The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-04-11

united efforts nave maue HaOe NY suC'
cess this season.
He smiled sadly; it was the very
ghost of smile.
''That day will never comep he re-
turned, gravely. Il love her with all
my heart. She (Heaven bless herD re-
turns my love, yet I must not, dare
not, make her my wife. Burton, l am
q haunted manr'
bah! Nonsense laughed tr!fe
uneasily. "Why, Edgar, what in the
name of common sense is the matter
with you? Surely all is we'll since she
loves you in return. And, in fact. any
body can see. that!"
His face flushed, and tender smile
stole over his lips.
II can never bind her life to mine, !"
he said, sadly. Burton, have you
ever read poem which says:
Of once sown seed, who knoweth what the
crop is?"
Well, have found out that when we
SOW the seeds of sin, we reap misery
and death. Listen, while I tell you the
story of my sin.
'.Some five years ago I loved-ol
thought lo7ed-a girl IN the North. l
was wild sort of chap in those days,
and so-although I supposed you Will
despise me for 1T deceived her. She
believed herself to be my wife, Burton,
but cruelty, basely deceived her. She
had no legal claim upon me; and at
last, weary of the tie, I deserted her.
"When she found out the truth, she
lost her reason, and in a short time
committed suicide, stabbing herself to
the heart. Poor Lenore! she is amply
revenged. Her spirit has haunted me
from that day to this. can see her
now, standing before me, with her
pale. sad face, and great heart-broken
blue eyes, and flowing golden hair, in
one hand the dagger with which she
took her own life. Burton. 1 tell you
truly, it is driving me mad. 1 would
not, dare not, ask that noble girl,
Helen Gray, to be my wife and share
the haunted life which is my doom. ;"
His story ended, he arose abruptly
and left me, in blank bewilderment, to
think over what had heard and what
| had seen!
But was soon aroused from my rev
erie.
The curtain was about to arise, and ]
had duties to perform.
But first I went around to the wings
where expected to find Miss Gray.
She was all ready to 60 on; looking like
a picture, as she always did. For
either on or off the stage, Helen Gray
was the. prettiest little creature imagin-
able, and loved her as father loves
his favorite child.
The curtain went up and the play be
gan. In the midst of very pathetic
scene took up my position in retired
corner 30 watch the progress OF tho
ptay-aulte concealed from view OF the
Nndience: tt9efene fay--was -oI',~astt"
her acting was grand. She was the de-
serted wife--the beautiful betrayed
and she was kneellng at the feet OF the
villain who had broken her heart, her
hands clasped in supplicatiou, as she
begged him to have mercy upon her,
and take her back to his heart again.
He stood gazing coldly down upol
her, his face like handsome mask,
his dusky eyes full of scorn. He was
about to tura away from her, to cast
her off, and repudiate her forever. He
war about to speak, but all at once his
eyes fell upon some object at the farther
end of the stage, and the words died
upon his lips in hollow groan.
I glanced in the direction in which
he was staring with wide-open, terror
dilated eyes, and my heart gave mad
bound and then stood still. For, stand
ing at the opposite wing from where l
was cancelled from view, I saw the
shadowy form of Woman with pallid
face and flowing golden hair, and
wild blue eyes. She was all iu white,
and one hand held tiny dagger.
It was the apparition that I had
already beheld. Edgar stared like a
statue, his breath coming thick and
fast, his eyes dark with horror. He
made one unsteady sep in the direc-
ton of the specter; then faltering,
brokenly, the name ''Lenore! he fell
heavily upon the stage.
I rushed wildly to his side, and
lifted the handsome dark head upon
my knees. He was dead. He had
broken blood vessel, and death was
almost instantaneous.
We buried him and the public-nevel
knew his strange story. Miss Gray
still lives-a sad broken-hearted woman
who mourns her first love with grief
that even time cannot assuage. Yet,
sad though it is, does not poor Edgar
fate seem like retributlon?
All, me!
''of once sown seed, who knowetb what the
crop is?''
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