Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-14
q. DARK for light, hope. rsfugs. There


the dark for light, hope, refuea. There
was none.
Her D. or soul cast itself utterly on that
Of her lover. She turned her swimming
eyes on him, and said:
-How you must despise mel 1
Leland half kneeling on the Garnet
near her kissed her b nd indffferently
and half raised his shoulders in token Of
den al.
lis it not so2a she repeated. Answer
me, Wsrren." =. ....,
His face wore q strange. cruel smile.
do not insist on an answer, I pray
you,n he said p
'Then am rightf You do despise me?"
Leland turned himself abruptly full
toward her, looked straight In her face,
and said, in a cold, hard voice:
Il do"
To this frightfdl speech the poor
woman replied by o wild CRY that seemed
to rend her while her eyes dilated as If
under the influence Of strong poison.
Leland strobe across the room and
through an open doorway, slamming the
door behind him, and so disappeared.
Amy, who had listened, motionless and
pale as marble, remained in the same
lifeless attitude. her eyes fixed, her hands
clenched, yeaining from the depths Of
her heart that death would summon her.
Suddenly a singular noise, seeming to
come from the next room, struck her ear.
1t was only conyulsive sob, or violent
and smothered laughter.
The widest and most terrible ideas
crowded to the mind of the unhappy
woman; the foremost OF them, int her
husband had secretly returned, that he
knew all-that his brain had given way,
and the laughter was the gibberish Of his
madness.
Feeling her own brain begin to reel,
she sprang from the sofa, and rushing to
the door threw II open.
The next apartment was the dining
room, dlmly II hted by hanging lamp.
Ihere sne sw Leland, crouch ng upon
the floor, sobbing bitterly, and beating
his forehead against chair which he
clutched conVulslvelv.
Her tongue refused its office; she could
hnd no word, but seating herself near
him, felt the beating OF his heart and wept
silently.
He dragged himself nearer, seized the
hem of her dress and covered it with
kisses; his breast heaved tumultuously,
his lips trembled, and he gasped the al
most inarticulate words: Pardon! Oh,
pardon mel"
This was all. Then he rose suddenly
and rushed from the house.
He hurried to New York.
Bitter WEAKNESS, disgust of life and
disgust for himself, were no new sensa-
tions to this oung man; but he had never
experienced them in such poignant in
tensity as at this cursed hour, when flying
from the dishonored hearth of the friend
of his youth. He knew he had trampled
all honor under foot. Like Macbeth. he
had not only murdered one asleep, but
had murdered sleep itself.
His reflections became insupportable.
He thought successively of joining Stan
lev in Africa, of enlisting to fight Indians,
and of getting drunk ere he reached the
Hoffman House.
Chance favored the last design, for as
he alighted in front of the hotel he found
himself face to face with o pale young
man who smiled as he extended his hand.
Leland recognized an old friend.
"The deuce! You here, Charleyp
thought you in Europe"
II only arriv ed this morning." -l
quite we'll, hopep"
Yes, and anxio, for one Of our old
times. How are all our fast friends?"
About as usual, think. And if you
are really anxious for time, so am I. The
truth lie, am bear, o savage, ghost!
Assist me to return to life. Let MS 60 and
sup with some of these sprightly people
whose virtue and temperate habits are ex-
traordinary.
Agreed, with all my heart"
Half an hour later Warren Leland,
Charley Raymond, and half dozen guests
Of both sexes took possession of an apart
ment, the closed doors of which we must
respect.
Next morning, ct gray dawn, the party
was about to disperse, and at the mo-
ment picker, with q gray beard, was
wandering up and down before the hotel,
raking with his hook in the barrels and
piles that awaited the street scavenger.
In closing his purse with an unsteady
xrh;oh -oIlod info tha nnn5 81 tho a5co ~
the sidewalk The rao.nicker looked mn
with timid smile.
"Ah!" he exclaimed; what falls into