Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-02-23
unv Of the United State.

way of the United States
These things interested Ale-n but
could not drive all her sad thoughts
away. though they tempered them with
the thought that the cruel war would
soon be over and that the flag of our
country would still wave over united
land. As day after day passed with the
incidents common to all river journeys,
the cities grew larger, more numerous
and thrifty. and the hustle and rage of
war gradually grew less and less. until
the ravages disappeared altogether.
At Cairo il became necessary to ex-
change the powerful stesrler for a
/ lighter and swlfter one to stem the less
rapid current Of the beau iful La Belle
Ohio, and Aieen with her two faithful
servants were rapidly carried past mag
mig lent northern cities fill with a
/ hustle and enterprise that has never et
/ failed to astoBish and perplex the pe0-
/ pie Of southern birth aud education.
I When the great iron CITY II Pttsburg
with is clouds Of smoke burst upon
/ their view and all was hurry in the
preparations made for taking The tgsim
I that was % carry passer gers across the
I Alleghenles with all their granduer TO
1 the Monumental CITY
From Baltimore TO the Capital Civ
was but a short two hours ride and fer
the first time in many weary weeks did
Aleen feel that she was again with
friends upon whom she could implicitly
rely for comfort aud protection.
The greeting extended to her bv Ter
uncle and aunt was indeed most cor
dial and she was made to feel that she
was to them loved daughter, and she
with old PomDey and Chloe, was to re-
main under the De Lency roof as long
as it should please her to do so.
| After Aleen had been some days at
the home of her uncle she thought of
the manuscript her cousin St. CLAIR had
! placed in her hands at parting, she took
the roll and began to read 1t was ''the
death bed confession of Clarence Fair
fox. :" She paused, she could resd no
| further the strange and awful document
that had so mysteriously found its way
into her hands. Sho was deeply agita-
ted. After she became more compos-
ed she read the dread documentthrough
and sll its horrors were stamped upon
her brain. For long hours she lay
awake, brooding upon the past, and
FairfOx's unhappy end; the crimes be
had committed. and her own lost home
and blasted hopes, and with it ALL there
crept into her heart the memory of the
last meeting with her afiianced. Once
more she was ia her beloved home and
before her arose the stately mansion as
she had last beheld it. The magnolia
| groves and stately oaks with the mock
ing-birds singing in their branches But
now all is changed, gone the home of
her youth, aud he who was dearer than
all. A low cry burst from her lips. Oh!
Archie, Archie, have indeed lost you
forever! The awful confession bears
upon her mind. She cannot sleep
Morning at length dawned and YEARLY
she arose and joined the family. But
her look was troubled and her mind
distraught. She at length was stricken
down with the fever which had been
brought on by the perusal of that horri-
BILE document. For long weeks she lay
between life and death, in delirium
haunted by the past. But she recovered,
and once more moved about the house
shadow of her former self.
Years went by. She lived, but she
had grown to be sad sorrowful
woman, notold in years, but old in sor-
row. Her hair was still unmolested by
time, her fair brow unmarked by the
wriukled of age, yet a settled sadness
rest, upon her countenance and Sue
lived almost the life of recluse, with
her two old servants Chloe and Pompey
to minister to her vans She now
owned q beautiful home in Washington
The uneventful years slipped by and
here she still resided.
She endeavored to become reconciled
TO her fate. Sadly she had learned the
great lesson of life, to suffer and be
strong" and the thoughts and affections
she before had given to earth she now
raised to Heaven, whittier her loved ones
had gone and she vet hoped to meet
them. Thus for many years she lived
as a msstering angel of mercy. lady
bountiful, as she was called by the
poor around her. who, thanks to her
charity and ministry, shared the bounty
which she with lavish hand bestowed
upon them. Thus she lived, loved and
respected by all around her.
Archie was not forgotten; within her
heart was his image, clothed in the
beauty of youth and love, as last she
beheld him.
TO BE CONTINUED