Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-03-29
At WAR With HERSELF.
The Story Of WOman's AtOnement,
by Charlotte N. Braeme.
cnAPrER XXXI-Continned

entered Jne IOOlh'
Lady Charnleigh, are you here,
alone?" she said. Miss Dacre has been
looking for you. You must be very
tired"
"Iwonder what she will say, thought
I,eonie. when tell her all? viii she
like the governess as well as she liked
the Countess, or will she be the iirst to
say that i never had any style and was
quite unfit for my station" | suppose
the world is all false alike.
81 have never known anything go of
SO successfully as this ball has done,
Lady Charnleigh. You have gained
golden opinions, my dear child. | am
inclined to think that fortune was not
blind when she chose you for lady OF
title and wealth"
"You think make better Countess
than did governess?" said Leonie.
"Yes. / will say more-there is no
one living who would grace your posi-
ton or fiji it as you do"
"Thank you, auntie; now goodnight,
or rather, good-morning Hank! The
birds are singing and the sun will soon
shame these lights. Au rcyoir, auntie
pleasant dreams"
Leonie swept up the grand staircase,
her velvet train falling in graceful
folds her fair head erect and stately,
smile on her lips, her whole energy
bent on one obiect-not to give way.
Florette was waiting for her.
How long can ! control MYSELF"
thought Leonie. 81 feel burning tears
close to my eyes, and | must let them
flow: there is burning pain at my
heart, and / must be alone that | may
weep it away.
Florette proceeded to remove the
costly diadem, the necklace Of diamonds
the ornaments, the rich trailing velvet
robes, and Leonie stood quite still. She
felt that If she either stirred or spoke
the torrent of grief must have its own
way.
Shall lock those diamonds up now,
my LADY," asked Florette.
Leonie looked at them few hours
more and they would no longer be hers
She would feast her eyes on them while
she could.
leave them until the morning" she
answered slowly, 81 am very tired;
you can go now. Goodnight.
At last she was alone the long pent-
up sorrow could have its way. She
locked the door, and, as the wild tor
rent of sobs rose to her lips, she flung
herself on the ground, not caring
whether she ever rose again or not.
So lately queen of one of the most
brilliant fetes ever imagined, now she
lay alone, battling as best she could
with her sorrow and her despair. Deep,
bitter sobs shook the PROSTATE figure;
ut was too hard" she said to herself
She had been 80 unutterably happy;
and now it was all over. She could
never enjoy one moment of life again.
She wept until her tears was ex-
hausted, and then something like the
gloom and sullenness of despair came
over her. The morning sun was shin
ing and the birds singing their matin
hymns, for the first time loathing for
sunshine and beauty came over her
she would fain have turned her face to
the wall and died,
A sensation of deadly faintness came
over her, when she remembered that
the had not tasted food since dinner
time on the previous day. She went to
she window and opened it, thinking the
fresh air might revive her. Dear
Heaven, how beautiful it was. The sky
was one mass Of pale pearl tints
streaked with gold, the morning air
was full of sweet and rare perfume, the
dew was sparkling like diamonds on
the grass, the flowers were all at their
fairest, the lilies opened their cool,
white cups, the roses sent forth cloud
of perfume, and the birds sang as
though there was no sorrow in the
world. How fair and tranquil it was,
the tall trees stirred so gently by the
sweet Western wind, and the green
boughs rustling with noise like faint
music!
so faint, so still, so full of beauty
Her hot, tired eyes wandered over the
flowers and trees. 1t was indeed an
earthly paradise she leave it?
No, thousand times no!
The cool morning air refreshed her;
it seemed to drive away the fever that
burned on her face and in her heart.
All this fair prospect, these gardens,
these grounds, the rich woodlands, the
fertile meadows, the park, had all been
hers yesterday. Could she lose them
now? A Thousand times no.
Temptation comes to us at different
times; it assails man when through
the open door of brilliantly lighted
room, he hears the click of the billiard
balls-he forgets his invalid wife at
home, and yields to it. 1t assails us in
those moments when we are weakest.
1t came to Leonie Rayner that fair June
morning while the dew lay on the
grass, and the birds sang in the trees
"a swift, sudden, terrible temptation
that made her tremble with its force,
that flushed her face and caused her
to raise her eyes to the fair morning
heavens.
mo, not that Let me lose all-let
me debut keep my honor and my
truth unsullied oh, great Heaven!"
A terrible temptation it was-one
that left her powerless. She trampled
upon it as she would have done upon
some noisome reptile springing at her
throat. She refused to hear it; then
she faltered ever so slightly, and looked
it in the face.
What was it? The words seemed to
grow clear to her mind as though they
were distinctly spoken.
mo one knows anything about the
will-why mention 1t? Destroy it;
there is no human being who will be
any the wiser; destroy the will"
Again and again the words seemed
TO be repeated, Destroy the will" She
could have fancied the whisper re-
echoed from every corner of the room.
The birds seemed to sing it, the wind
u repeat it. and IeOnie sat down de.