder that my head wa
turned, and my one object In life to ad
new conquests to my train. And whe
Reginald, white with jealousy, pain an
5 anger, commanded me to cease my reckles
course, defied him to his face-told biI
l had married him simply asa release froI
hated thralldom, only to find that had II
volved myself in bondage even more gal
. ing. Shall ever forget the look he turne
upon me when ended?
"'You have said enough, Mira L
said so quietly. 1T is well that we hay
reached this understanding so soon. Ha
of my private fortune l will settle upo
you, then | will go out of your life never
return unless you send for me. or un!e'
you are in some peril from which aloI
can save you
"And well he has kept bis word, f
since that day / have meyer looked upc
his face, but my whole life since has bee
haunted by the memory of that mad st'
that now like grinning spectre rises b
y tween me and the man haye learned
love. On my return to America FIVE yea
ago, after coming in possession of my oV
fortune, l have passed among my ne
made friends as widow, and this has L
he has done, and my whole soul has 60
out TO him in passionate longing th
: must be appeased. Must this blight th
has come upon my life remain-shall
never be lifted? All these years Regina
has never come near me, bias never soug
TO conciliate me or win my friendship, a
he shall give me the release haYe a RIG
to demand. This very night 1 will SEND
letter to the address from which he told !
u any communication would be forwarded
him, and will notify him that intend
; apply for an absolute release, which v