Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-11-26


gently on his knee before her, and,
taking her hand. murmured:
"Dear Alma, cannot bend too low
to sue for your forgiveness; 1 have
wronged and offended you by my mad
jealousy. l have been unjust, unman-
~. am deeply grieved and mortified
to think of it now. Alma, will you
pardon me-"
Dear Norham, l have nothing to
pardon in you; but much, very much.
to thank and love you for. Please
rise," she answered. in q gentle voice.
as she closed her hand upon his, and
tried to lift him up.
Il have been rude and violent to
you. my gentle one"
"Only for few moments. while for
months and months you have been
kind and loving"
but l have wounded your delicacy.
wrung your hearth,
"Well, when / have received so
much good from YOU, shall l not re-
ceive little necessary evil. too? Can
! have the rose of Love without its in
evitable thorn of Jealousy? Pray
rise"
''Gentlest OF all gentle girls, do.
sndeed. believe that it would be east
er to wound than offend you, and far
easier to wrong than to estrange your
heart" said Norham, rising to his feet
and pressing her hand to his lips.
1T would. indeed, be most difficult
for you to offend me, and quite impos-
sible to estrange me. For even if you
were to cease to love me-
She paused, and a deep blush over
spread her face.
"My own heart must first cease to
beat-nay. my own soul to exist. ere
cease to love you. Alma; for my love
seems the most immortal element i'll
my Immortality! Do you not believe
me?' said Norham, fervently.
''Yes. do. And trust in me, Also
Norham; nor for my sake. FOR. as l
said before. am willing to take the
pain with the joy, but for you own.
dear Norham. for it must be so dis
trcssing to suspect one that you love-
And oh. Norham! consider how little
cause YOU have to doubt me. am
not as other young ladies who have
many friends and relatives to love
them. have but you only i'll the
wide, wide world! Did ever tell you
before. Norham. that I never in my
life received a caress, 4 word. Il
glance of affection from any human
creature until I met you! My very
soul seemed perishing in it's solitude.
when your syIspathy and affection
came to ME as the dew and the sun
shine to fading flower. You loved
me and won my love. You gave me
new life! Oh, is it likely. is it even
possible. that my heart should ever
swerve in it's allegiance to it's life-giy-
ere"
II will never doubt you again! !
was a wretch to have doubted you
then! Dear one, have been so occu-
pied with my own selfish jealousy
that I have not even inquircd-how
have you been during the months Of
my long absence!'
'tJust as always. Life passes with
me in such monotony. that the changes
of the weather are all that know"
'While others. your nearest neigh
bOrs, have experienced such fearful
vicissitudes of fortIne that their daily
lives have passed more like the sue
cessiye acts in some dark tragedy.
than scenes in a real existence! Ny
uncle's family at Allworth Abbey!
oh, heaven, Alma! what fatality
was there! The whole family swept
from the face of the earth in a few
short monthsv'
..Alas, yes. Oh, Norham, you must
know how deeply 1 sympathizc with
you In this great sorrow! l should
have said go before, but your own per-
sonal trouble engaged all my atten-
ton"
"My abominable jealousy, you
should say; but let that pass. Alma,
was not as intimate as my brother
Malcolm was with my unclc's family;
and if they had all gone off in !: nat
ural way, by Il visitation of Provi-
dence. as it is called. l should not
have grieved for them more than men
usually grieve Tor uncles, aunts. and
cousins. But to think that they should
have been destroyed by fiend i'll the
shape of q girl" said NOrham, shud-
derirg.
'Ah! to whom do you refer?'' in
quired Alma
"To whom, but to that serpent
whom they warmed at their hearth
stone until she had life enough to
sting them to death. To whom. but
to that Indian cobra, EudOra Leaton?
Eudora LeatOn, name destined to
become notorious with those of Bor-
gia, Rrinvilliers and Lafarge!w
"YOu feel certain of her guilt. them"
Certain? Yes! Would it We're not
so! would that there were rational
doubt Of it! For if there were should
dare to hope that, though the old
house should become extinct. it need
not die in blood and shame!" said Nor
ham Montrose, bitterly.
'Then why not entertain that hope !:
There Is nothing but circumstantial
evidence against Eudora Leaton, and
such evidence is pr0verbially falla-
cious''
ut cannot he In this case. The evil
dence Is complete ,conclusoHe, convict
ing! No one can doubt that the. issue
Of her trial will be condemnation to
death. And all that have left to hope
Is. that the last Leaton Of Allworth
will have the grace to die by her own
Inland In the prison, rather than be-
come spectacle to the gaping crowd"
But Norham, do not think that
she Is guilty. and pray and hope and
!, nust that she may be proved innocent
H 4s from my soul believe her to be"
n ''That Is because you cannot con-
ceiye iniquity like hers. NJ Heaven
alfDrbid Won should sweet saint! And