Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-09-12

water, he could yet read it. Closely, yet
neatly written, its English was terse and
clear.
The pupil had well profited by her masters
instructions.
.At lastn-so began the MS. tive are
steaming within sight of his native land and
Heaven soon win put an end to all my long,
long weary years of waiting.
81 know not what unseen power impels
me to write this or guides my pen to shape
that mournful word, FdrepsM ] know not
what fills my terrified soul with vague fore
boding. But I like not the lowering looks
of those bad men, and, when that villain.
Matteo, bends upon mt his evil eye, my
heart fiutters like a frightened bird, and I
grow sick and faint.
81 see their many, secret, low-muttering
groups. l catch their hasty glances Of fear
and malice toward my good captain and his
mate, Luigi. And I am oppressed with an
horrible dread.
"Ahi why did I seek this vessels And
yet, when Alf'-her Nubian slave-sbreath-
less and terrified, came rushing in, that IA
tai night, with the news that the Sultan's
minions were without, ready to drag me to
his harem, could we do aught else but fly
down those narrow, sitting lanes and seek
safety on the first outbound steamer
"No sooner had l stepped upon her decks
than my soui told me that death abode
there. Too late! For she was already leav-
ing the harbor. And, now, daily and hour
ly, my eye and ear verify that awful pre-
sentiment.
LAST night nv father stood beside me,
clad in his death-shroud.
"'Fear not, my daughter said he, with
his rare, sweet smile Of old, the end is at
handl'
"Ayi the end is at hand But, if it be not
to meet thee, beloved, it lies in this sharp,
steel dagger, or in yon chilly waters.
80 my teacher of the olden days my love
of now and all time, .farepeW Thou knew
est that 1 loved thee, then. with a child's
pure love. And l have come to prove to thee
that I love thee now with the deathless
love of woman whose vain ~yearnings have
been pent up within her bosom for a half
score years of ceaseless watching. And,
come life or death! thou shalt yet know my
love was undying.
"None, save I and yon strong box, wherein
is hidden the clew to the place of conceal
ment Il would have left it with Abou Has
SAN, my dead fathers scribe; but, alasl
that cruel flight forbade), and Ali, who
bears about in his breast the papers which
he has sworn to protect to the death, until
hV u W SaNC VIC
three know where lies hat treasure that
shall make thee the peer of the richest
Prince on earth.
Sand, when it comes to thee-as come It
surely shalt-give but n thought to that
little Haydee, who, living, loved thee, and,
dying, breathed out her soul in prayer for
thee, and she will ask no more"
The brain Of many a better man has been
turned by e less trying than those
through which Fairfax had been passing;
and when he finished reading these words
it seemed to him that he would lose his
reason. Putting his hands to his head, he
tottered like one who has received a DEATH
blow. A binding mist came before his eyes
and a horrible, ringing, sound filed his
ears. One straw's weight more, and he
would have gone, stark, staring mad-like
those poor creatures whom he once saw in
their iron-barred cells, gnawing and biting
at their chains and shrieking out i their
frenzy.
Was it a hideous dreama Was he really
mad?
The most audacious flight of the widest
imagination could not have eaualed this
step of one brief moment from worse than
utter poverty to possible millions. Who
ever saw or knew or heard or dreamed OF
such a thing!
Suddenly his eye fell upon the dead Hay
dee at his feet-how gloriousiy beautiful
she looked now.-his little sweetheart,
Haydee, whom the sea had cast up to him
with her heart and her wealth, all his.
His frenzy ceased. He grew quiet and,
with tears of genuine affection, stopped
down and drew the marble, death-sti1 face
to his OWL and kissed it ~passionately, cry
ing:
"Haydee! o Haydee! Would to God I
had seen you alive but once more!"
But, where was Ali, that grim, yet trusty
slave whom Fairfax so well remembered in
connection with his visit of long-ago to Tan
giers?
Faithful, even to DEATH For, alasi the
sobbing pillows answered, as the next
moment they rolled his body into the cove,
burned and blackened with powder and