The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-04-18
LlONNB'S REVENGE.
A TRAoIc ROMANCE oFTHELAsr
CENTURY,.
CHAPTER XIV.

CENTURY.
CHAPTER XIV,
And to be wroth with one we love
Doth work like madness In the brain.
Dashing hersingle spur into her horss's flank
Lionne galloped furiously, with reeling, head.
long speed, across the bridge, and down to
the road below. There tho snow.drilts i'm.
peded her flight and she had tolabor heavily
through them, until she reached bleak track
blown clenr by tho winds. There she urain
spurrcd her horse and took flight, as If pos.
sessed by demon. And she was possessed
by demon. Turning. agonizins, maddening
sense OF wrong, reused her whole soul to a
frenzy OF Indignation, that seemed to hail
down lightning from Heaven to seattle an,l
consume, and exterminate her enemy.
And thus she rushed madly through the
day.
Night brought her to the cabin of a pioneer
The owner was absent, and the cabin empty;
but. with tho freedom of forest life. she enter.
ed, led in her horse, found oats for him an,l
dried venison for herself, and water from the
spring for botll; and after tending him, and
drinking large draught OF water to cool her
burning thirst, shc threw herself down upon
IL hard straw pnllet, but not to sleep-to
clasp her burning brow, and roll and toss, and
tear mt her own distracted head and breast
as though she would tear thence the iusu fieru.
BILE agony. Then came unOt her mood, a mood
that must have surprised her. had her soul
had any room Tor SURPRISE it was u transient
return of mex pressibie tenderness for her do.
stroycr-a longing to be with him. md to sol
out her great agony on his bosom; then with
unutternble uccePsion of woe. c0me the re mem.
brnnce that this must not, and ought not ia
be, and then u consciousness of utter and
eternal bereavement, that whirled her whole
soul in u storm OF frenzy.
So passed the night
With morning cnmc the thought-the qucs.
ton, who has caused me all this anguish, and
Why has lIe caused it"-bringing again the
frenzie.l aenss of transferable wrongs, and the
ringing longing for revenge. Thus burning
love and bitter hntred. relenting tenderness
and dcsolnting revenge warring incessantly,
mnde "a randemonirm Of her bosom.
She resumed her Journey, keeping the "river
road" along the eastern bnnk ofthe Potomac,
until siIe reached the ferry house opposite to
Alexandria. Then she crossed the river, ani
struck into "Braddock's road" leading fur
into the western wilderness.
AT the close oil her third days journey,
when the sun was getting behind the ridge 81
mountnlns that sheltered the lonely stone
house. SHE reached home.
She had been gone seven dnys.
Vulcan, the ginnt dwarf, was sitting in tho
doorway. Too nccust ometl to the eccentric
manners Of his mistress to feel surprised
ut her long al,sen:e or her sudden
return, he grinncd, nodded, and got up
head up and meeting her eyes. he anw, for the
first time. the stony woe that had turned to
marble every feature of that once fine face
Thut wiRtful glance was enough, aud was in.
stnntly withdrawn.
Not with her usual lightsome luunh and
ind bound from the saddle. With tile ghost
ofa smile and n faint word, she let llersel
drop to the ground, and gathering up the
skirt Of her riding habit, now deeply soiled
with mud from the great thaw, she passed
sadly into the house.
"Tlns my father reached home yet, Vulcan?
wns her first question.
NO. Lionnc, you know he snid nine duys
he's been but seven. lie won't be here before
the day after tomorrow"
I.ionne went upstairs. threw herself on the
bed, and longed for death.
Mr.. Dpluforet did not come upon the mint h
day, nor yetupon the eighteenth. And Lion
len anguish over her deep wrongs and the
most terrible manner of avenging them.
Tint Inst fierce snow.storm had been the
valedictOry address of winter. The spring
came on apace. Mr.. Delaforet returned
but not looking the same as when
he left home. HIS form WINS drawn up. hiA
head erect, his eye bright, his step elastic. a
certain cheerful dignity in every tone and
motion. His glnnce followed Lionne every
where with proud joy
Alns lionne did not understand or cure
for, nor cvsn perhaps, observe her fathers
change of expression. she was too absorbed
in her own wretchedness to notice his cheer.
tN,ypG Sho {rnv hi
and as day followed day, morc and more
sensitvely she sllrank from all eyes around.
As the weather moderated md settled,
lionne assumed her wild forest habits,
spending her dRysin long rides, long walks,
and long watchines in tho vast solitudes OF
nature.
For come time the exquisitely torturina
memories awakened by the associations Of
her grotto, kept her from its neighborhood.
Who has not alter the loss oi beloved
friend been pierced to the heart by even the
accidental, sudden sight Of some place or OBJ.
iect closely associated with the lost love?
Thus Lionne shivercd in anguish at the
sight of her grotto. 1t had been tull of love
and ioy-it WIS now vacant and solitary Us
her own aching heart, or else filed with tor.
turing assOciations, On wus her desolate
bosom with perverted passions
At last, however. Lionne begun to try to
use herself to tho sight of her grotto. He,
wild grief Her second md third were scarce
~ less agronizing to her heart; but at las,
she bore the trial with equanimity, and even
l,cgnn to rest ore the place to order, and max,
it almost l,ahitab!c.
lIny was thirkly spread over the ruggei
floor to fill up its inequalities, and II carpet
wns laid down. next q pitcher and glass wer,
conveyed thither. Then low chair, ant
finally q pillow and com orter. Here in THU
grotto, LiOnnespei,t many hours Ofeuch day
and as the season still advanced, here un
known to her father, she came to. sleep q
night. Ono day she came down sthirs Will
tho intention Of going to her 'grotto, wher
her father called her from the door OF hi
sitting room.
She turned and went in.
lie WINS sitting in his usual place, beside tn
center table, his head raised, and look o
proud exultation in his face, as lie held out
his hand to his daughter and snid-
] know you will be considered SO in the worlt
We are about to enter. Come nenr and 81
down beside me. my dear"
Lionne approached and dropped wearil,
into the chair TINT her father, with stately
old-fashionsd courtesy had placed for her &c
comodation.
by the way, now that look ut you NOR
closely, you aro thin and pale. Lionne IN,
Why do you wrap you rself in that larg
shawl? Ar Iyou not we,!?"
- an W. but eoId,' said Lionne, with
"chiys; 1 should not wonder. You expos
yourlAf recklcssly to the MONDAY sun an,
the 6idnight yapors. You must give up suc
VI why's. Lionne, or rather. you will natur
r1y resign them. in the world to which "
going And, in the meantime, ! mus
ring physician from town to prescribe 20
ooh, no, no. no." exclaimed I.ionpe /,
hlarm; ~ am not sick, ] never had o chill il
4 my lie: II is but the freshness of the day tina
! feel"
Aysry, well, nm glad to hear it; and now
my daughtsr," snid Mr. Delaforet. solemnly
II ON about TO speak OF that which SHOULD
i drive chils from your llcart for eyer!''
rlled .nH%x -tprned suddenly and deadly pale
until she .o,lIat her :ather's calmly exuItan
passed ont upotfer. He was not about to en-
er eyes, now more nting subject knew moth
kpesss cun',l discer
4 bushes. that loe.tinued the recluse, "hnysy 20,
ted shadows. iyour fathsr to BIO other thu
9 might snppos, the poor Scotch pioncer'"