The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-08
Lost Lima,
THE BITTER AND TIE SWEET.
A Tale Of Two Continents.
BY MRS. NINA LAWSON.
or

black ewes we're now sunken in her
head, and the once fat, rosy cheeks
were now pale and thin; the hand she
extended to Ray as he advanced toward
the bed was white, and scarcely any
flesh remained on the long slim I'm
gers. AS she looked at Rays wasted
form and sunken cheeks, her con-
science smote her to think she had been
the cause of it all; her voice was no
longer strong, and hal lost its COM
manding tone.
"Ray, please be seated, for wish to
talk to you awhile. Minna, you may
20 to your room now, and wait until
you are called.
"Perhaps you are not strong enough,
Ray, to listen to all have to tell, but
it must be told now, or never, for
I shall never see another day"
She spoke slowly and distinctly.
"No, Jeanette, I am not very strong
as vet, for have had very severe time
of it for the last six months, and when
you get O little better I will tell you
oil about it; but you must not talk IN
this manner, for you will soon recover
from the shock. You make me feel
worse by talking so. But you were
going to tell me last night where my
Lima is, and then the shock came and
you could not finish"
"Yes, it is that that I have sent to
tell you about. Ray, after you have
heard what I have to say you will curse
the day I was born and hate my memory
forever, for have been the cause OF
all your trouble; no-don't start IN
that manner, but be calm and listen to
me, for this is my dying confession,
and God alone knows what it costs me,
but I do not think now that could die
without telling all.
II knew where you were all the time,
Raw, and it was I who had you put
there. 7 knew when you were shot
and how badly; it was I wlo wrote
that letter that caused you 20 60 to the
Cit, that night, and I who wrote that
ANONYMOUS letter to Aunt Marguerite
sbout Lima It was I, too, Ray, who
put that poison in the cup of chocolate
on the morning after the ball, and
who tried to smother that girl to death;
all OF this have done, Ray, and why?
Because once loved you and this dear
old mansion more than I did my life or
my hope of heaven.
"When she first came here saw how
beautiful she was, and was then afraid
that YOU would love her more than me
if she remained until you came, and
then I did all that I could to get her
away from here, but aunt was firm, and
..,,, 4l,o4 h. 1ora1 cr,,.1 y
Jeannette stopped few moments to
rest AMI then went on:
"And then, when I saw you give
your heart to her, I grew jealous, and
it seemed to ME that you had forgotten
me, and I used to think that you loved
me, and that I would one day lie mis-
tress of this mansion. But, no; that
was not to be, and now am q ruined,
lost woman.
after I failed to kill her with the
poison, I was still more determined to
get her out of the way, thinking that
yoa would then love me and soon for
get her. It was then that tried to
smother her to death; but before had
quite succeeded the nurse came and
stopped me. Rather than have her be.
tray me then, I killed the nurse and
threw her body in the lake. Yes; and
it was who shot the poor simpleton,
for fear he would tel on me!
"Then, when I failed at that, was
afraid to attempt third time to kill
he-. Then I tried 20 get her from the
mansion by writing that letter to aunt;
but, as you know, failed in tina. also.
I was taken sick then, as you remem-
ber, and T knew nothing about what
was going on in the mansion until just
q few days before your marriage, and
tEea I would have shot her before your
own eyes if I could have got at her.
well, you were soon married and
gene, while was left behind to nurse
my wrath, and think of the as. and
my lost lore.
"Oh, Ray, how I once loved you!
None but God knows how much, and I
so longed to he mistress of this house
that 1 have sold my soul to eternal
damnation to win it; but all in vain!
II loved you too much; yes, I would
have been your slave. I would have
died for you, but when saw that you
cared 10 more for me than any of the
servants here vowed to have revenge,
and now 1 am the curse of your life!
"Be patient, Ray; know you feel
like choking me to death. But I am
dying now, and I hope your troubles
will caase-but-listcn, Ray, YOU have
not heard the worst"
"My God, Jeanette! you will kill
me yet, as you have the rest"
"Hark! Listen! Be patient. There
is only little more, and then all is
over.
"Well, I got my revenge at last, and
how I gloried at the sight of that
woman's misery! Oh, it was sweet to
ma then to see her suffer at my hands,
when have lived ten thousand deaths
because of her!
II hired man to go to Chicago that
night that you were shot in the woods,
nnd the next day he sent message
that YOU hal committed cuic:de, and
she was told to 60 there imme diately.
thought the shock would kill her,
aud then I did not care much If ii did.
Iwcuid have seen her die and not shed
tear. AS soon as she was able she
went to Chicago with Tom and her
maid but when she arrived there they
told h:r that You had thrown yourself
in the lake, and had Sent n letter to
her the same morning. They say she
came near dying there at the Pacific
Htte and perh ms it would have been